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Business-Higher Education Forum Supports Goal of National Strategy to Increase Degree Completion, Broaden Participation in Graduate Education
Attends Capitol Hill unveiling of the report, ‘The Path Forward: The Future of Graduate Education in the United States’
Contact: Pamela Lessard 202-367-1284, Alex Sittig 202-367-2393
Washington, DC (April 29, 2010) —The Business-Higher Education Forum (BHEF) today came out in support of the goals laid out in the report, “The Path Forward: The Future of Graduate Education in the United States,” which calls on the federal government, universities, and industry to work together to ensure that U.S. graduate schools remain preeminent and that a growing number of U.S. citizens begin and complete graduate degree programs.
The report by the Commission on the Future of Graduate Education in the United States lays out specific recommendations, including a call for federal policymakers to increase support for graduate education by creating two initiatives: a “COMPETES” doctoral traineeship program to support doctoral students in areas of national need, and a competitive grant program to provide partial funding to create new, innovative master’s programs or reinvigorate existing programs
The report also suggests that universities should, among other things, improve graduate completion rates, which currently are near 50 percent in many fields at the doctoral level, and are unknown at the master’s level. Employers should develop more partnerships with universities and governments to promote the participation of students from underrepresented groups in graduate school.
“Two-and-a-half million additional jobs will require a master’s degree or doctoral degree between 2008 and 2018,” said BHEF member Roger W. Ferguson, Jr., chief executive of TIAA-CREF, and a member of the Commission. “Increasing the number of Americans who obtain graduate degrees and integrating these highly educated workers into the workforce will have positive long-term consequences for economic growth and competitiveness. This effort is vital to America’s future.” BHEF Executive Director Brian Fitzgerald also attended the report release at a forum at the U.S. Capitol.
As part of its own action agenda, BHEF is working to ensure that graduate education is responding to current and future needs of the innovation workforce. This includes support for the America COMPETES Act reauthorization that is currently being discussed by Congress, with increased funding for innovative research and increased support for graduate students.
“We agree with these recommendations and in particular would like to see science, technology, engineering, and mathematics disciplines strengthened at the graduate level,” says Fitzgerald. “Programs such as Professional Science Master’s (PSM) degrees are an innovative way to allow students to pursue advanced training in science, while simultaneously developing workplace skills highly valued by employers.”
Members of Congress, U.S. Under Secretary of Education Martha Kanter and other corporate and academic leaders all offered their perspectives on the future of graduate education. Learn more at www.fgereport.org.
About the Business-Higher Education Forum
BHEF brings together an extraordinary coalition of corporate, academic, and foundation chief executives who provide leadership to improve U.S education and competitiveness. Learn more at www.bhef.com.
About the Commission on the Future of Graduate Education in the United States
The Commission was formed by the Council of Graduate Schools (CGS) and Educational Testing Service (ETS) to create a report that establishes a solid empirical research foundation linking graduate education to U.S. competitiveness and innovation. The report and additional information is available at www.fgereport.org.
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