·
The Department and Rockefeller should work
together to assure that the University’s Annual Data Reports are received by
January 31 each year.
·
The
official student evaluations of courses should be shared with the Dean’s Office
to allow some (mild) quality control.
At the present time, only the course director appears to see these
comments. If an individual
is appointed to oversee the curriculum as a whole, this individual could also be
responsible for reading the evaluations and maintaining quality control across
all the courses.
·
Rockefeller should publish statements of policy
with respect to academic freedom, working conditions, workload, opportunities
for professional development, affirmative action, evaluation of teaching and
research, termination of appointment, and faculty responsibility to the
institution.
·
Although there are now several hundred
postdoctoral fellows, there is no office or person exclusively dedicated to
dealing with issues related to postdoctoral fellows. Considering the large number of
postdoctoral fellows and the recent national movement to improve the quality of
life and educational experiences for this unique group of scientists, it may be
time for Rockefeller to create an office (or an additional hire within the
Administrative Office of the Graduate Program) exclusively dedicated to dealing
with issues related to postdoctoral fellows, in order to further facilitate
scientific interactions and make the educational experience of postdoctoral
fellows at Rockefeller even more rewarding.
·
The team encourages Rockefeller to take more
advantage of its unique location to recruit minority candidates locally.
·
The next edition of the catalog should provide
the missing relevant required information.
Findings.
Rockefeller has been a scientific leader for many decades. Discussions with the President and the
Dean made it clear that excellence in science is the ultimate goal. It was also stated that the number of
students in the Graduate Program will not be increased dramatically in the
future. Rather, the number of
approximately 200 as a student body was felt to be more or less ideal, and the
goal continues to be to maintain the extraordinary level of achievement with
respect to both faculty and students.
The President voiced one initiative, to expose both students and faculty
to writers, philosophers and journalists in order to develop better
communication of scientists with the outside world. This plan is aimed at further improving
the performance of students and faculty in a more and more complex
world.
Institutional Mission
The
institution shall have a clear statement of purpose, mission, and goals that
shall be reflected in the policies, practices, and outcomes of the institution.
Findings.
Rockefeller’s mission
is described in The Rockefeller University Strategic Plan (June 2005) as
“sustaining the founding vision in an era of 21st century
science.” The mission of the
Graduate Program is to:
1.)
Recruit the best students regardless of citizenship
2.)
Subject students to minimal bureaucracy
3.)
Provide generous professional and personal support
4.)
Strongly encourage interactions
5.)
Mentor students carefully
The Dean made a powerful statement as to the
uniqueness of the Rockefeller program by highlighting the feature of attracting
the best international students and recognizing that bureaucratic burdens can be
a major threat to scientific progress.
Recommendations:
None. The
University meets the standard.
Assessment
of Student Achievement
The institution shall prepare and continuously implement
a plan for the systematic assessment of its effectiveness in promoting the
quality of student achievement and development. Such assessment plan shall include but
need not be limited to: graduation rates and, as pertinent to institutional
mission and programs, state licensing examination results and job placement
rates. The institution shall
provide to the department on request and in all applications for accreditation
and renewal of accreditation, evidence of its implementation of the plan and its
effects on the quality of student achievement in relation to its mission and
goals.
Findings.
Student achievement at Rockefeller is viewed as superb. This is evidenced by the structure of
the program and the documented student successes as well as by the unique and
important contribution that the Graduate Program makes to the scientific
enterprise at the University.
Indeed, at the site visit, there was universally enthusiastic support of
the graduate program from the President, senior and junior faculty, and
administrative staff. Students
interviewed were similarly enthusiastic about the program and their experiences
at Rockefeller in general.
Oversight of student progress
after the period of coursework is excellent. All students in the program are required
to meet with their Faculty Advisory Committee (FAC) annually (although this can
be more frequent if required). The
FAC for each student generates a report that is provided to the student,
research mentor, and the Dean’s Office.
The student-focused administrative structure of the program ensures that
these reports are reviewed carefully.
The average time to graduation is ~5.5 years, which is considerably
shorter than the national average for students in the biological sciences (6.7
years in 2004, according to Doctorate
Recipients from United States Universities: Summary Report 2004).
The President expressed a desire
to reduce the period of Ph.D. training at Rockefeller to around five years,
principally through more vigilant monitoring of FAC activity and reports. Evidence of this movement is provided by
the demonstration that, over the past few years, mean time to graduation has
been decreasing. The team supports
this objective, and encourages the institution to work hard to make this
objective a reality.
Student success in terms of
publications and outside recognition is outstanding. Rockefeller students have successfully
competed for extramural funding (in 2003, for example, Rockefeller students
received seven of the 49 Howard Hughes predoctoral fellowships offered
nationwide). In the last five
years, four students have won the prestigious Weintraub Award for thesis
research.
It also is worth noting that the
administrative staff of the graduate program do a commendable job at monitoring
students after graduation. The
comprehensive database of alumni and the published alumni index are testament to
Rockefeller’s interest in the long-term success of students.
Recommendations:
None. The University meets the standard.
The
institution shall annually submit:
(i)
timely and accurate statistical information as prescribed by the
commissioner;
(ii) additional
specified reports, including data related to persistence and graduation rates,
state licensing examination results, job placement rates, and other evidence of
the quality of student achievement;
(iii) record of
compliance with its program responsibilities under HEA Title IV (including
student default rate data, and the results of audits and program
reviews);
(iv) record of student
complaints and their outcomes; and
(v) other
information pertaining to an institution's compliance with the standards
prescribed in this Part, as determined by the department.
Findings. The
State Education Department has no record of receiving Rockefeller’s Annual Data
Reports for 2002, 2003, 2004, 2005, or 2006, or its mid-term self-study, which
should have been received in 2004-05.
However, it appears that the Department did not remind Rockefeller to
submit the reports and did not send Rockefeller a notice in 2003-04 specifying
the content of the mid-term self-study.
Recommendations:
1.
The Department and Rockefeller should work
together to assure that the University’s Annual Data Reports are received by
January 31 each year.
Job Placement
Rates
Graduate-only institutions. If, in
the judgment of the commissioner, there is a sufficient cohort of students,
based on the most recent data submitted to the department, an institution whose
mission includes the preparation of students for employment and that offers no
programs below the master’s degree that reports job placement rates, including
civilian and military occupations, below 80 percent, and that has not shown an
improvement over the preceding year of at least three percent, shall prepare and
submit a plan to improve student achievement in terms of job placement
rates. Such plan shall include but
need not be limited to: strategies and timelines intended to achieve at least 80
percent or a three-percent annual improvement within a period not to exceed two
years at an institution where the longest program is at least two years
duration, eighteen months at an institution where the longest program is at
least one year but less than two years in duration, or twelve months at an
institution where the longest program is less than one year in
duration.
