Sara Spear, Ph.D. Student,  Higher Education, Rutgers University Doctoral student success, despite its importance in preserving the academic profession, shows up very little in the literature even when attrition rates hover around fifty percent (Bair & Haworth, 2004; Gardner & Gopaul, 2012). Why are students starting doctorate programs but not finishing? Students may leave for a variety of reasons, but faculty perceptions tend to pinpoint “student failure as lying within the students themselves” (Gilmore, Wofford, & Maher, 2016, p. 433). This is surprising because if we flip the question around and look at what makes doctoral students successful, faculty emphasize personal attributes like intellectual curiosity and grit in addition to the positive role mentors and institutional supports play. With only fifty percent of students completing their doctoral programs, more careful attention needs to be paid to the role programs and institutions play in doctoral

Pamela Felder, Ph.D. , Independent Scholar This commentary provides brief analysis of contextual issues based on Gumport’s (2016) perspectives on the causes for interdependence and strain in graduate education. Four challenges and opportunities identified include: uncertainty in external funding; increased competition for federal research funds; commercialization; and student concerns about the availability of career opportunities. Given the rapidly changing demographics in higher education and systemic exclusion regarding historically marginalized communities, consideration of racial and cultural experiences is paramount to the proliferation of graduate education, the communities it serves, and their future. Thus, a reexamination of the areas of interdependence and strain in graduate education calls for refocusing the ways race and culture intersect with these dynamics. Observations of key reports by The Commission for the Future of Graduate Education (201

Anyone is invited to submit material for consideration, and submissions will be reviewed on an ongoing basis . We hope to receive material from graduate students, faculty members, and practitioners. A new AERA Division J Blog has been created. To view previous post go to: http://aeradivisionj.blogspot.com/