{"id":296761,"date":"2021-05-20T10:53:00","date_gmt":"2021-05-20T15:53:00","guid":{"rendered":"https:\/\/yfile.news.yorku.ca\/?p=296761"},"modified":"2025-04-03T11:10:40","modified_gmt":"2025-04-03T15:10:40","slug":"pointing-graduate-students-toward-the-future","status":"publish","type":"post","link":"https:\/\/www.yorku.ca\/yfile\/2021\/05\/20\/pointing-graduate-students-toward-the-future\/","title":{"rendered":"Pointing graduate students toward the future"},"content":{"rendered":"\n

Graduate students are often so focused on their research, coursework and other commitments that they may not initially consider planning for skills development opportunities, so the Faculty of Graduate Studies (FGS) at York University has developed a framework to assist: the Individualized Development Plan (IDP).<\/p>\n\n\n\n

\u201cWe are looking at enhancing professional skills development offerings to create meaningful opportunities for graduate students at both the program and central levels,\u201d said Wesley Moir<\/strong>, academic affairs officer for FGS. \u201cWe\u2019ve created the IDP based on emerging research, insights into the needs of our graduate students and the changing circumstances of the workplace. It will serve as the foundation for reflection, career exploration and skills acquisition.\u201d<\/p>\n\n\n\n

\"Graphic
The IDP Framework<\/figcaption><\/figure><\/div>\n\n\n\n

The IDP<\/a> is part of a cyclical process that asks students to assess their current level of expertise, identify areas in which they would like to explore or improve, and asks them to map out a plan for achieving their goals. It is designed to provide a framework for encouraging active participation among students in professional skills training and career management over the course of their degrees.<\/p>\n\n\n\n

Thanks to a grant from York\u2019s Academic Innovation Fund (AIF), FGS introduced the IDP in four graduate programs as a pilot project for the 2020-2021 academic year: psychology; biology; gender, feminist and women\u2019s studies; and humanities. Some North American universities have adopted a version of these plans; York\u2019s IDP is designed to be personalized, ongoing, and concentrated around goal-setting. The AIF grant will allow the Faculty and a team of student researchers to evaluate the success of the pilot before the program is introduced across FGS this fall.<\/p>\n\n\n\n

\u201cWe want graduate students to acquire competencies and skills that complement their degree programs,\u201d said Moir. \u201cThe IDP is really a tool for them to track their goals and experiences during their degree process.\u201d<\/p>\n\n\n\n

FGS hopes that each individual IDP will become a living document that students review and revise annually with input from their supervisors, peers and others. It is a personal plan that needn\u2019t be shared with anyone else, but additional perspectives can shed light on areas where improvement might be helpful \u2013 doing public presentations, for example, or time management.<\/p>\n\n\n\n

\"Four
Each individual IDP will become a living document that students review and revise annually with input from their supervisors, peers and others<\/figcaption><\/figure><\/div>\n\n\n\n

\u201cAs the first step in creating an IDP, we ask students to do a skills assessment that is based on the six competency areas identified in York\u2019s graduate and professional skills program<\/a>,\u201d said Moir. \u201cThey can reflect on the areas they want to enhance or explore and pursue opportunities.\u201d<\/p>\n\n\n\n

The six key competency areas are:<\/p>\n\n\n\n