Findings. Between 1959 and 2002, 75 percent of
Rockefeller’s Ph.D. recipients entered careers in academe; 19 percent entered
business, law, publishing, or government; and six percent entered
pharmacological biotechnology. Two
of its alumni have won Nobel prizes; 23 are members of the National Academy of
Sciences. It is clear from the
uncommonly superb science at Rockefeller and the very high retention rate in
academics that Rockefeller graduates are able to exceed common expectations in
terms of establishing careers in research science.
Recommendations:
None. The University meets the standard.
Curricula
Integrity of credit.
(i)
Each course offered for credit by an institution shall be part of a
general education requirement, a major requirement, or an elective in a
curriculum leading to a degree or certificate.
(ii)
Credit toward an undergraduate degree shall be earned only for
college-level work. Credit toward a
graduate degree shall be earned only through work designed expressly for
graduate students. Enrollment of
secondary school students in undergraduate courses, of undergraduates in
graduate courses, and of graduate students in undergraduate courses shall be
strictly controlled by the institution.
(iii) The
institution shall assure that credit is granted only to students who have
achieved the stated objectives of each credit-bearing learning
activity.
Findings.
In general, the curriculum and course-work offerings are superb. A large variety of courses are offered
(grouped into six major categories) and it is clear that most students are able
to select a group of courses that will meet their needs. (It also is evident that faculty mentors
provide assistance to students in selecting the courses). Quantitative aspects of biology are
somewhat underrepresented in the curriculum, although a non-credit “Math Course
for Biologists” is offered that appears, based on the course description, to
provide remedial instruction in this area for interested students.
Recommendations:
None. The University meets the standard.
Curricular goals and
objectives
(i)
Institutional goals and the objectives of each curriculum and of all
courses shall be carefully defined in writing.
(ii) Each
curriculum shall show evidence of careful planning. The content and duration of
curricula shall be designed to implement their purposes.
(iii) Course
descriptions shall clearly state the subject matter and requirements of each
course.
Findings.
The curriculum of Rockefeller’s Graduate Program is designed with the
specific intention of allowing students to tailor their education experience to
their own interests and requirements.
In addition to three mandatory courses — Seminars in Modern Biology,
Experiment and Theory in Modern Biology, and Ethics — students must
satisfactorily complete seven units of coursework (each unit roughly corresponds
to 12 lectures). Coursework must be
completed by the end of the second year.
The Student Guide contains a
comprehensive list of the courses being offered, their credit values, course
objectives, expectations, prerequisites, and methods of assessment. Distinct from the Student Guide, a
detailed set of syllabi were provided to the team that describe the course work
offerings for 2005-2007. In
general, these syllabi, which are provided to the students, are extremely
comprehensive. Although they vary
in depth depending on the courses, each syllabus typically lists individual
lectures, required reading, expectations with respect to background knowledge,
evaluation methods, and sample questions.
Based on the provided documentation, it is clear that courses are well
organized, and that issues relating to effort, intensity, prerequisites, and
methods of assessment are satisfactorily documented.
Recommendations:
None. The University meets the standard.
Assessment of success in
achieving goals and objectives
There shall be a written plan to assess, no less than
every five to seven years, the success of faculty and students in achieving
institutional goals and curricular objectives and to promote improvement. Such assessment shall include systematic
collection, review and use of quantitative and qualitative information about
educational programs, including at least some information that directly
addresses learning outcomes, and shall be undertaken for the purpose of
improving student learning and development.
Findings.
The team was given a sample graduate student file that contained a
comprehensive set of documents relating to student progress throughout the
program. A significant portion of
this file was dedicated to student assessments and evaluations. When courses are completed, students
typically receive a grade and a written evaluation that both supports the grade
and offers constructive criticism.
Detailed records of courses taken and grades received are
maintained. Evidence of careful
monitoring and recording of student progress is provided in the student file,
which also contains the results of annual evaluations, FAC reports, and
descriptions of the thesis defense examination. Academic transcripts, and
statements-in-lieu of transcripts, are exceptionally comprehensive.
Although the coursework is
comprehensive and well organized, the team notes that there is no formal
mechanism in place for course development, integration, and
standardization. Similarly, there
does not appear to be a teaching faculty member who is responsible for the
curriculum as a whole. At the
completion of each course, both the course and the relevant faculty are
evaluated by the students. The team
was provided with sample evaluation forms that appear adequate and generally
indicate a willingness of the faculty to receive constructive criticism. Faculty interviewed during the site
visit expressed the opinion that these evaluations are a useful mechanism for
course improvement. It is evident,
however, that the evaluation forms are not standardized and, while they may give
individual faculty members a sense of how to improve their courses, they are not
generally structured to provide the program administration with a sense of the
effectiveness of a particular course.
Moreover, it is unclear who (apart from teaching faculty) reads the
evaluations, and what action would be taken, for example, if a course or its
instructor was to receive a poor evaluation.
The team recognizes the unique
flexibility of the Rockefeller program and the benefits of the minimal hierarchy
that is in place; however, it suggests that the program consider placing a
faculty member (or committee) in charge of the curriculum. This individual could be responsible for
recruiting new faculty to teach courses, coordinating the development of new
courses (for example, in response to student demands or the changing landscape
of biological research), monitoring course content and student assessment
mechanisms, and reviewing course evaluations.
Recommendations:
2.
The
official student evaluations of courses should be shared with the Dean’s Office
to allow some (mild) quality control.
At the present time, only the course director appears to see these
comments. If an individual
is appointed to oversee the curriculum as a whole, this individual could also be
responsible for reading the evaluations and maintaining quality control across
all the courses.
Program length, credit, and
other requirements for degrees
For
each curriculum, the institution shall assure that courses will be offered with
sufficient frequency to enable students to complete the program within the
minimum time for degree completion for each degree level identified in this
paragraph.
(i)
Associate degree programs shall normally be capable of completion
in two academic years of full-time study, or their equivalent in part-time
study, with an accumulation of not less than 60 semester
hours.
(ii)
Baccalaureate degree programs shall normally be capable of
completion in four academic years of full-time study, or, in the case of
five-year programs, five academic years of full-time study, or their equivalent
in part-time study, with an accumulation of not less than 120 semester
hours.
(iii) Master's
degree programs shall normally require a minimum of one academic year of
full-time graduate level study, or its equivalent in part-time study, with an
accumulation of not less than 30 semester hours. Research or a comparable occupational or
professional experience shall be a component of each master's degree
program. The requirements for a
master's degree shall normally include at least one of the following: passing a
comprehensive test, writing a thesis based on independent research or completing
an appropriate special project.
(iv) The
master of philosophy degree shall require completion of all requirements for
the degree of doctor of philosophy except the dissertation, and shall require
that the student have been admitted to candidacy in a doctor of philosophy
curriculum offered by the institution conferring the master of philosophy
degree.
(v)
Doctoral programs shall require a minimum of three academic years
of full-time graduate level study after the baccalaureate degree, or their
equivalent in part-time study.
