What institutional benchmarks do PhD students value most? Identifying education & student life priorities within PhD Students Participation Consent FormThank you for your interest in our PhD Student Quality of Life survey. This survey is meant to take under 5 minutes. We’d like to provide you with information about the research project we are recruiting participants for. Your participation in the study is voluntary, and there is no penalty for refusing or discontinuing participation. In this study, you will respond to a survey by answering questions your field of study, coursework, research, part-time employment, stressors, and rewards. The risks associated with the study are minimal. All information gathered in this study will remain confidential and be given out only with your permission or as required by law. You will be assigned to create a random participation code to take the survey. If you have any questions about the study, please contact our principal investigator: Sara Hassani, sh4090@columbia.edu.What are my answers going to be used for ?The answers to this survey will be used for a research project by QESLO (Quality of Education and Student Life), a nonprofit organization with the mission to improve the quality of student life nationwide. Our objective from this research is to ensure the relevance of our Quality of Student Life Index to the PhD student experience.Consent *I agree to participate in this survey.Participant ID *Please create your username using the following instructions: first 3 letters of your favorite high school teacher's last name + first 3 letters of your favorite movie not counting "a" or "the" + number date of your birthday (i.e. BROMAT22)General InformationWhat is your field of study ? *Please select an optionHumanitiesSocial SiencesNatural SciencesEngineering & Applied SciencesMedical SciencesOther (Please specify in next question)Specify if you chose Other (write N/A if not) *How many years have you been a PhD student ? *Please select an optionLess than 1 year1 - 2 years2 - 3 years3 - 4 yearsMore than 4 yearsRate the following elements in order of the most important to your quality of life (1) to the least important (7).School Atmosphere (Positive atmosphere, Student inclusion, Student health, Student safety) *School Relationships (Trust in faculty and leadership, Mutual respect, Peer support, Support system) *School Resources (Resource availability (equipment, commute …), Career opportunities, Professional Staff (ex. counselors), Access to extracurricular activities and outside opportunities) *Personal Development (Cultivation of interests, Future orientation, Positive identity, Self-awareness – that I like who I am and who I’m becoming at my school and feel more confident in my ability to live a purposeful life) *Academic Development (That the faculty are knowledgeable and create a stimulating environment for students to learn. That the courses I take are of high value to me and are engaging) *Skill Development (That my school gives me opportunities to develop skills in self-management, emotional management, communication, and learning, among others) *Other (Please specify in next question) *Choose 7 for Other, if you cannot think of another element.Specify your pick for Other element *Input N/A if all the important determinants for your quality of student life are already in our list.Would you like to tell us more about your answer ?Rate the same elements in order of the one you struggle with the most at your school (1) to the one you struggle with the least (7).School Atmosphere (Positive atmosphere, Student inclusion, Student health, Student safety) *School Relationships (Trust in faculty and leadership, Mutual respect, Peer support, Support system) *School Resources (Resource availability (equipment, commute …), Career opportunities, Professional Staff (ex. counselors), Access to extracurricular activities and outside opportunities) *Personal Development (Cultivation of interests, Future orientation, Positive identity, Self-awareness – that I like who I am and who I’m becoming at my school and feel more confident in my ability to live a purposeful life) *Academic Development (That the faculty are knowledgeable and create a stimulating environment for students to learn. That the courses I take are of high value to me and are engaging) *Skill Development (That my school gives me opportunities to develop skills in self-management, emotional management, communication, and learning, among others) *Other (Please specify in next question) *Choose 7 for Other, if you cannot think of another element.Specify your pick for Other element *Input N/A if all the important determinants for your quality of student life are already in our list.Would you like to tell us more about your answer ?Advice to Other Students (optional)What resources (if any) does your department or university offer that you find helpful in maintaining a good quality of life?Have you sought counseling or mental health services during your time as a PhD student?YesNoPrefer not to answerWhat advice would you give to incoming PhD students to help them navigate the challenges of graduate school?Thank you for your participation !As part of our research into PhD student quality of life, we would appreciate the opportunity to hold a focus group and interviews with PhD students. This would allow us to better understand the reasons behind students' answers and help us better our future proposals for improving the quality of student life for PhD students.Would you be willing to take part in a focus group or a short interview about the quality of student life of PhD Students? *Please select an optionYesNoIf you chose Yes, please provide us your preferred contact? If not, write N/A. *Are there any additional comments you would like to make?Thank you for taking this survey! We value your feedback on your quality of life and experiences at your school.Send Message
