The doctoral advisor as student advocate.

"All but dissertation" is so common it has its own acronym: ABD. Nearly half the students who enter doctoral programs drift away without finishing.

Dr. Marilyn Grady, professor of educational administration at the University of Nebraska in Lincoln, says it doesn't have to be that way. Her advising supports the completion of a doctorate as her goal for each and every student--a dramatic change from business-as-usual.

"I think the students I've advised would see a difference" compared to their classmates, she told WIHE. Her student and PhD candidate Sharon Hoffman agrees. Together they wrote the chapter "Guiding the Dissertation Proposal: A Student Advocacy Approach" for the NCPEA Handbook of Doctoral Programs in Educational Leadership: Issues and Challenges. They spoke at the University of Nebraska's Women in Educational Leadership conference in Lincoln in October.

Passionate students

Doctoral students are older than most undergrads and those in education are older yet, with many years of teaching experience. Doctorates awarded in 2005 show the contrast:

 
Field of doctorate  Average Age  Time to Finish 
 
Education           42.5         13.0 years 
All other fields    33.0          8.2 

Adult learners are very intentional; they're in school for a reason. They bring an array of life experiences and relate their pursuit of a degree to their work or life. Grady's students are passionate about their commitment to education.