Doctoral studies shall include the production of a substantial report on
original research, the independent investigation of a topic of significance to
the field of study, the production of an appropriate creative work, or the
verified development of advanced professional skills.
2002 Report Recommendation:
·
Develop a policy that will lead to a greater
proportion of students having research experiences in multiple labs through
research rotations.
University’s Response: We have
established a rotation schedule to facilitate and encourage laboratory
rotations. When they first arrive
in early September, students choose a lab in which to work in consultation with
the dean and Director of Educational Affairs. In early November, the students meet
again with the Director and discuss their lab experience. At this point, there are three options:
1, Change to another lab for further experience; 2, Extend the rotation in the
current lab; 3, join the current lab as a thesis student. This plan provides students with an easy
mechanism to rotate, and has increased the number of students with experience in
multiple labs.
Findings.
As part of the mandatory coursework, students participate in a
“Tri-Institutional Ethics Course” with students from the Weill Medical College
of Cornell University and Memorial Sloan-Kettering Cancer Center. The syllabus provided to the team
indicates that the course goals and objectives are appropriate, and the written
feedback provided also suggests that students that take the course are generally
satisfied with its content and approach.
At the visit, however, students interviewed felt that this course did not
meet their needs or its own objectives.
They noted that a significant portion of the curriculum was geared
towards medical students rather than research scientists, that the large class
sizes were not conducive to discussion, and that some topics were dealt with in
a superficial manner.
The team recognizes the
difficulties in structuring appropriate ethics training for Ph.D. students, and
also acknowledges the Dean’s sincere commitment to enhance the quality of this
training at Rockefeller. It notes,
however, that the current approach to ethics training is less than optimal.
Recommendations:
None. The University meets the standard.
Suggestion for Institutional
Improvement:
·
The team encourages the School to develop an
ethics course that parallels its superb scientific courses in terms of
suitability, depth of analysis, intimacy, and programmatic oversight.
Faculty
Competence and
credentials
(i)
All members of the faculty shall have demonstrated by training, earned
degrees, scholarship, experience, and by classroom performance or other evidence
of teaching potential, their competence to offer the courses and discharge the
other academic responsibilities which are assigned to
them.
(ii) At
least one faculty member teaching in each curriculum culminating in a bachelor's
degree shall hold an earned doctorate in an appropriate field, unless the
department determines that the curriculum is in a field of study in which other
standards are appropriate.
(iii) All faculty
members who teach within a curriculum leading to a graduate degree shall possess
earned doctorates or other terminal degrees in the field in which they are
teaching or shall have demonstrated, in other widely recognized ways, their
special competence in the field in which they direct graduate
students.
Findings.
Over the past century,
Rockefeller has been home to 23 Nobel laureates, seven of whom are current
members of the faculty. There have
been 12 National Medal of Science recipients and about 20 Lasker Award winners;
at the present time, there are 32 members of the National Academy. Clearly, having almost half their
faculty as National Academy members is unique for any
institution in the country.
Recommendations:
None. The University meets the standard.
Adequacy to support programs
and services
(i)
The faculty shall be sufficient in number to assure breadth and depth of
instruction and the proper discharge of all other faculty
responsibilities.
(ii) To
foster and maintain continuity and stability in academic programs and policies,
there shall be in the institution a sufficient number of faculty members who
serve full-time at the institution.
(iii) For each
curriculum the institution shall designate a body of faculty who, with the
academic officers of the institution, shall be responsible for setting
curricular objectives, for determining the means by which achievement of
objectives is measured, for evaluating the achievement of curricular objectives,
and for providing academic advice to students.
(iv) The ratio
of faculty to students in each course shall be sufficient to assure effective
instruction.
Findings. There are 71 heads of laboratories. At Rockefeller, formal teaching is
voluntary. For the fall and spring
of 2006-07, eight courses are being taught. Each of the course directors is highly
qualified to be the director or coordinator of the program, with six out of
eight having more than nine years of full-time service at the University. The two junior directors of courses
appear to be highly motivated and enthusiastic colleagues. The ratio of faculty members (lab heads)
to students at the time of the site visit was 1:2.9, which is more than adequate
to support the program.
Recommendations:
None. The University meets the standard.
Evaluation and professional
responsibilities
(i)
The teaching and research of each faculty member, in accordance with the
faculty member's responsibilities, shall be evaluated periodically by the
institution. The teaching of each
inexperienced faculty member shall receive special supervision during the
initial period of appointment.
(ii) Each member
of the faculty shall be allowed adequate time, in accordance with the faculty
member's responsibilities, to broaden professional knowledge, prepare course
materials, advise students, direct independent study and research, supervise
teaching, participate in institutional governance and carry out other academic
responsibilities appropriate to his or her position, in addition to performing
assigned teaching and administrative duties.
2002 Report
Recommendations:
·
Implement a policy and process aimed at the
evaluation of teaching in a consistent and on-going fashion.
University’s Response: We will initiate
a policy whereby students in each course fill out a form evaluating the quality
of the course and the instructors.
This evaluation policy will be monitored by the Director of Educational
Affairs. Evaluation forms will be
shared with the instructors of the course to try to improve course content,
student participation, and instructor performance.
·
Provide a forum in which junior faculty are given
the opportunity to request input and advice regarding their teaching from those
with significant experience and success in teaching.
University’s Response: At the end of
each semester, we will invite junior faculty who are lecturing for a lunch to
discuss teaching methods and strategies.
The lunch will be attended by the Dean, who has extensive experience in
teaching at the graduate school level, and by other selected senior
faculty.
Findings.
As a result of the earlier
recommendation, a formal course evaluation by students was initiated. It appears, however, that only course
directors have access to the evaluations.
Junior faculty members are asked to participate in teaching but there is
no formal process of making sure that the teaching load is equally
distributed. All teaching appears
to happen on a voluntary basis; nevertheless it seems to work out very
well.
On all levels, faculty
satisfaction appears to be very, very high. Six junior faculty and six senior
faculty met with the team.
Uniformly, they expressed happiness with the administration and had high
esteem for the students. They were
satisfied with their teaching loads and their interactions with the
students. They felt that the
program had tremendously improved over the last six years, ever since the
incumbent became the Dean. A minor
comment concerned the wish that there would be a bit more structure in the
rotations of the students (presently students are not required to do a rotation
in a laboratory). When asked what
could be improved upon at Rockefeller and what changes might be instituted to
enhance academic life, one junior faculty responded by saying: “What is there
not to like at Rockefeller?” Other
than the fine-tuning of some procedures, there did not appear to be any issue of
major concern for either the junior or senior faculty. In fact, the senior faculty feels that
they represent the Administration of Rockefeller and that they are Rockefeller! It sounds almost too good to be true;
however, that was what the team came away with from this visit.
Recommendations:
None.
The University meets the standard.
Resources
Facilities, equipment, and
supplies
(i)
The institution shall provide classrooms, administrative and faculty
offices, auditoria, laboratories, libraries, audio-visual and computer
facilities, clinical facilities, studios, practice rooms, and other
instructional resources sufficient in number, design, condition, and
accessibility to support its mission, goals, instruction, programs, and all
other educational activities.
