FINANCIAL, 
QUALITY OF LIFE 
& OTHER DOCTORAL STUDENT SUPPORT

 

 

 

Improved Financial Support for Doctoral Students

• 56% increase in base stipend for doctoral students (AY 2017-18 compared with 2004-05)
  Rose in 12 out of 13 years
  Annual gain ranges from 2.5% to 6.25%
• Began offering 5-Year Guarantee in 2006 (stipend, tuition remission, a health-services fee, and a health-insurance subsidy)
• 4 summers of support since Fall 2010, up from three summers
• New summer support approach for doctoral students in the humanities and social sciences results in 84% increase in Graduate School summer stipend in 2017-18, compared with 2016-17.
• 5^th summer of support added for all humanities and social science students receiving 6^th year support (Summer 2015)
• 6^th-year financial support available for doctoral students in the humanities and social sciences who need additional time beyond the guarantee, are in good standing, and are recommended by the graduate program. Record of meeting need: 
  DCP and DEP Funding Award Statistics 2017
  DEP and DCP Funding Award Statistics 2016
  DEP and DCP Funding Award Statistics 2015
  DEP and DCP Funding Award Statistics 2014
  DEP and DCP Funding Award Statistics 2013
  DEP and DCP Funding Award Statistics 2012

New Dental Insurance Support

Began offering no-cost dental insurance for doctoral students with health insurance and stipends (2015-16), regardless of appointment

New Parental Relief Policy

Enables eligible students to select a full semester or summer for parental relief (July 2016)

Enhanced Quality-of-Life Support

• Completed $2 million construction of graduate student study center in the Rockefeller Library (Fall 2016)
• Created strategic indicators and measurements in Campus Life reports
• Increased frequency of Campus Climate Survey for graduate students, making them annual, and tailored surveys for graduate, master’s and MFA students (2013-14)
• Added opportunities for graduate students to interact with Corporation Campus Life Committee 
• Funded renovation of Graduate Student Council Lounge (2013)

Improved New Student Preparation and Graduate School Orientation

• Offered new outreach on Brown’s historical links to slavery (2016)
• Added Title IX training to Orientation (2015)
• Expanded International Orientation to two days from one (2014)
• Instituted new tutorial program to convey and reinforce Brown’s academic and student conduct codes (2011) and made the tutorial mandatory (2012)
• Created advising and mentoring guidelines  (2010)
• Began surveying new students, using feedback to improve Orientation (2008)

Expanded Student
Development
Opportunities

 

 

Opportunities or Programs Created to Foster Research, Teaching, and Professional Development Skills

• Initiative to Maximize Student Development program expands to include the physical sciences, engineering and mathematics (2017-18)
• Diversity Fellowships (First cohort: 2017-18)
• Graduate Community Fellows (First cohort: 2016-17)
• Deans’ Faculty Fellowships (First cohort: 2015-16)
• Interdisciplinary Opportunities (First cohort: 2015-16)
• Effective Performance Workshops (Start date: 2015-16)
• Global Mobility research travel grants (Start date: 2014-15)
• Research Matters! showcase of student discoveries (Start date: 2014-15)
• Graduate Career Options Conference (Start date: 2014-15)
• Sheridan Center Certificate V: Reflective Mentorship (Start date: 2013-14)
• Open Graduate Education (First cohort: 2012-13)
• Brown Executive Scholars Training Program (First cohort: 2011)
• NSF Responsible Conduct of Research Training (Start date: 2014), originally called Bearcore (Start date: 2010)
• Academy in Context dinner-seminar series on ethics (Start date: 2005-06)
• Brown/Wheaton Faculty Fellows Program (Start date: 2004; expanded 2014-15)

 

PEOPLE, 
PROGRAMS 
& SYSTEMS

 

 

 

• Assistant Provost for Global Engagement (October 2016)
• Associate Dean of Student Support role created as full-time position (July 2016)
• Associate Dean of Diversity Initiatives expanded to full-time position (2015-16)
• Associate Dean of Master’s Education created in 2013-14 and upgraded to full-time position in 2015-16, enabling other deans to better serve doctoral students
• Associate Dean of Student Development came on board (2014)
• Deputy Title IX Coordinator housed in Graduate School (2014-15)

Expanded ELL Services

Two English Language Learning staff members are available, up from one (Fall 2016)

New Doctoral Programs Since 2004

• Computer Music and Multimedia
• Ancient History (Classics)
• Ancient History (History)
• Health Services Research
• Biological & Computational Biology
• Computer Science & Computational Biology
• Africana Studies
• Behavioral and Social Heath Sciences

Doctoral Certificates Created 

• Africana Studies (2016-17)
• Collaborative Humanities (2016-17)
• Data Science (2016-17)
• Gender and Sexuality Studies (2016-17)
• Latin American and Caribbean Studies (2016-17)
• Public Humanities (2016-17)
• Spatial Analysis (2016-17) 

Graduate Student Information Management (GSIM) system

GSIM tracks standing and progress of current students, funding commitments, and significant student events.