The Graduate College

Graduate Center for Research and Retention

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Graduate students, please explore these links for how you can benefit:

- Workshops and Conferences
New Series -- Strategies for Empowerment During the Dissertation Process

- Quality Circle Reviews

- One-on-One Conferencing

- Upcoming Programs (Events Listing)

Funding Opportunities for Graduate Students

WMU Degree Charts

Process Flowcharts for Doctoral Degrees

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Note From the Director  
Dr. Marianne Di Pierro                  (Link to past notes)

Strategies for Success
HSIRB Compliance: Don't Guess - Ask the Experts

Making assumptions about anything in life can prove to be a dangerous game, but for unwary undergraduate and graduate students speculating about whether Human Subjects Institutional Review Board (HSIRB) approval is necessary to a research project or not -can prove to be a deadly game with a price that no researcher can afford to pay. Failure to submit a protocol that is required will result in the inability of the student to use the research for the purposes of fulfilling the designated capstone, master's, or doctoral degree requirements and also to publish information that has been structured upon the platform of that particular research.

Why must you consider securing HSIRB approval prior to conducting research that involves human beings? The answer is simple. Federal guidelines, as well as Western Michigan University (WMU), require that your research proposal be submitted to the Office of the Vice President's research compliance office for expert review before any research involving human subjects is initiated. Under federal mandate, human beings who participate in research must be protected, and the meticulous review of research proposals by Dr. Mary Lagerwey and Ms. Vicki Janson ensures that they are.

Dr. Mary Lagerwey, associate professor in the WMU Bronson School of Nursing and chair of the HSIRB, assesses the potential risks that the research may pose to human subjects and makes recommendations for projects that may pose "negligible risk." Other categories of risks determine which projects require more extensive types of review, including expedited reviews for projects that may pose minimal risks to human subjects, and full board reviews for projects that hold greater than minimal risk potential. In all instances, Dr. Lagerwey ensures that the appropriate board is convened to meet the spectrum of proposals that cross her desk.

Human subjects risk assessment is a highly specialized field that requires the training, knowledge, and insight of the experts. Vicki Janson, research compliance coordinator, is one of those experts upon whom students and faculty at WMU have come to rely for sage guidance and advice. Don't leave the issue of HSIRB compliance to a hunch, a guess or an assumption. Let the experts work with you to protect the human subjects that are integrally involved in your research, and to protect the integrity of your research project, as well as the reputation of the University at large.

For questions, concerns, or additional information, please contact Ms. Vicki Janson, research compliance coordinator, at the following telephone number: 387. 8293. She may also be reached at the following email address: victoria.janson@wmich.edu. You are encouraged to visit the website for the Office of the Vice President for Research at www.wmich.edu/research/. Forms for the HSIRB application may be located at this address: www.wmich.edu/research/compliance/index.html.

For examples of HSIRB protocols in Career and Technical Education, please visit the following website: http://www.wmich.edu/fcs/cte/hsirb.htm

*Some information that appears in the current Note From the Director is derived from The Inquiry Newsletter article entitled The Human Side of HSIRB.

If you have questions or require additional information, contact me at the following email address: marianne.dipierro@wmich.edu or call 387.8249.

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The Graduate Center for Research and Retention assists graduate students in writing doctoral dissertations and grant proposals for external funding by conducting quality-circle reviews of these documents and by providing a comprehensive program of workshops structured to enhance students' success in the attainment of their doctoral degrees.

Derived from an innovative concept, The Graduate Center for Research and Retention has been in existence since May 2001. Since that time, the center has developed and implemented many programs structured to address the specific needs of doctoral students and graduate faculty. It recognizes the distinct challenges that confront graduate students and understands the critical need to create programs that will place structure and form on the process of writing the doctoral dissertation and assisting students in meeting this requirement. Current programs prepare students to address the challenges through a series of incremental programs.

In addition to creating programs that foster a sense of connection, autonomy, and cohesiveness are those that provide the opportunity for students to advance their research scholarship and to enhance their academic standing in the professional community through the attainment of external funding for their research. Discipline-specific grant writing workshops are structured to reflect the research needs of students in those respective fields.

Moreover, the center's programs encompass the professional development of graduate faculty, particularly as it relates to the advising process and includes workshops on advising strategies based in qualitative and quantitative methodologies, mentorship responsibilities, communication skills enhancement, and time management techniques.

