The Public Scholar initiative grew out of a university-wide conversation over the last year, and was developed by a 28-member advisory group on ‘Reimagining the PhD’. The conversation and initiative were grounded in an acknowledgment of the many different contexts and ways in which PhD graduates carry out their scholarly activities in the world, and the different forms of scholarship and ways of thinking that are needed to address today’s pressing issues. There was an acknowledgment too of the strong desire of many students to make tangible and immediate contributions to the public good. The university, government, and granting agencies also have vested interests in the innovation and positive social gains generated from research activity.
The objectives for the initiative are to enable and encourage a broadened conception of the PhD degree for those interested in these types of pathways, and to enable students to gain experience in non-academic (or alternative academic) environments as part of their scholarly work leading to the PhD degree. It is not intended to replace the traditional modes of PhD research for whom that continues to be relevant and desirable.
The goals for this broadened conception of the PhD include the following:
- students gain experience in the environments and types of scholarship they may productively engage in post-graduation.
- students' work is evaluated as part of the dissertation, ensuring it is of the highest quality, and signaling that the university considers these diverse forms of scholarship worthy of recognition.
- non-academic partners appreciate first-hand the value of PhD-level thinking and scholarship – contributing to enhanced career opportunities for students and enhanced public perception of the value of the PhD.
- students can contribute directly to the public good in diverse ways through rigorous scholarship.