Improving Graduate Student Recruitment, Retention, and Professional Development During COVID-19

Kent L. Willis^1, , Barbara Holmes² and Noah Burwell¹

¹The Graduate School, The University of Texas at Tyler, Tyler, TX, USA

²College of Education, Winona State University, Winona, MN, USA

Cite this paper:
Kent L. Willis, Barbara Holmes and Noah Burwell. Improving Graduate Student Recruitment, Retention, and Professional Development During COVID-19. American Journal of Educational Research. 2022; 10(2):81-84. doi: 10.12691/education-10-2-2

Abstract

This study explores graduate students' academic support and preparation perspectives during the global pandemic. Study participants (N=4) volunteered to engage in reflective journaling for sixteen weeks to document learning challenges during the COVID disruption. Findings from the study focused on concerns for student well-being, including (1) creating opportunities for collaboration, (2) developing and maintaining a sense of belonging, and (3) enhancing personalized coaching and mentoring. Results are discussed regarding implications for graduate student program persistence and completion. More research is needed to explore the dimensions of graduate student engagement, academic well-being, scholarly development, mentoring needs, and acquisition of professional identity as graduate scholars.

Keywords:
graduate school COVID-19 graduate student enrollment graduate student well-being graduate student persistence

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