Graduate Student Survey

Question 1.  Would You Like to See Courses Cross-listed With Other Schools on W&M Main Campus (Public Policy, Law, Etc.)? 
Which Ones (click here for the comments)?

Question 2.  How Do You Feel About Overall Course Availability and Selection?

Question 3.  Are Enough Courses Offered in Your Field / Department?

Question 4.  Would You Be Interested in Short Courses (Both During Summer and Fall/spring Semesters)?  On What Subjects (Click Here for the Comments)?

Question 5a.  Given the defined goals of the core courses (i.e., to introduce the important aspects of biological, geological, chemical, physical oceanography, and coastal and ocean policy relevant to a degree in marine science), in your opinion, how well did these courses meet their goals?

Question 5b.  Are These Goals Appropriate?

Question 5c.  Did You Find the Core Courses to Be a Valuable Experience?

Question 5d.  Please Comment on What You Would Change About the Core Courses.

Question 6.  Would You Prefer a Comprehensive Exam Instead of Core Courses?

Question 7.  Could Professors Benefit From Instruction / Guidelines on Teaching?

Question 8a.  Do You and Your Advisor Have a Clear Understanding of Guidelines and Expectations?

Question 8b.  Could Your Advisor Benefit From Guidelines on Mentoring?  (i.e. Milestones for Your Advisor.  Be Honest!)

Question 8c.  Please Comment on How the Advisor-Student Relationship Could Be Improved.

Question 9.  Please rate the following resources on :

Question 9A.  Technology Quality

Question 9A.  Technology Availability

Question 9A.  Technology Accessibility

Question 9B.  Statistics Quality

Question 9B.  Statistics Availability

Question 9B.  Statistics Accessibility

Question 9C.  Library Quality

Question 9C.  Library Availability

Question 9C. Library Accessibility

Question 9D.  Laboratory Quality

Question 9D.  Laboratory Availability

Question 9D.  Laboratory Accessibility

Question 9E.  Vessels/SCUBA Quality

Question 9E.  Vessels/SCUBA Availability

Question 9E.  Vessels/SCUBA Accessibility

Question 9.  Please Comment Further on the Above Resources (9A – 9E).  What Things Would You Change or Add?  How Could They Be Improved?

Question 10.  Do You Feel That Resources Are Allotted Equally Among Departments / Individuals?  (This Includes Office Space, Supplies, Computers.)

Question 11.  Would requiring students to present at and attend departmental seminars benefit your education?

Question 12a.  Does the VIMS seminar series meet your expectations?

Question 12B.  Please comment further on the VIMS seminar series.

Question 13A.  Would you be interested in teaching opportunities?

Question 13B.  If yes, which courses would you like to teach/TA?

Question 14A.  Please rate your general satisfaction with the Page House.

Question 14B.  Please rate your general satisfaction with The Hogchoker.

Question 14C.  Please rate your general satisfaction with the VIMS Beach.

Question 14D.  Please rate your general satisfaction with the Sail and Paddle Club.

Question 14E.  Please rate your general satisfaction with the GSA Fall and Spring Parties.

Question 14F.  Please rate your general satisfaction with the GSA TGIFs.

Question 14G.  What Changes/Additions Would You Make to the Non-academic/Social Facilities and Events Listed in 14A – 14F?

Question 15.  How do you feel about the place of academics in the VIMS tripartite mission of Education, Research, and Advisory Services?  Is it given equal weight among the three?  Please comment:

Question 16.  A non-thesis MA degree program would enhance the value of VIMS/SMS to the Commonwealth and, more generally, environmental management and sciences.

Question 17.  After graduation, I plan to seek employment as the following:

Question 17a.  Results are shown below.  Click here to see additional comments.

Question 18.  Does VIMS/SMS provide sufficient training so that I can realize the employment as noted in Question 17?

Question 19.  What could VIMS/SMS do to better your employment goals as noted in Question 17?

Question 20.  Given present VIMS/SMS opportunities / resources, I feel that more opportunities / resources for (from list below) would most benefit me:

Question 21.  Relative to graduate studies at VIMS/SMS, I believe that the three most important things to foster in the near future are the following:

Question 22.  What would you like changed so that information from the Dean of Graduate Studies office is optimally provided to you?  (an example might be a Dean’s Office web page containing policies and forms.)

Question 23.  What would you like improved so that the GSA activities and services are optimally provided to you?

Question 24.  Distance learning and associated learning technologies will be incorporated into the VIMS/SMS teaching in the next five years.  Do you feel that this will enhance (e.g., allow you to take courses from nearby universities without traveling) or diminish (e.g., decrease teaching effectiveness due to technological complications) your learning experience here?

Question 25. Do you support the proposal that a mini-teaching scholarship system for graduate students be established?  Private money would be used to fund four graduate students each year to teach short courses on topics (e.g., the computer technology courses noted in Question 13).  These awards would be competitive and would depend in the willingness of private funding source each year.

Question 26. Would you support an annual Best Student Publication Award?  This award would be given to the student (senior author) publishing (“in press” or published) the best paper (peer-reviewed, national or international journal) each year.  There may be one award for MS students and another for PhD students.  Click here for comments.

General Comments