{"id":44304,"date":"2025-09-23T17:22:12","date_gmt":"2025-09-23T22:22:12","guid":{"rendered":"https:\/\/blogs.und.edu\/und-today\/?p=44304"},"modified":"2025-09-24T07:53:10","modified_gmt":"2025-09-24T12:53:10","slug":"graduate-leaders-institute-kickoff-inspires-community","status":"publish","type":"post","link":"https:\/\/blogs.und.edu\/und-today\/2025\/09\/graduate-leaders-institute-kickoff-inspires-community\/","title":{"rendered":"Graduate Leaders Institute Kickoff inspires community"},"content":{"rendered":"

During monthly sessions, graduate program directors and faculty can connect, share ideas and discuss key topics in graduate education<\/strong><\/p>\n

\"Soojung
Soojung Kim, interim dean of the UND School of Graduate Studies, addresses an audience of graduate program directors and graduate faculty at the Graduate Leaders Institute gathering on Sept. 16. Photo by Joonghwa Lee, chair and graduate program director in the Department of Communication at UND.<\/figcaption><\/figure>\n

By Madison Dame<\/strong><\/p>\n

UND School of Graduate Studies leaders met for the start of the Graduate Leaders Institute on Sept. 16 and left feeling closer to their community.<\/p>\n

The program began with the \u201clistening tour\u201d conversations Soojung Kim, interim dean of the School of Graduate Studies, had with the school\u2019s program directors. The Graduate Leaders Institute idea came specifically from a conversation she had with Ashley Bayne, assistant director of the Graduate Studies in Public Health program.<\/p>\n

\u201cThe Institute\u2019s space is for you,\u201d Kim said, addressing the various program directors. \u201cTo share stories like these, to ask questions, to learn from each other and most importantly, to remind ourselves why this work matters.\u201d<\/p>\n

Graduate student Impact<\/h2>\n

UND Provost Eric Link offered three focal points for the graduate program directors: student experience, dynamics and quality.<\/p>\n

\u201cI\u2019m really excited to see what we can do together in partnership and with Kim\u2019s leadership,\u201d he said.<\/p>\n

UND is the leader in graduating master’s- and doctoral-degree students in the state of North Dakota, Link said, so it is important the students have good experiences.<\/p>\n

\u201cAny work that we do here, at any level, undergraduate or graduate, it has to be focused on student experience and the opportunities we provide students to achieve their goals,\u201d Link said. \u201cIf we\u2019re student focused, I think we\u2019ll be able to help them get the most out of their experience, and we\u2019ll be able to draw the most out of them.\u201d<\/p>\n

Link talked several times about delivering a quality graduate education to students and noted how important that is institutionally and for the students and the state.<\/p>\n

\u201cI would encourage all of us in the room to continue to think about how we can create programs, curricula and support services,\u201d Link said. \u201cTo think about the impact we\u2019re going to have on our state & beyond.\u201d<\/p>\n

\"\"
Eric Link, UND provost and vice president for Academic Affairs, was among the speakers at the Graduate Leaders Institute on Sept. 16, Photo by Joonghwa Lee, chair and graduate program director for the Department of Communication at UND.<\/figcaption><\/figure>\n

Why Grad School leaders matter<\/h2>\n

Kim recalled a story about a student who was an active-duty Army officer while pursuing a doctoral degree in strategic communication \u2013 her area of expertise.<\/p>\n

While still a student, he was deployed to Poland when Ukraine and Russia went to war, she said. So, he slipped in his schoolwork and was at risk of being dismissed from the program.<\/p>\n

Kim saw his potential and intervened to help. The student will defend his dissertation in December, and Kim is confident that his perseverance helped him to write an \u201coutstanding dissertation.\u201d<\/p>\n

\u201cFor him, it\u2019s not just a doctoral degree,\u201d Kim said. \u201cIt represents a new opportunity to pursue an academic career after faithfully serving our country.\u201d<\/p>\n

Stories like those are the reason why the work of the leaders of the School of Graduate Studies matters, she said. In particular, \u201cit shows how the commitment of graduate directors and advisors can change the trajectory of a student\u2019s life.\u201d<\/p>\n

Making success possible<\/h2>\n

The Graduate Leaders Institute has several speakers lined up and will be held in a hybrid format on the first Monday of each month in the Gershman Graduate Center and on Zoom.<\/p>\n

\u201cGraduate students are at the heart of UND\u2019s mission. And you, as graduate leaders,\u201d Kim said, \u201care the ones who help make their success possible.\u201d<\/p>\n

About the author<\/h2>\n
\"Madison
Madison Dame<\/figcaption><\/figure>\n

Madison Dame is a Communications and Journalism major at UND. After graduation, she hopes to pursue a career as a journalist.<\/em><\/p>\n

 <\/p>\n","protected":false},"excerpt":{"rendered":"

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