Research-related stress tops a list of concerns among students seeking assistance from the Graduate Ombudsman over the past year. In the 2021-2022 report from Graduate Ombuds Bruce Taylor, Ph.D., issues such as authorship conflicts, funding and communication breakdowns are common themes.
“Conflict with faculty, often over research, continues to be a leading concern among graduate students,” Taylor said. “Perceived conflicts of interest, particularly when doctoral student research for their dissertation is delayed by faculty research.”
He also noted that issues surrounding student roles on grants, as well as authorship on publications, were problematic. The recently adopted new guidelines on authorship attempt to address some of these concerns.
Funding is a perennial challenge for graduate students, many of whom contacted the Ombuds with issues over GASP funding, assistantships and, this year, the financial impact of Policy 50.5 that reduced funding levels for many students.
“From (the students’) point of view,” Taylor said, “what they had been offered changed and reduced their effective income substantially in some cases.”
The 2021-22 Ombuds Report is available for download.
