Recently the University of Saskatchewan has decided that it needs to increase its graduate enrollment substantially. It has asked the Department of Soil Science to have 50 graduate students enrolled in its graduate programs. On average the University has a ratio of 2 M.Sc. for every 1 Ph.D. Currently in Soil Science, we have 38 graduate students, 19 M.Sc. and 19 Ph.D. There are 12 tenured faculty in the department which means that the University expects the Department to supervise on average 4.1 students (Appendix D: CGSR Strategic Plan). This means that we need to teach an additional 12 students.
It has been suggested that we radically need to re-think our teaching strategies. That is, we should offer a strong non-thesis based program which would be completely course based. In my opinion, this is not a great option. Graduate students are not trained but rather mentored. When I consider my relationships with Brian, Alexis, Wai, Sam, Kyle, and Juliska, I am reminded of my martial arts training. A black belt is merely an indication that you are a serious student. Similarily, my Ph.D. merely indicates that I have learned how to learn. Thus, I try to train my students how to learn. In turn, they try to train me how to think.
This is why graduate students are so valuable to society, to companies and to the world. Not because they are highly trained soil scientists and toxicologists. But rather because they have learned how to grasp difficult concepts, apply original solutions and then evaluate these solutions through sophisticated and rigorous analyses.
It is difficult to imagine how one would do this in a course based approach. Each one of the students who works with me is different. They are all very smart and creative. But each in their own way. This is not a trivial motherhood statement but rather a close observation of how my students achieve their Ph.D. A graduate student typically faces a data storm. By this I mean a vast amount of conflicting data points that overlap and need to be organized into a coherent story. Alone they face the unknown and somehow craft a conceptual masterpiece from disparate data. I am always reminded of Mickey Mouse in Fantasia as the Sorcerer’s Apprentice. Every one of my students is a Sorcerer’s Apprentice. My job is to make sure the broom doesn’t run amok.
I know of no way to teach this in a course. Instead, what is needed is a dedicated, very smart student and a dedicated, very smart professor. Then, one has a good graduate experience and everyone learns something, society, student and professor. I don’t think we should change this. We have great students and professors in our department. We are one of the best Departments of Soil Science in the country and internationally recognized. Lets not mess up a good thing.