UNIVERSITY PARK, Pa. — To improve how the Graduate School and Penn State are supporting graduate student success in a period of rising costs of living incurred by students, Levon T. Esters, vice provost for graduate education and dean of the Graduate School, has convened a special task force to examine Penn State’s current graduate student funding model and develop a new model for the University. The task force is charged with identifying ways to improve funding possibilities for graduate students, who serve a central role in the University’s teaching, research and outreach mission.
“Funding is a significant factor in shaping the graduate student experience today, especially as costs for food, housing and other essential needs increase annually,” said Esters. “By benchmarking and exploring new funding possibilities for graduate students, I hope to improve the recruitment and success of talented graduate students across Penn State.”
Penn State offers more than 300 graduate degree programs at six campuses to more than 13,000 students. Graduate programs throughout the University have a long history of offering students competitive assistantships and fellowships, which provide funding for tuition, health insurance subsidies and student fees, in addition to a stipend. This support allows graduate students to pursue a holistic training experience through teaching, research or other activities, in addition to completing course work throughout their journey toward their degrees. The task force seeks to ensure that Penn State can continue offering opportunities such as these to talented graduate students in a sustainable manner.
Through this initiative, Esters is exploring ways to align graduate education support with Penn State President Neeli Bendapudi’s vision and goals for the University, giving particular emphasis to enhancing student success; growing interdisciplinary research; and fostering diversity, equity, inclusion and belonging.
“Penn State has been a leader in graduate education for more than a century, and graduate education has a symbiotic relationship with Penn State’s teaching, research and scholarship endeavors,” said Esters. “Graduate students mentor undergraduate students on research and scholarship projects, and their contribution to undergraduate teaching and learning bolsters and elevates the institution’s reputation for academic excellence. Adopting a reliable and effective funding model will help keep our graduate program portfolio robust, competitive and effective in providing transformative experiences for students.”
Graduate programs, most of which are embedded in academic colleges and campuses, typically allot assistantship and fellowship funds based on their program and student needs. Graduate education funding comes from various sources such as University funds, external fellowships, grants and endowments. The goals of the task force are to review graduate funding and support packages to improve financial support for students, develop a scalable and sustainable graduate student funding model, and thoroughly examine and recommend updates to Penn State’s existing policies and guidelines regarding graduate funding to align with the proposed funding model.
Executive sponsors for the task force include Esters; Andrew Read, senior vice president for research, and Tracy Langkilde, interim executive vice president and provost.
Task force members who were asked to serve will represent the breadth of Penn State’s graduate education portfolio, which includes master’s and doctoral programs, residential and online programs, and research and professional programs. Membership includes faculty and students from the variety of graduate education disciplines at Penn State, and, as needed, additional advisory groups may be formed to enhance the effectiveness and efficiency of the task force in specific areas.
Task force members include:
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Stephanie Danette Preston, associate dean for graduate educational equity and chief diversity officer for graduate education (co-chair)
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David Vanness, professor of health policy and administration (co-chair)
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Jocelyn Bennett Garraway, assistant dean for diversity, equity, and inclusion, College of Information Sciences and Technology
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Jamie Campbell, associate dean for diversity enhancement, Smeal College of Business
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Jon Hartzler, financial officer, Graduate School
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Greg Kelly, senior associate dean for research, College of Education, and distinguished professor of education
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Deepika Kumar, master’s student in counseling education
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Lori Long, graduate program coordinator, College of Engineering
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Emily Martell, managing director, Huck Institutes of the Life Sciences
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John Mauro, associate head for graduate education, Department of Materials Science and Engineering; chair, intercollege Graduate Degree Program in Materials Science and Engineering; and Dorothy Pate Enright Professor of Materials Science and Engineering
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Michael Nelson, director of graduate studies, College of the Liberal Arts, and professor of political science
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Wilson Okello, assistant professor of education and research associate, College of Education
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Ute Poerschke, associate head for graduate education, Department of Architecture, and professor of architecture
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Amy R. Pritchett, head, Department of Aerospace Engineering
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Beth Seymour, teaching professor of anthropology, communications, history, and women's, gender, and sexuality studies, Penn State Altoona
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Brooke Snider, director of graduate fellowships and awards administration, Graduate School
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Rayne A. Sperling, associate dean for undergraduate and graduate studies, College of Education, and professor of education
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Virginia Teachey, associate vice president for budget and finance
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Stiphany Tieu, doctoral student in materials science and engineering
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Michael Verderame, senior associate dean, Graduate School
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Daniela Zarnescu, associate dean for graduate education and postdoctoral training, College of Medicine
The task force will first meet in the spring 2024 semester to begin a 12-month analysis of historical and current funding models, with a goal of proposing a new model at the end of the project. More information will be made available about this initiative as it progresses. For the latest news from the Graduate School, sign up to receive the Graduate School Headlines or visit gradschool.psu.edu.