(ii) The
institution shall provide equipment sufficient in quantity and quality to
support administration, instruction, research, and student
performance.
2002 Report
Recommendation:
·
Establish a graduate student office or lounge
area for the use of first year graduate students.
University’s Response: We will work with
the Vice-President for Facilities . . . to establish such an office. We will supply the office with a
computer that is connected to the internet, and a coffee machine.
Findings.
The Rockefeller
University 15-acre campus is located on
the east side of Manhattan at 66th
Street and York Avenue (on the East River).
It comprises 21 buildings, including eight research buildings (including
the 20-bed Rockefeller University Hospital), an auditorium, administrative
offices, and residence buildings.
By any criteria the resources available to
students, support staff and faculty are outstanding. These include: state-of-the-art research
laboratories (with more coming online);
modern “in-house “ resource
centers that provide centralized, high-quality laboratory services as well as
other resources (DNA sequencing) provided by outside companies and/or through
consortia agreements with other universities and research institutions (e.g.,
NYU’s Courant Institute); access to up-to-date library and computer facilities;
and, for those involved in clinical and translational-based research, a unique
hospital facility, Rockefeller University Hospital.
“In-House” Resource Centers
include:
1.
Bio-Imaging
2.
Flow
Cytometry
3.
Genetically Engineered Mouse Phenotyping
Core
4.
Genomics
5.
High
Throughput Screening
6.
Laboratory Animal Center (including gene targeting and transgenic
activities)
7.
Monoclonal Antibody
Core
8.
Proteomics
9.
Spectroscopy (including an NMR
facility)
10.
Glass
Washing Services
Rockefeller
provides subsidized housing for all Ph.D. students. Housing includes single rooms, double
and triple suites with a shared kitchen, and one-bedroom apartments. All have high speed computer access
lines. Students in the
tri-institutional programs live in Cornell University housing during the first two
years; those subsequently affiliating with Rockefeller then may live in
Rockefeller housing. The Brook Astor Student
Life Center provides a TV lounge, full-size
kitchen, conference table, sofa, and ping-pong table for the exclusive use of
graduate students.
Recommendations:
None. The University meets the standard.
Library and information
resources
(i)
The institution shall provide libraries that possess and maintain
collections and technology sufficient in depth and breadth to support the
mission of the institution and each curriculum.
(ii)
Libraries shall be administered by professionally trained staff supported
by sufficient personnel. Library services and resources shall be available for
student and faculty use with sufficient regularity and at appropriate hours to
support the mission of the institution and the curricula it
offers.
Findings. The
Rockefeller
University library has a
collection of about 52,000 print titles and 660 current journals. Its primary purpose is to support
research. It focuses on the
following areas:
·
Biochemistry,
structural biology, and chemistry
·
Molecular, cell, and developmental biology
·
Immunology, virology, and microbiology
·
Medical sciences and human genetics
·
Neuroscience
·
Physics and mathematics
About 550 of the 660 journals are
available electronically.
Rockefeller faculty, staff, and students have 24 hour access to the
library seven days a week and are able to use automated equipment to check out
books in the absence of library staff.
(The library is staffed from 9:00 A.M. until 5:00 P.M., Monday through
Friday.)
Rockefeller maintains reciprocal library agreements with the
Weill Cornell Medical College and Memorial Sloan-Kettering Cancer Center. The Weill Cornell library focuses on
health science, medical education, and biomedical research. The Sloan-Kettering library focuses on
cancer research, education, and patient care. The on-line Tri-Cat library catalog
includes all three collections and Rockefeller faculty, staff, and students have
borrowing privileges at the other two libraries.
Recommendations:
None. The University meets the standard.
Fiscal
capacity
The
institution shall possess the financial resources necessary for the consistent
and successful accomplishment of its mission and objectives at the
institutional, program and course levels.
Findings.
With
an endowment in 2005 of $1.6 billion, Rockefeller had the largest endowment per
student in the nation, $8.1 million per student.
On the basis of a review
of Rockefeller’s audited financial statements for
2004-05:
Recommendations:
None. The University meets the standard.
Administration
Responsibilities
(i)
Responsibility for the administration of institutional policies and
programs shall be clearly established.
(ii)
Within the authority of its governing board, the institution shall
provide that overall educational policy and its implementation are the
responsibility of the institution's faculty and academic officers. Other appropriate segments of the
institutional community may share in this responsibility in accordance with the
norms developed by each institution.
(iii) Academic policies
applicable to each course, including learning objectives and methods of
assessing student achievement, shall be made explicit by the instructor at the
beginning of each term.
(iv) The
institution shall provide academic advice to students through faculty or
appropriately qualified persons.
The institution shall assure that students are informed at stated
intervals of their progress and remaining obligations in the completion of the
program.
(v) The
institution shall maintain for each student a permanent, complete, accurate, and
up-to-date transcript of student achievement at the institution. This document will be the official
cumulative record of the student's cumulative achievement. Copies shall be made available at the
student's request, in accordance with the institution's stated policies, or to
agencies or individuals authorized by law to review such
records.
Findings.
Responsibility for Administration. According to Rockefeller’s organization
chart, nine vice-presidents and all heads of laboratories report directly to the
President of the University, who reports to the Board of Trustees. The Vice President for Academic Affairs
is responsible for the operation of faculty searches and of the Faculty
Council’s tenure and promotion recommendations. The Vice-President for Educational
Affairs and Dean of the Graduate School is responsible for administering
the graduate and postdoctoral programs, including the admissions process.
The faculty is organized around laboratories rather than around a
conventional departmental structure.
All tenured faculty and other heads of laboratories are members of the
Faculty Senate. The Senate elects a
12-member Faculty Council from its ranks, including nine tenured and three
non-tenured heads of laboratories.
The Council reports directly to the President. It works with the Graduate Dean with
respect to the Graduate Program.
The Council makes all recommendations on tenure, which go to the
President and then to the Board of Trustees.
As discussed in other sections of this
report, graduate education is an important component of Rockefeller’s overall
mission. The President and the Dean
of the Graduate Program very positively and powerfully reinforced this to the
team during the visit.
The Graduate
Program’s Administrative Office is directed by the Dean of Graduate and
Postgraduate Studies and Vice President for Educational Affairs. He is assisted on the academic side by an
Associate Dean and an administrative staff of five. This office has multiple
responsibilities, including:
1.
Recruitment of students and insuring a
diverse population of applicants;
2.
Processing all applications (now >
700);
3.
Organizing visits of accepted
candidates;
4.
Supplying academic advice and mentoring to
all students,
5.
Organizing and coordinating all coursework
schedules, student registration, and research rotations;
6.
Helping
out with Human Resources to supply “goods and services” (i.e. housing,
counseling, professional development) to both graduate students and postdoctoral
fellows;
7.
