Advising Best Practice commitment connecting the dots Dissertation Doctoral Advising doctoral model expectations flexibility Journey learner success letting go Marathon mentors NACADA persistence prepare Publication reflection Research
You’ve read what we have to say, but now it’s your turn. What questions do you have?
Leadership is a “buzzword” in today’s business world. For instance, books, blogs, and seminars offer advice on how to acquire leadership skills to be a successful leader, despite the dearth of definition about “successful.” In addition, amassing skills in listening, communicating, directing, and writing a mission statement is usually the focus. Am I a leadership Curmudgeon? No. READ MORE
Collaborative research, like many other types of collaborations, can produce differing approaches to solving problems. Some learners labor under the misconception that topic definition, research question development, methodology selection and other aspects of the study should fall automatically into place. Doctoral learners are really apprentices or neophytes and are not expected to know everything or submit completely perfected ideas in the beginning. Their work will evolve as they experience many levels of review. More than likely, they will also receive some conflicting advice. Their job is to sort through the advice and proceed in the direction they feel is correct. If they need to redirect, so be it. It is all part of the learning process.
Sometimes in frustration, learners will say, “Just tell me what to do and I will do it.” That, of course, is the wrong approach. A significant aspect of earning READ MORE
The past couple of weeks, I’ve been reflecting a great deal on Capella’s mission and values. Why are we here? What are we all striving for? How do we prioritize our work? How do we make decisions? How do we interact with one another? And the like.
In August 2008, I spoke of a pledge to greatness and the invaluable tool of owning your own contribution and this commodity of human potential – the value of honoring the potential of each person and enabling transformation.
Today, some of my trusted colleagues and I were reflecting on a common question asked, “what is the most important piece of the puzzle needed to finish the PhD?” The usual fare was offered: competency, knowledge of the topic, the “research gene,” a strong committee, resilience, time, etc. But today, I say to all, what’s most important is knowing your needs and knowing your aspirations.
Tenacious: Dictionary.com defines it as
They could have said ‘almost completed with dissertation’ as an example.
I think this is the one characteristic that any PhD learner needs. READ MORE
Nearly every day I speak with learners who do not appreciate how important writing is to the successful completion of their dissertation and their doctoral degree. Learners need to be able to convey their messages in a way that demonstrates they understand what they have been working on – and in a way that others will also understand. READ MORE
Preparing for Your Comprehensive Exam from Day One
It is easy to become so focused on each course every quarter that you do not see the forest for the trees. That is to say, you put up a valiant effort to do your work. You read and post and research and write to keep up with the weekly demands and the final assignment. And yet, this is not enough. READ MORE
Professional associations are an important component to effective career management, but many people are unsure how to best leverage them to develop one’s career.
You may have received advice from faculty members or colleagues that you should join a professional organization, but you may not be sure how to act on that advice. Even if feel like you have an accurate understanding of what professional associations are, other factors may be inhibiting you from participating. Often people worry about the time commitment involved, or membership dues and conference registration fees may feel prohibitive, especially for students. As a result, people often question whether joining a professional organization is worth it.
In my experience, many individuals also have trepidation about professional associations for an even more basic reason: they seem scary. This is definitely the case for me. I prefer to meet people one-on-one rather than in a group setting. I also prefer to be introduced to new people by mutual acquaintances, instead of meeting people “cold.” As a result, attending professional association meetings or conferences – group events where I don’t know anyone – is really stressful for me. READ MORE
