Dean Tedesco meets with national leaders to discuss "Pathways Through Graduate School and Into Careers" report

In 2011, Dean Lisa A. Tedesco of the Laney Graduate School was appointed to a national commission to address how graduate students in the United States progress through graduate school and into careers. Convened by the Council of Graduate Schools and Educational Testing Service, the Commission on Pathways through Graduate School and into Careers was comprised of university and corporate leaders from across the country.

Deans Tedesco and Grasso with Congressman John Lewis.

Pictured above: Dean Maureen Grasso, University of Georgia; Congressman John Lewis; Dean Lisa Tedesco, Emory Univeristy

The Commission’s findings were disseminated in a national report in April 2012. On April 19, the Commission convened in Washington D.C. to discuss its findings and recommendations with national stakeholders and legislative leaders. Key recommendations included:

  • Federal policymakers should provide support for studies that help leaders understand career pathways for graduate students;
  • Consider a Professional Plus Program for graduate students on research assistantships that will help prepare them for a variety of career options open to them;
  • University officials need to track career outcomes and job placement for graduate students, provide career guidance, enhance efforts to connect them with alumni, broaden the focus of graduate education to include the development of professional skills and build more opportunities for graduate faculty to engage with industry, government and other sectors; and
  • Employers should enhance and expand collaborative relationships with their higher education counterparts, make strategic investments in graduate programs, provide collaborative and research opportunities for graduate students and graduate faculty, and provide financial assistance for employees wishing to pursue graduate studies.