Organizing and running a formal summer
program for undergraduate students from around the U.S. (a
strong recruitment tool);
8.
Organizing and coordinating other Graduate
Program-specific events (e.g., pre- and postdoctoral retreats, special lecture
series);
9.
Coordinate activities with the
Tri-Institutional MSTP and Chemical Biology Training
Programs.
By all accounts (student, faculty, and the
team’s own observations) this office does an outstanding job. The Dean and Associate Dean provide
superb leadership and the other Office members interact very well to seamlessly
carry out the myriad functions listed above. The team notes that this represents a
major improvement since the last accreditation report.
While the team did not directly discuss the
financial remuneration to the administrative staff of the Graduate Program
Office, this group of individuals was very impressive in their level of
productivity and the professionalism with which they carried out their jobs and
certainly should be rewarded accordingly.
Recommendations:
None. The University meets the standard.
Published
policies
The institution shall establish, publish
and enforce explicit policies with respect to:
(i)
academic freedom;
(ii) the rights
and privileges of full-time and part-time faculty and other staff members,
working conditions, opportunity for professional development, workload,
appointment and reappointment, affirmative action, evaluation of teaching and
research, termination of appointment, redress of grievances and faculty
responsibility to the institution; and
(iii) requirements for
admission of students to the institution and to specific curricula, requirements
for residence, graduation, awarding of credit, degrees or other credentials,
grading, standards of progress, payment of fees of any nature, refunds,
withdrawals, standards of conduct, disciplinary measures and redress of
grievances.
2002 Report
Recommendations:
·
Establish a
student ombudsman to ensure that students feel their issues and concerns are
being championed within the University.
University’s
Response: We have a
Student Representative Committee (SRC) that functions to direct concerns and
issues to the dean’s Office. The
SRC has a representative from each year, and an MD/PhD representative. The dean meets with this committee every
2 months, and it has become a valuable mechanism to discuss issues as they
arise. On occasion, the
Postdoctoral fellows Association representatives meet with the SRC and the dean
if the issues also impact that group.
The meetings have been very successful in establishing better
communication between the students and the Dean’s Office.
·
Establish a consistent policy for ensuring that
students are receiving adequate feedback of their performance in their
courses.
University’s
Response: We will
establish a policy whereby each course director will provide an evaluation form
for the students in their course, in addition to the grade. This policy will be monitored by the
Director.
Findings.
Faculty-Related Policies. The team had the statements of Policy
Governing Appointments and Promotions adopted in July 2004 and of Policy
Governing the Appointments and Promotions of Heads of Laboratories adopted in
December 2005. Both address the
establishment of laboratories, appointments and promotions, and faculty
grievance procedures. However,
neither includes statements with respect to academic freedom, working
conditions, workload, opportunities for professional development, affirmative
action, evaluation of teaching and research, termination of appointment, and
faculty responsibility to the institution.
Student-Related Policies. The David Rockefeller Graduate Program
Student Guide, 2006-2007 sets forth policies concerning students, including
degree requirements, standards of conduct, and disciplinary and grievance
procedures. All students are fully
funded; therefore, there is no need for policies concerning payment or refund of
tuition or fees.
Recommendations:
3.
Rockefeller should publish statements of policy
with respect to academic freedom, working conditions, workload, opportunities
for professional development, affirmative action, evaluation of teaching and
research, termination of appointment, and faculty responsibility to the
institution.
Support Services
The
institution shall assure that whenever and wherever the institution offers
courses as part of a curriculum it shall provide adequate support services,
taking into account its mission and the needs of its
students.
2002 Report
Recommendation:
·
Ensure that
new students have developed an appropriate plan of study upon their arrival at
the University by having them work with the Director for Educational Affairs to
develop such a plan.
Institutional Response: Incoming
students meet individually with the Dean and the Director to plan their fall
courses and lab rotations. They
then meet again with the Director in early November to plan their next
semester’s courses and lab rotations.
This arrangement has worked well this year to help students have a more
productive first year.
Findings.
As discussed above in both the
Resources and Administration sections, all support services, whether they are
research or student oriented, are very professionally managed and coordinated to
facilitate a smoothly operating and effective research environment.
Rockefeller places a premium on
student independence. Students are
responsible for many key elements of their own education, such as assembling a
collection of courses, determining whether and where to perform laboratory
rotations, and organizing thesis committee meetings. It is clearly evident, however, that
this independence is supported by institutional mechanisms to mentor students,
respond to grievances, monitor student progress, and enhance the scientific
environment and culture for graduate students in general. Despite the bulk of the responsibility
for the education process falling on individual students, therefore, ample
procedures are in place to insure that no student “falls through the cracks” and
that students graduate in a timely manner.
Upon entering the program,
students are assigned a faculty mentor who is largely responsible for helping
students select courses and rotations.
Although the extent to which students interacted with their mentors
varied on a case-by-case basis, it was clear from discussions with both faculty
and students that this mechanism is important and fully functional. Some students interviewed expressed
difficulties in scheduling meetings with the assigned mentors; however, this was
a minor concern. Impressively,
students also meet regularly with the Dean and Associate Dean during the first
year, and the environment is clearly such that — at any subsequent time during a
student’s tenure — students feel free to approach the Dean, or other faculty,
for informal mentoring. Overall,
therefore, sufficient mechanisms are in place to mentor students. The team does
suggest, however, that the administration consider expanding the number of
faculty acting as mentors each year both to reduce the number of students each
faculty member advises, and to increase the probability that students will take
full advantage of meeting with their mentors and benefiting from the
experience.
One issue where students
expressed some concern was in dealing with the tensions that may arise between
students and research mentors at the completion of rotations. Because rotations are not required and
can be of flexible length, students can experience difficulty in exiting
rotations. Concern was expressed
that, if a student is finishing one rotation and moving onto another, the
faculty advisor of the first rotation typically assumes that the student does
not want to join that laboratory for their thesis research (which may not be
true). This can create problems if
multiple students, rotating on different schedules, wish to join a particular
laboratory.
Another issue that was raised
was that students do not always know when to end a rotation, and may feel
pressure to extend the rotation to simply move the project along. The team suggests that these pressures
could be relieved by more up-front discussion between the students and the
rotation advisors — perhaps agreeing, in advance, on a project and an initial
timeframe. The team also suggests
that academic mentors could play a more proactive role in advising students on
how to deal with this issue, and other potential issues that commonly arise
during the rotation periods.
Recommendations:
4.
Although there are several hundred
postdoctoral fellows, there is no office or person exclusively dedicated to
dealing with issues related to them.
Considering the large number of postdoctoral fellows and the recent
national movement to improve the quality of life and educational experiences for
this unique group of scientists, it may be time for Rockefeller to create an
office (or an additional hire within the Administrative Office of the Graduate
Program) dedicated exclusively to dealing with issues related to postdoctoral
fellows, in order to further facilitate scientific interactions and make their
educational experience even more rewarding.
