Best Practices: Public Policy Program Helps Students to Dissertation Finish Line

By Barbara Graceffa

In a workshop flyer, we asked our post-residency students in the Ph.D. Program in Public Policy, “Do you find yourself saying, ‘I’ll work on my dissertation next week (month, semester…)’?”, “Do you have trouble juggling the conflicting demands of family, work and dissertation research/writing?”, and “Is anxiety, fear, or frustration holding you back?” For too many students, the answer was “yes” to all three!
The Chronicle of Higher Education ran an article last spring noting that stressed doctoral candidates are turning to gurus and boot camps for support and discipline. According to the article, “Technically, ABD stands for ‘all but dissertation’. But for anyone who has languished in that purgatory, it might as well stand for ‘all but dead’.”

In order to reach out to our own Public Policy ABD students, the program has developed a multi-pronged strategy to address their needs. First, we started a new weekly newsletter, The Finish Line, to provide tips and advice on everything from choosing a dissertation topic to conducting mock orals. Second, we offer periodic workshops entitled “Dissertation Insanity is Just a State of Mind” to help students understand their thinking habits and to make suggestions on using time more effectively.
Other initiatives provided non-credit, post-residency seminars and modest dissertation support grants to help cover such expenses as travel, data collection, and transcription services, as well as weekly inspirational quotes by e-mail from the assistant director. From time to time, we hold post-residency dinners to bring students back to campus to learn about dissertation style or the latest qualitative software package. Finally, a dissertation boot camp is on the drawing board for this summer or next academic year.

Many have compared writing a dissertation to running a marathon. Despite the enormity of the achievement, faculty and staff coaches in the program have made a conscious effort to push our own ABDs across the finish line. Our efforts have paid off. Between September 2000 and April 2002, we have had ten dissertation proposal hearings and issued more than $20,000 in dissertation support grants. At this year’s commencement, we will have a record six graduates – almost doubling our group of alumni – with several more ABDs planning completion by the end of the year.

This fall will mark the tenth anniversary of the PhD Program in Public Policy. We believe our doctoral students represent a group that will change the face of public policy making in the 21st century. The above-mentioned motivational strategies conducted by our extraordinarily committed faculty and staff have made a difference in the lives of these students.

Graceffa is assistant director for the Ph.D. Program in Public Policy. This column is part of a continuing monthly series featuring best practices at UMass Boston. Submit your ideas to news@umb.edu.

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