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FutureSTATE 2015

A strategy for Mississippi State University to become
the region's most respected land-grant institution

FutureSTATE 2015 Progress Reports

Spring 2008

ACHIEVE FISCAL STABILITY

Initiative: Increase the number and quality of graduate students, with the number of doctorates awarded growing by 5 percent a year.

Achievements of the past year:

  • Increased total graduate student enrollment by 7.2 percent (3,550)
  • Total number of doctoral for AY 2006-2007 was 107, which allowed MSU to regain Southern Regional Education Board (SREB) Doctoral Level I status
  • Based on the number of doctoral degrees awarded in Summer 2007 (28) and Fall 2007 (44), coupled with the number of doctoral degree applicants for May 2008 (50), an increase of at least 5 percent in doctorates awarded is anticipated for AY 2007-2008

Goals for the next year:

  • Increase total graduate enrollment by 3 percent for Fall 2008
  • Maintain Southern Regional Education Board (SREB) Doctoral Level I Status

Constraints to full implementation of this initiative:

  • Lack of appropriate space to support the infrastructure for the operations of the Graduate School
  • Limited number of full-time staff to support the program operations of the Graduate School

Proposed modification of the initiative:
Increase the total number and quality of graduate students by 3 percent per year, with the number of doctoral degrees awarded increasing by 5 percent per year.

Overall assessment of the status of the initiative or other comments:

  • The projected enrollment for AY 2007-2008 was exceeded by 4.7 percent and the projected number of doctorates awarded was exceeded by 1.9 percent.
  • Specific recruitment initiatives will be directed toward increasing the number of doctoral students enrolled in graduate education by 5 percent.