Admissions
(1) The
admission of students shall be determined through an orderly process using
published criteria that shall be uniformly applied.
(2)
Admissions shall take into account the capacity of the student to
undertake a course of study and the capacity of the institution to provide the
instructional and other support the student needs to complete the
program.
(3) Among other
considerations, the admissions process shall encourage the increased
participation in collegiate programs at all levels of persons from groups
historically underrepresented in such programs.
Findings.
Rockefeller seeks “students who have a natural curiosity about science
and who have demonstrated aptitude, enthusiasm, and commitment to
research.” The Program guide
clearly outlines the process for admission (which is carried out on-line),
details information to be provided, and encourages students to take a GRE
advanced subject test and to submit evidence of proficiency in English. The admissions criteria are accurately
described and, based on information provided at the visit by the Assistant Dean,
faithfully reflect the criteria used by the Admissions Committee.
Over the period, 1996-2006,
Rockefeller accepted less than 12 percent of the applicants for admission to the
Ph.D. program, according to the self-study materials. About one-third of those accepted
enrolled. Table 2, below, shows the
number of applications, acceptances, and enrollments for each of the years
1996-2006.
Table 2
|
Year |
Applications |
Acceptances |
Enrollments |
Proportion of Applications
Accepted |
Proportion of Acceptances
Enrolled |
|
1996 |
415 |
51 |
27 |
12.3% |
52.9% |
|
1997 |
496 |
52 |
21 |
10.5% |
40.4% |
|
1998 |
486 |
46 |
16 |
9.5% |
34.8% |
|
1999 |
613 |
60 |
15 |
9.8% |
25.0% |
|
2000 |
535 |
90 |
30 |
16.8% |
33.3% |
|
2001 |
580 |
85 |
24 |
14.7% |
28.2% |
|
2002 |
531 |
83 |
26 |
15.6% |
31.3% |
|
2003 |
655 |
75 |
25 |
11.5% |
33.3% |
|
2004 |
640 |
78 |
29 |
12.2% |
37.2% |
|
2005 |
690 |
70 |
22 |
10.1% |
31.4% |
|
2006 |
721 |
70 |
21 |
9.7% |
30.0% |
Source:
Rockefeller
University,
2006.
Information provided at the site
visit detailed the process that is used to review applications. An initial triage process is performed
by the Dean and Assistant Dean to eliminate approximately half of the
applications from further consideration.
Although this is a lot of work for two individuals to perform, it is
important for maintaining consistent admissions standards, and saves other
admissions committee members a significant amount of work. Moreover, any member of the admissions
committee can “rescue” a triaged application, ensuring fairness across the
board. Following this initial
process, applications are sent out to the admissions committee, where each
application is read in depth by two faculty members. After this review process, the committee
then meets, applications are ranked, and decisions on offers made.
Faculty interviewed during the
site visit expressed satisfaction with the admissions review process, and stated
that it is generally very successful at identifying students with both the
intellectual capability to do well at Rockefeller and also the suitability for a
self-motivated course of study that Rockefeller encourages. Rockefeller does not generally interview
students before making offers; however, it does have the ability to do so. For example, in cases where faculty are
not familiar with particular institutions and educational systems (such as
mainland China), telephone interviews have
been made. The functionality of the
admissions process is testified by that fact that, in the last five years, only
two students admitted through the program have been asked to leave because of
failure in coursework. This is a
singularly impressive feat.
In 2005-06, out of the 720
applications that were received, 70 offers for admission were made, 50 of them
(71.4 percent) to U.S. citizens or permanent
residents. Undergraduate
grade-point averages typically ranged from 3.5 to 4.0. Fewer offers are made to foreign
students, typically because the success rate for recruiting foreign students
into the program is higher than for U.S. students. Indeed, out of the 20 students that
entered the program, 40 percent (eight entrants) were foreign. Universally, the caliber of the students
recruited into the program is very high.
Recruitment of underrepresented
minorities continues to be a weakness in the recruitment process, as it is for
many comparable institutions. In
2005-06, five of the 50 U.S. applicants accepted were
underrepresented minorities; however, no underrepresented minorities were
successfully recruited into the program.
Although it is evident from the supporting information and from
discussions held during the site visit that recruitment of minority students is
taken seriously, and that the number of offers that are being made to minority
candidates is increasing, the team encourages Rockefeller to do more. The statistics provided indicate that
offers were not made to roughly 35 minority candidates, many of whom had GRE and
GPA scores comparable to applicants who received offers.
Information provided at the site
visit reveals that minority candidates are not considered any differently from
other applications as far as the triage and ranking processes go. This policy, however, may require some
reconsideration, especially given the likelihood that many minority candidates
have simply not had the opportunity to develop as impressive transcripts as
other applicants. In these
instances, more focused consideration of the application, and perhaps a personal
interview, may be required. In this
vein, a significant portion of the minority applicants that were not made offers
came from local New York
City institutions; it would presumably be fairly
straightforward to interview these candidates.
Recommendations:
5.
The team encourages Rockefeller to take more
advantage of its unique location to recruit minority candidates locally.
Consumer Information
The
following information shall be included in all catalogs of the
institution:
(1) Information
shall be provided on financial assistance available to students, costs of
attending the institution, the refund policy of the institution, and the
instructional programs and other related aspects of the institution. Information shall include programs of
financial assistance from State, Federal, institutional and other
sources.
(2) Cost of
attending the institution for each of the cost categories listed below shall be
provided. Estimates, so indicated,
may be used where exact figures are unavailable or inappropriate. Where summary information is provided,
an institutional office where detailed information can be obtained shall be
identified.
(i)
Tuition and fees. Information shall be provided on all assessments
against students for direct educational and general purposes. A brief description of the purpose of
any mandatory fee shall be included if the purpose of such fee is not apparent
from its name. Course fees and lab
fees shall be clearly identified.
Conditions under which nonmandatory fees need not be paid shall be
clearly stated.
(ii)
Books and supplies.
Estimated costs of textbooks, books, manuals, consumable supplies and
equipment, which a student should possess as a necessary corollary to
instruction, shall be provided.
Separate estimates shall be provided for major program categories for
which such costs vary more than 25 percent from the average for the entire
institution.
(iii) Room and
board. Costs of housing and
food services operated by the institution shall be provided where such services
are available. Estimated costs of
similar accommodations available in the community shall also be provided. These figures shall be consistent with
estimated student budgets prepared by the institution's financial aid
office.
(iv) Other
living expenses. Estimated cost
of personal expenses applicable to students devoting primary efforts to pursuit
of educational objectives shall be provided. This estimate shall be consistent with
similar figures defined by the institution's financial aid
office.
Findings.
Rockefeller provides full financial support for every student admitted,
covering tuition and fees and all other charges, and including a $26,750 per
year stipend. Therefore, the
catalog does not list charges or provide a refund policy. Because the University fully funds all
students, it does not participate in State and Federal student financial aid
programs. Therefore, it does not provide information about such programs in the
catalog.