The Graduate Center for Research and Retention offers one-on-one conferencing to assist in all phases of the dissertation process. Students and graduate faculty interested in learning more about the center and its functions are encouraged to contact the center director, Dr. Marianne Di Pierro by telephone at 269-387-8249 or by email at marianne.dipierro@wmich.edu.

 

Workshops and Conferences

Strategies for Empowerment During the Dissertation Process
First program in a series:
Communication Workshop for Doctoral Students: A workshop structured to assist doctoral students in the development of productive advising relationships that result in high-quality dissertations completed in a timely manner. The presenters impart strategies for the following: facilitating the development of advisor-advisee relationships in which expectations for and conceptions of the dissertation are closely shared; introducing three advising models that provide the context for relationships with advisors; introducing specific task and relationship strategies that work most effectively with each advising model; providing students with options for empowerment in an advisor-advisee relationship.

Second program in a series:
Selecting a Dissertation Advisor and Configuring a Committee: A workshop for doctoral students that imparts strategies for the following: selecting an appropriate dissertation advisor and configuring the dissertation committee; enhancing students' opportunities for productive and successful outcomes in their working relationships with advisors and committee members; engaging more fully in the dissertation process and becoming more proactive members of the dissertation team.

Third program in a series:
Aiming for Focus and Balance During and After the Dissertation Process: A workshop for doctoral students structured to impart strategies for the following: understanding the interrelationships among the mental, physical, emotional, and social dimensions of health; identifying the manner in which personal health behaviors impact academic success during and after the dissertation process; developing a health plan that results in higher quality of life during and after the dissertation process; sharing with peers how healthy behaviors support and sustain during and after the dissertation.
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Communication Workshop for Graduate Advising Faculty: A workshop structured to assist graduate advising faculty in the development of productive relationships with their advisees that result in high-quality dissertations completed in a timely manner. The presenters impart strategies for the following: facilitating the development of advisor-advisee relationships in which expectations for and conceptions of the dissertation are closely shared; facilitating more conscious communication with advisees; introducing three advising models that provide the context for relationships with advisees; introducing specific task and relationship strategies that work most effectively with each advising model.

Practical Strategies for Writing the Dissertation: a one-day workshop conducted in the fall semester provides a pragmatic framework through which the process of crafting the dissertation becomes an attainable goal. Issues such as procrastination, perfectionism, and time management are addressed.

Dissertation Proposal Conferences: a two-hour workshop structured to provide one-on-one collaborative interaction between the dissertation advisor, the student, and three writing strategists. The workshop provides guidelines to faculty serving in an advisory capacity for the first time, reinforcement to seasoned faculty lending support to their colleagues and students, and encouragement to doctoral students about to enter into the proposal phase of their graduate programs. In addition, it assists four doctoral advisor/advisee pairs, within a one-day time frame, in crafting clearly structured dissertation proposals upon which there is consensus and understanding.

Dissertation Retreat: a weeklong residential experience conducted in the spring semester and designed to facilitate students' progress through the dissertation process by providing the professional consultation, guidance, and support necessary to scholarly research and writing. The tranquil setting afforded to dissertation retreat participants provides the opportunity for a productive and rewarding scholastic engagement.

Advisors' Workshop: a three-hour workshop to help advisors develop productive relationships with master's and doctoral advisees that result in high-quality theses and dissertations completed in a timely manner. Two workshop formats provide optimum effectiveness across all disciplines: qualitative and quantitative. The workshops impart advising strategies to new advisors and the opportunity for seasoned faculty to collaborate with junior colleagues in their new roles as advisors, as well as to fine-tune their own advising skills.

Grant Writing Workshops: a series of one- and two-day workshops for graduate students who are interested in learning the intricacies of writing federal, corporate, and foundation grants.

Discipline-Specific Workshops in Grant seeking: one-day workshops tailored to meet the research funding needs of individual graduate students.

Quality Circle Reviews: a review process directed toward improvement of doctoral dissertation chapters and research grant proposals to ensure the quality of the document before final submission. A group of colleagues external and internal to the candidate's field of expertise meet with the candidate to engage in a discussion facilitated to strengthen the work by eliciting both strengths and areas for improvement.

One-on-One Conferencing: an opportunity to conference with the center director about any element of the dissertation process in a secure, confidential setting. Students receive assistance in preparing for the dissertation proposal defense, refining concepts, organizing strategies for completion, communicating with advisors and committee members, remaining motivated, focused, and on task.

See Our Events Page for Upcoming Programs and Additional Information