We've all heard the remarks from friends or family members, even those who previously scoffed at us for being overeducated and out of touch: "You're lucky to be in school right now in this job market." Yes, graduate school is seen by some as a way to extend those post-college years and put off joining the ranks of working stiffs. The rigors of graduate school often result in a rather cloistered environment, a safe little cocoon, where for five years, your biggest worries are oral exams, peer review and finally finishing a dissertation that three people, at most, will ever read. But are graduate students really safe from the current economic meltdown?
In recent months, President Ruth Simmons has been trying to allay the Brown community's fears. There is even a new Web site designed to address students' economic concerns by listing available support services, providing reading lists and urging everyone to do their part by being active and involved citizens. And Dean of the Graduate School Sheila Bonde has reassured students that even in this time of financial insecurity, the priorities of the University will include academic programs and continued positive educational experiences for both undergraduate and graduate students.
What will this translate to in terms of your graduate experience? First, relax: your measly stipend is safe. Brown is proud to provide five years of promised support - including stipend, tuition remission and a health insurance subsidy - for all doctoral students. Maintaining that support for Ph.D. and terminal master's candidates is one of the goals set by the Corporation for the next fiscal year. Amidst all the economic doom and gloom, there are other bright spots for grad students. Increases in spending will expand the funds for graduate student conference travel by $65,000 to nearly $200,000 and preserve faculty searches already underway as part of the Plan for Academic Enrichment.
Now for the bad news. Grad student tuition will increase by 3 percent to $38,048. Tuition remission means that this burden will not fall on us, but the increased cost of educating each grad student will negatively impact the planned growth of the graduate school Although it was a stated goal of the Plan, Brown will not be able to vastly increase the number of Ph.D. students admitted to its graduate programs in the near future.
Other changes may not concern grad students as directly but will be felt throughout the affected academic departments. One of the recommended actions listed by President Simmons in her recent letter to the Brown community is a cutback in the budget for administration. Additionally, planned increases in faculty that are not already in progress may be scrapped.
Some departments may feel the effects of the cutbacks more than others. For example, the Plan envisions the establishment of a department of Cognitive, Linguistic and Psychological Science by 2010. This department would consist of the current faculty of cognitive and linguistic sciences and psychology, plus 10 new hires. While four of these job searches are still underway this year, plans for a new building have been postponed. The new Mind, Brain and Behavior Building was conceived as a cutting edge structure where the cognitive and linguistic sciences and psychology departments would merge together, sharing ideas, space, and resources. The departments may yet combine into one. But instead of constructing a new building to house the department, the University plans to renovate an existing building for that purpose.
So, is graduate school a safe place to weather out the current economic storm? For now, yes. We might not be receiving all the growth we were promised, but I know that I can expect a steady paycheck - at least until my dissertation defense. As for the forecast beyond that, I'm crossing my fingers - and looking into extended post-doctoral positions.
Mary Bates GS is a Ph.D. candidate in the Department of Psychology. She can be reached at Mary_Bates(at)brown.edu.
