Don’t count them out: PhD skills development and careers in industry

Purpose The purpose of this study is to identify what skills gained during PhD study are linked with preparation and differences between industry and academic positions. Design/methodology/approach Using student-level data from nearly 2,400 early career PhD alumni from 50 US PhD granting institutions, this study uses a generalized ordered logit model with partial proportional odds to test the main and conditional effects of 14 areas of skill development on perceptions of career preparation. Findings This study contributes empirical evidence to show that research skills and communicating with non-technical audiences are positively linked with job preparation. Practical implications The combination of sophisticated research and noncognitive skills promotes the idea of a well-rounded PhD – a highly skilled and versatile researcher that can interact in both academic and industry settings – as a goal of doctoral education. The knowledge gained from this study will assist scholars and graduate educators, including faculty advisors, program directors, graduate deans, graduate education professionals and career development professionals to reconceptualize professional preparation for work in industry. Social implications For-profit businesses, particularly start-up companies, are vital for economic development and many require PhD-level employees across research and management roles. Developing PhDs with the appropriate skills for industry will better align higher education and economic interests. Originality/value The wide scope of doctoral institutions allows for a quantitative approach not appropriate for single-institution case studies of doctoral career pathways research.

University air travel and greenhouse gas mitigation: An analysis of higher education climate policies

Higher education institutions have been involved with environmental and sustainability issues since at least the 1970s. More recently, efforts have shifted to a specific focus on climate change. Numerous institutions have created policies that aim to reduce their carbon footprints, with an emphasis on energy production and consumption and reducing their greenhouse gas emissions. One area that has received less attention has been greenhouse gas emissions from university air travel. The present research used qualitative document analysis to examine the climate policies of 46 public doctoral institutions to understand how they address university air travel greenhouse gas mitigation. Five major themes emerged in this research: no consideration of air travel, lack of quality data for accurate consideration, recommendations to offset air travel emissions, support for videoconferencing, and other suggestions for mitigation. These themes are discussed in detail, as are practical suggestions and implications stemming from this and related research.

Authorship Policies at U.S. Doctoral Universities: A Review and Recommendations for Future Policies

Intellectual contribution in the form of authorship is a fundamental component of the academic career. While research has addressed questionable and harmful authorship practices, there has largely been no discussion of how U.S. academic institutions interpret and potentially mitigate such practices through the use of institution-level authorship policies. To gain a better understanding of the role of U.S. academic institutions in authorship practices, we conducted a systematic review of publicly available authorship policies for U.S. doctoral institutions (using the 266 2018 Carnegie-classified R1 and R2 Universities), focusing on components such as specification of authorship criteria, recommendations for discussing authorship, dispute resolution processes, and guidance for faculty-student collaborations. We found that only 24% of the 266 Carnegie R1 and R2 Universities had publicly available authorship policies. Within these policies, the majority (93%) specified criteria for authorship, but provided less guidance about actual processes for applying such criteria (62%), handling authorship disputes (62%), and managing faculty-student author teams (49%). Further, we found that any discussion of dispute resolution practices typically lacked specificity. Recommendations grounded in these findings are offered for institutions to leverage their ability to guide the authorship process by adopting an authorship policy that acknowledges disciplinary diversity while still offering substantive guidance.

Research and Teaching Qualifications for Faculty Positions in Psychology at 4-Year Colleges and Universities

Standards for the evaluation of candidates for faculty positions in psychology differ by institution and applicants’ career level, but no research has attempted to quantify these variations. This study asked faculty ( N = 267) to describe the minimal research and teaching qualifications needed by job candidates at baccalaureate, master’s, and doctoral institutions. Results showed that the minimum qualifications for serious consideration at all three types of institutions included a record of about one publication a year, 2 years of teaching experience, and responsibility for one full course. Minimal qualifications increase based on candidates’ career level and institutions’ emphasis on research and teaching. These results provide some empirical guidance for aspiring professors’ professional development and career decision-making.

US academic libraries' staffing and expenditure trends (1996–2016)

PurposeThis paper explores trends over time in library staffing and staffing expenditures among two- and four-year colleges and universities in the United States.Design/methodology/approachResearchers merged and analyzed data from 1996 to 2016 from the National Center for Education Statistics for over 3,500 libraries at postsecondary institutions. This study is primarily descriptive in nature and addresses the research questions: How do staffing trends in academic libraries over this period of time relate to Carnegie classification and institution size? How do trends in library staffing expenditures over this period of time correspond to these same variables?FindingsAcross all institutions, on average, total library staff decreased from 1998 to 2012. Numbers of librarians declined at master’s and doctoral institutions between 1998 and 2016. Numbers of students per librarian increased over time in each Carnegie and size category. Average inflation-adjusted staffing expenditures have remained steady for master's, baccalaureate and associate's institutions. Salaries as a percent of library budget decreased only among doctoral institutions and institutions with 20,000 or more students.Originality/valueThis is a valuable study of trends over time, which has been difficult without downloading and merging separate data sets from multiple government sources. As a result, few studies have taken such an approach to this data. Consequently, institutions and libraries are making decisions about resource allocation based on only a fraction of the available data. Academic libraries can use this study and the resulting data set to benchmark key staffing characteristics.

Where Is Psychology Teaching and Learning Research Conducted? An Analysis of Institution Setting and Class Sizes

This article presents a census of empirical studies on the scholarship of teaching published in Teaching of Psychology, Psychology Learning and Teaching, and Scholarship of Teaching and Learning in Psychology over the past decade. All articles from each issue were coded for characteristics identifying the teaching context in which the research was conducted, focusing on institution type using Carnegie classifications and average class size. The majority of studies on the scholarship of teaching and learning in psychology were carried out in smaller classes (less than 40 students/class) in settings characterized as Master’s or Doctoral institutions. These data suggest an underrepresentation of studies from 2-year Associate’s colleges, as well as from larger enrollment classrooms. Implications are discussed for conducting research in the diverse classroom settings representative of psychology instruction.

Keys to a Successful Job Talk

Interviews for faculty positions in psychology often include a teaching demonstration or research talk, but there is little empirical data about what makes these job talks successful. Psychology faculty ( N = 303) described the job talks required at 4-year institutions and the attributes of a successful job talk. For both teaching demonstrations and research talks, being accurate and knowledgeable was of highest importance, but being practiced, open, and engaging were also important. However, significant differences between institutions showed that baccalaureate institutions emphasize teaching skills during job talks and doctoral institutions emphasize research skills. The results confirm that a polished job talk is crucial, but they also illustrate that successful job talks must fit the teaching and research mission of the institution.