Recommendations:
None. The University meets the standard.
(3) The
institution shall state its policy concerning refunds due to failure of students
to complete an academic term for any reason. The policy shall include the percentage
or amount of tuition, fees, institution-operated room and board, and other
assessments to be refunded after specified elapsed periods of
time.
Findings.
Not
applicable.
Recommendations:
None.
(4) The
instructional programs of the institution shall be described
accurately.
(i)
Degree, certificate and diploma programs. A list of degree, certificate and
diploma programs shall be provided.
The list shall be consistent with the inventory of registered degree and
certificate programs maintained by the Department. The list shall contain at least the
official approved program title, degree, HEGIS code number, and shall be
preceded by a statement that enrollment in other than registered or otherwise
approved programs may jeopardize a student's eligibility for certain student aid
awards.
(ii)
Program descriptions.
Each degree, certificate or diploma program shall be described in terms
of both prerequisites and requirements for completion.
(iii) The
academic year in which each instructional offering (course) is expected to
be taught shall be indicated.
(iv) Program
related facilities. A general
description of instructional, laboratory and other facilities directly related
to the academic program shall be provided, in addition to general information
describing the total physical plant.
Narrative and/or statistical information shall be provided about library
collections and facilities, student unions, and institution-operated
eating-places. Hours of operation,
including holiday and vacation schedules, shall be
provided.
(v)
Faculty and other instructional personnel. Regular resident faculty shall be listed
by rank, with the highest degree held by the faculty member and the institution
by which such degree was granted, and department or major program area to which
such member is assigned. An
estimated number of adjunct faculty and teaching assistants in each department
or major program area shall be provided.
(vi)
Recruiting and admission practices. The process and criteria for the
recruitment and admission of students to the institution and to specific
curricula, as required by subparagraph (iii) of paragraph (2) of subdivision (f)
of this section and by subdivision (h) of this section, shall be published.
(vii) Academic
calendar. The academic calendar
of the institution, and of specific curricula, if different, shall be
published.
(viii)
Grading. The grading
policy of the institution, and of specific curricula, if different, shall be
published.
(ix) Student
retention and graduation.
Information on student retention and graduation rates shall be provided
based on a summary of the most recent cohort survival statistics (e.g.,
percentages of those students enrolled at the end of the spring term,
percentages of freshman classes that graduate in four, five and six years)
available to the institution for at least full-time undergraduates. Statistics shall be computed in a manner
consistent with data reported to the department through its higher education
data system.
(x)
Outcomes for former students. Summaries of employment outcomes,
advanced study, and student professional and occupational licensing examination
results compiled by or provided to the institution shall be provided. The student cohort year or years, or
date of examinations shall be included.
Data displays on employment outcomes shall be by major or discrete
curricular area.
2002 Report Recommendation:
·
The University should assure that the next
edition of the Graduate Program catalog includes all pertinent information
required by this standard.
University’s Response: We will ensure
that the next edition of the Graduate Program catalog lists the University’s
program in a manner consistent with the list of those programs in the Inventory
of Registered Programs.
Findings.
The David Rockefeller Graduate Program 2006-2007 catalog provides
information on the University and its facilities, the faculty, student life, and
admission requirements and procedures. The catalog does not list the
University’s academic programs in a manner consistent with the list of those
programs in the Inventory of Registered Programs (program title, degree, and
HEGIS code). Courses are
described. The catalog does not
provide information on student retention and graduation; however, the team
believes that such information is less important at an institution exclusively
focused on doctoral study in the sciences than at an undergraduate
institution. Rockefeller does not
use grades; therefore, the catalog does not describe a grading policy.
Recommendations:
6.
The next edition of the catalog should provide
the missing relevant required information.
Advertising
(i)
Advertising
conducted by or on behalf of an institution shall not be false, misleading,
deceptive, or fraudulent and shall be consistent with the provisions of Article
22-A of the General Business Law.
Advertising and promotional material shall not leave false, misleading,
or exaggerated impressions of the institution, its personnel, its facilities,
its courses and services, or the occupational opportunities of its
graduates.
(ii)
The primary
emphasis of all advertisements and promotional literature shall be the
educational services offered by the institution. Such advertising and promotional
literature shall clearly indicate that education, not employment, is being
offered by the institution.
(iii)
Statements and
representations in all forms of advertising and promotion shall be clear,
current, and accurate. To the
extent that statements of facts are made, such statements shall be restricted to
facts that can be substantiated.
Materials to support statements and representations in advertising and
promotion shall be kept on file and shall be available for review by the
Department.
(iv)
Any endorsement or
recommendation shall include the author’s identity and qualifications and shall
be used only with the author’s consent.
No remuneration of any kind for any such endorsement or recommendation
shall be paid for such endorsement or recommendation.
(v)
References to the
New York State Board of Regents in any advertisement or promotional literature
shall comply with the requirements of Section 13.11 of this title and
subdivision (m) of this Section [§4-1.4 of the Rules of the Board of
Regents].
Findings.
Information
on the Rockefeller Web site, and the information provided to College Source
Online and Peterson’s Guide to Graduate Programs, 2006-07, appeared relevant to
the University’s mission and programs and did not conflict with this
standard.
Recommendations:
None. The University meets the standard.
Student Complaints
(1) The
institution shall establish, publish, and consistently administer internal
procedures to receive, investigate, and resolve student complaints related to
the standards prescribed in this Part.
(2) The
institution may have informal means by which students can seek redress of their
complaints.
(3) The
institution shall have a formal complaint procedure that shall include, but need
not be limited to: steps a student may take to file a formal complaint;
reasonable and appropriate time frames for investigating and resolving a formal
complaint; provision for the final determination of each formal complaint to be
made by a person or persons not directly involved in the alleged problem; and
assurances that no action will be taken against the student for filing the
complaint.
(4) The
institution shall maintain adequate documentation about each formal complaint
and its disposition for a period of at least six years after final disposition
of the complaint. Assessment of the
disposition and outcomes of complaints shall be a required component of any
self-study required by this Part and shall be a consideration in any review for
accreditation or renewal of accreditation.
2002 Report
Recommendation:
·
The
University should assure that records of the disposition of student complaints
are retained for at least six years.
University’s Response: The University
will make sure that all records of student complaints are retained for six
years.
Findings.
The Student Guide spells
out the grievance process in great detail, including appeals. The team met with eight junior students
and six senior students. As was the
case with the faculty, the level of satisfaction appears to be extraordinarily
high for both junior and senior level students. The students love the flexibility of the
program and the freedom they enjoy in pursuing different research
directions. The students are very
enthusiastic about this program.
Again, a minor concern was that perhaps a bit more structure could be put
into the rotation process. Also,
some guidance regarding rotation etiquette might be provided by the Dean’s
Office. Finally, the ethics course
given at another institution did not get high marks from the students. Again, the level of satisfaction on the
part of the students was impressive, and they felt the Dean’s Office was
wonderful in promptly solving any problem they might encounter. They found the bureaucracy to be
minimal.
