Removing Barriers to Graduate Student Success, Part V: Clarity

By: Dr. Deborah Tollefsen, Vice Provost & Dean of the UofM Graduate School

(Yup. Bringing back the cats...)

Some of the most common emails I receive from graduate students are not about funding, coursework, or research.

They are questions like:

• What form do I need?
• Where can I find the requirements for my program?
• Who needs to approve this?
• Has anyone received my paperwork?

Graduate students can only make progress when they understand what is expected of them and how to navigate the path ahead. One of the most important forms of student support is also one of the simplest: clarity.

Students should not have to become detectives to understand how to complete their degrees. Yet universities often unintentionally create barriers through fragmented websites, inconsistent program requirements, unclear timelines, and administrative processes that seem to disappear into a black hole once a form is submitted. Faculty and staff may understand how the institution works because they have spent years inside it. Students, however, experience the university from the outside in. What feels obvious to us can feel bewildering to them.

Unfortunately, students sometimes encounter outdated catalog pages, conflicting information on departmental websites, or requirements that appear differently depending on which document they happen to find first. When requirements change, those changes must be communicated clearly and reflected consistently across catalogs, handbooks, websites, and advising materials. Students should never have to guess which version of a requirement is the correct one. When students understand the path ahead, they can devote more of their energy to learning, discovery, and scholarly growth rather than trying to decipher institutional processes.

Clarity also means transparency about timelines. One of the most common sources of student frustration is uncertainty. How long will it take to receive a decision? When should a committee be formed? What happens after a thesis or dissertation is submitted? Who needs to approve a request, and where is it in the process? When timelines are visible and expectations are communicated, students can plan effectively and make informed decisions. Transparency reduces anxiety because students understand not only what is happening, but why it is happening.

Feedback plays an equally important role. Students deserve timely, constructive feedback that helps them understand where they stand and what their next steps should be. Clear feedback transforms milestones from gatekeeping mechanisms into developmental opportunities. Whether the milestone is a qualifying examination, a proposal defense, or a dissertation review, students should understand the criteria for success and receive guidance that helps them move forward.

At the Graduate School, we have been working to improve clarity in both our communications and our processes. One example is our new SLATE forms initiative that will launch this fall. Graduate schools use a variety of forms to track student progress in their degree (comprehensive exam form, dissertation committee form, dissertation proposal defense form, dissertation defense form, etc). Historically, many forms followed a familiar path: students submitted paperwork and then waited, often unsure where it was, who needed to act on it, or whether additional action was required. If your institution pays for an electronic form system, you may have more clarity. There are several products out there. But we wanted a system that was low cost, connected to student files in SLATE to provide a holistic picture of progress, and capable of being queried to get population level data (how many students have passed comprehensive exam this semester?). Our new system creates greater visibility for students, faculty advisors, and administrators. Participants can see where a form is in the approval process, identify where action is needed, and track progress toward completion. Rather than wondering whether a form has disappeared into an inbox somewhere, students have greater transparency into the process itself. This process will also allow the graduate school to better track where students are in their program and celebrate their milestones. Thanks to Assistant Dean, Ryan Crews , for leading this initiative.

Every time we make a process easier to understand, every time we simplify a website, every time we communicate a deadline more clearly, and every time we provide transparent feedback, we remove a barrier to student success.

Graduate education is challenging by design. The intellectual work should be demanding. The administrative work should not be. As institutions, we cannot eliminate every challenge our students will face. But we can ensure that confusion is not one of them. Clear communication, transparent expectations, visible milestones, and understandable processes are not merely administrative conveniences. They are essential forms of student support.

Sometimes the most meaningful way we can help students succeed is simply by making the path forward clear.

Note: I use artificial intelligence tools when I create content for these articles to help generate ideas, improve organization, and identify grammatical or stylistic issues. However, all final content is reviewed, revised, and personalized by me to ensure that it accurately reflects my experiences, perspectives, and individual voice.