Critical Conversations on PhD Education: The Revised GADE Quality Guidelines

Overview: Doctoral leaders present the revised GADE Guidelines for Quality in Doctoral Education that has been updated with explicit and implicit curriculum changes. Specific guidelines related to human rights and inclusive doctoral education are presented, including new guidelines on race, equity, inclusion, and mentoring in doctoral education.Proposal text: Background

The Group for the Advancement of Doctoral Education GADE) is a partnership organization with CSWE and is responsible for guiding the curriculum for Ph.D. programs in social work. The GADE Guidelines for Quality in Doctoral Education were first developed in 1992 and directly impact the explicit and implicit curriculum and the program assessment and improvement of Ph.D. programs. The GADE Quality Guidelines are updated approximately every ten years, informed by a national survey of faculty, doctoral students, deans and directors, and doctoral program directors. In this most recent revision of the GADE Quality Guidelines, qualitative data was also collected and incorporated into the development of the Ph.D. guidelines in order to increase the voices of multiple constituents who may benefit from Ph.D. education. This panel will present the revised GADE Guidelines for Quality in Doctoral Education (2022), including the new guidelines that have been developed related to antiracism, human rights, and a more inclusive Ph.D. education.

Method

Items from a national survey were used to create the revised GADE Quality guidelines. The survey was updated from past surveys ((1992, 2003, 2013) to include antiracist research, teaching, and mentoring items. In addition, qualitative data were collected from a series of focus group discussions conducted by doctoral students with BIPOC and white students.

Results

Participants of the national survey reported their perceptions of the importance of various indicators for promoting high-quality social work. Ph.D. education Findings from the survey were categorized into the explicit and implicit curriculum, student mentoring and supports, and administrative supports. Specific guidelines were developed related to race, equity, inclusion, and mentoring in doctoral curricula. Qualitative data indicate the need for: (1) Providing students with the opportunity to participate in the decision-making processes at the school. (2) To incorporate training on applying an antiracist lens within the research process. (3) incorporating a discussion on antiracist pedagogy intersectionality, social justice, and issues of power and privilege (4) mentoring program for BIPOC students. (5) ongoing faculty development in the Diversity, Equity, and Inclusion (DEI) area. (6) The development of a means to keep schools accountable for addressing racism.

Conclusion

This most recent GADE Guidelines used results of the GADE national survey and qualitative data to revise the GADE Quality Guidelines. New guidelines on race, equity, and inclusion have implications for how Ph.D. education will address human rights and a more inclusive learning environment in social work doctoral education.