Recommendations:
None. The University meets the standard.
HEA Title IV Program
Responsibilities
(1)
Information provided to the department by the Secretary concerning the
institution's compliance with its HEA Title IV program responsibilities,
including but not limited to annual student default rate data, financial or
compliance audits conducted annually by the Secretary, and program reviews
conducted periodically by the Secretary, shall be a consideration in a review
for accreditation or renewal of accreditation, or in an enforcement review.
(2) An
institution shall have a procedure in place to ensure that it is in compliance
with its program responsibilities under Title IV of the HEA and shall maintain a
record describing such procedure.
(3) An
institution shall maintain a record of its compliance with its program
responsibilities under Title IV of the HEA over the previous 10 years, unless
the department determines that there is good cause for a shorter records
retention period. This record shall include: student default rate data provided
annually to the Secretary by the institution; financial or compliance audits
conducted annually by the Secretary; and program reviews conducted periodically
by the Secretary. The institution
shall submit information from this record of compliance to the department on a
periodic basis as determined by the department.
Findings.
Not
applicable. Rockefeller does not
participate in HEA Title IV programs.
Recommendations:
None.
Teach-out Agreements
Any
teach-out agreement that an institution has entered into with another
institution or institutions shall be submitted to the department for
approval. To be approved, such
agreement shall:
(1) be
between or among institutions that are accredited or pre-accredited by a
nationally recognized accrediting agency;
(2)
ensure that the teach-out institution(s) has the necessary experience,
resources, and support services to provide an educational program that is of
acceptable quality and reasonable similar in content, structure, and scheduling
to that provided by the closed institution;
(3)
ensure that the teach-out institution(s) can provide students access to
the program and services without requiring them to move or travel substantial
distances.
Findings. Not applicable.
Recommendations:
None.
Public Disclosure of Accreditation
Status
An
institution that elects to disclose its accreditation status shall disclose such
status accurately and include in its disclosure the specific academic and
instructional programs covered by that status and information identifying the
commissioner and the Board of Regents as its institutional accrediting
agency. Such information shall
include the address and telephone number of the
department.
Findings. Rockefeller’s disclosure of its
accreditation status complies with this requirement except for listing the
Department’s telephone number.
Recommendations:
None. The
University meets the standard.
14
December 2006
Mr. Joseph P.
Frey
Assistant
Commissioner
New
York State Board of Regents and
Commissioner of Education
89 Washington
Avenue
Albany, NY 12234
Dear Mr.
Frey:
This letter is in response
to the draft report of the review team that visited The Rockefeller University
on October 18-19, 2006.
Response to
Recommendations
1. The Department and Rockefeller should
work together to assure that the University’s Annual Data Reports are received
by January 31 each year.
We will work with the State
Education Department to ensure that the University’s Annual Data Reports are
submitted by January 31 each year.
2. The official student evaluations of
courses should be shared with the Dean’s Office to allow some quality
control. If an individual is
appointed to oversee the curriculum as a whole, this individual could also be
responsible for reading the evaluations and maintaining quality control across
all courses.
We will require that all
student evaluations of courses be shared with the Dean’s Office in addition to
the course director. The Assistant
Dean will be responsible for reading the evaluations and maintaining quality
control across all courses.
3. Rockefeller should publish statements of
policy with respect to academic freedom, working conditions, workload,
opportunities for professional development, affirmative action, evaluation of
teaching and research, termination of appointment, and faculty responsibility to
the institution.
We will add the required
information to University policies.
4. It may be time for Rockefeller to create
an office (or an additional hire within the Administrative Office of the
Graduate Program) exclusively dedicated to dealing with issues related to
postdoctoral fellows.
We have
established a five-point plan to better address postdoctoral-related issues:
1.
The Dean and
Assistant Dean are available for individual meetings with postdocs to discuss
academic issues as well as to provide career guidance. These opportunities will now be widely
advertised to the postdoc community.
2.
The Dean and
Assistant Dean maintain a list of alumni in various fields who have volunteered
to be contacted by postdocs for career guidance or advice on other issues. The Deans will put postdocs in touch
with these members of our wide alumni network as
appropriate.
3.
We will
sponsor career seminars and symposia for postdocs and advertise similar
extensive offerings through the New York Academy of Sciences.
4.
We will establish a “Career Resource
Library” with books and useful web information on various careers, CV writing,
interviewing, etc. that postdocs may use to do career-related research on their
own.
5.
We will
continue to provide postdocs with assistance on employment and visa issues
through Rockefeller’s Human Resources Office.
5. The team encourages Rockefeller to take
more advantage of its unique location to recruit minority candidates
locally.
The draft accreditation
report mentions that in 2005-06, no underrepresented minorities were
successfully recruited into the program.
We did, in fact, recruit one African-American male into the program in
2005-06. However, we do realize
that minority recruitment is an important aspect of our recruitment process that
needs strengthening.
We have established ties
with local undergraduate colleges (such as Hunter College and Brooklyn College) to recruit local minority
candidates. These include visits by
undergraduate minority students to Rockefeller, where they are given an
introduction to the graduate and summer research programs, hear short research
talks by current minority graduate students, and are taken on laboratory
tours. Rockefeller plans to
continue and expand these efforts by having minority graduate students and
representatives of the Dean’s Office visit local colleges to meet with minority
candidates there.
6. The next edition of the catalog should
provide the missing relevant required information.
We will ensure that the
next edition of the Graduate Program catalog lists the University’s programs in
a manner consistent with the list of those programs in the Inventory of
Registered Programs.
Thank you for your thorough
analysis of our program and helpful suggestions. Please let me know if you would like any
additional information.
Sincerely,
Paul Nurse
President
cc: Barbara D.
Meinert
Byron P. Connell
Sidney Strickland
Emily Harms
Attachment B
Rules of the Board of Regents
Subpart 4-1,
Voluntary Institutional Accreditation for Title IV Purposes
§4-1.2 Definitions.
As used in the Subpart:
(a) Accreditation means the status of public
recognition that the Commissioner of Education and the Board of Regents grant to
an educational institution that meets the standards and requirements prescribed
in this Subpart.
(b) Accreditation action means
accreditation, accreditation with conditions, probationary accreditation,
approval of substantive changes in the scope of accreditation, and denial,
revocation, or termination of accreditation.
(c) Accreditation with conditions means
accreditation that requires the institution to provide reports and/or submit to
site visits concerning issues raised in a review for accreditation, provided
that such issues do not materially affect the institution’s substantial
compliance with the standards and requirements for accreditation.
(d) Adverse action or adverse accreditation action means
suspension, withdrawal, denial, revocation, or termination of accreditation or
preaccreditation.
(q) Probationary
accreditation means accreditation for a period of time, not to exceed two
years, during which the institution shall come into compliance with standards
for accreditation through corrective action.
