IU among universities involved in educational initiative

BLOOMINGTON, Ind. (Inside INdiana Business) — Indiana University is joining an initiative designed to help improve doctoral students’ educational experience and to better promote diverse career paths. The university joins seven other higher education institutions in the AAU PhD Education Initiative.

IU is a pilot cohort member and aims to implement reforms in its graduate programs of arts and humanities and STEM. The plan is to address culture, behavior, policies and practices needed to prepare doctoral candidates for careers in, and outside, of academics. IU Bloomington vice provost for graduate education, David Daleke, will serve as the campus’ project leader.

“We are particularly excited that the College of Arts and Sciences’ Department of History and Department of Psychological and Brain Sciences, both of which are making efforts in diverse career training, have volunteered for this project. Additionally, the campus has a strong commitment to — and proven expertise in — career and professional development, as well as the use of data analytics, which will be invaluable as we seek new strategies and approaches to meeting the expectations of our doctoral students and preparing them for successful careers.”

The first phase of the AAU initiative will feature the College of Arts and Sciences, The University Graduate School and the Office of the Vice Provost for Graduate Education. The other members participating in the program are Boston University, Duke University, University of Illinois at Urbana-Champaign, University of Iowa, University of Missouri, University of Texas at Austin and University of Virginia.