The Insights of a Director of Graduate Education

Bethany Gray has left her role as director of Graduate Education (DOGE) after seven years to return to her full-time faculty position in the Department of English. In her seven years as DOGE, she has learned new ways to foster inclusivity across a spectrum of diverse graduate students and their ever-changing needs.

As DOGE, Gray was tasked to work specifically with graduate students. She explains, “My job was to oversee the administrative aspects of those degree programs and course work requirements, making sure students met the degree requirements, paperwork deadlines, and things like that. Also, I served as an advocate for graduate students.” The English department has graduate programs in several areas, including rhetoric and professional communication, creative writing, linguistics, and teaching English as a second language, so Gray carried a hefty load of responsibility. Although her optimal organizational skills often came to her rescue, it was more than discipline and a clean desk that helped Gray be successful in her position. Gray says, “One of the best parts of being DOGE was that I had a lot of experience with different university programs to support graduate students. I could connect students with resources both inside and outside the department.”

This cross-communication opened up various avenues for Gray and her graduate students. As Gray explains, “I see there being more opportunities after grad school. Now getting a graduate degree does not necessarily mean going into academia, and I consider that a positive shift.” Having a wide array of sources has shifted Gray’s perspective on the purpose of graduate school in an individual’s life. Gray realized the times have changed since she was a grad student herself, and she stayed committed to respecting those changes.

The DOGE position is all about mixing administrative knowledge with fresh approaches to existing structures. “I think it’s good for each area to have faculty members who have had those administrative experiences because they can bring that knowledge back,” Gray says, and “any kind of administrative role gives you insights into the larger university context.”

A new context for Gray was working with international students, which gave her a more empathetic perspective of their circumstances: “I have a lot more understanding of what it’s like as an international student to come into this brand-new system of education. … They move into a whole new academic culture.” Gray stresses the importance of creating a comfortable environment that emphasizes communication, invites students to ask questions, and has a “commitment to transparency and fairness.”

Gray also points out the importance of making sure that all students are getting the most from their graduate education: “You know, graduate school is seen as a sprint. Once you start, you have to go, go, go until you’re done. Really, graduate school is one part of students’ lives, and we need to make sure that graduate school works with their lives.”

Gray expressed that her work as DOGE has increased her appreciation for graduate students and graduate programs, saying that graduate students “provide a lot of benefit to the university through teaching and research” and that she has “a better appreciation for what it takes to recruit graduate students.” Although Gray was looking forward to shifting her attention to teaching and upcoming research opportunities, she valued her experience as DOGE, which gave her insight into a whole new realm of education. As she reflected, “It’s always good to have new people step into these administrative roles because you need new ideas. You need people who are willing to come in and make new changes.” Gray is confident that the next DOGE, with fresh eyes, will maintain the invigorating environment of graduate education in the Department of English.