Dissertation Chairs Dashboard
Purpose and Scope
The Dissertation Chairs Dashboard is designed to track dissertation chairs (primary advisors) and their assigned doctoral students who are actively enrolled in dissertation phases at UTRGV. This dashboard provides insight into:
- The number of students each dissertation chair is advising.
- Which students have earned dissertation hours.
- Dissertation course enrollments for the current term and their corresponding instructors.
- Matching between dissertation chair and course instructor, ensuring proper supervision of students.
The primary audience for this dashboard includes the Graduate College, dissertation chairs, and department leadership, allowing them to efficiently monitor dissertation progress and advising loads across programs.
Data Sources and Structure
- Data Source: Reports from SAIR and dissertation committee data collected by the Graduate College.
- Structure: The dashboard organizes data by student, advisor (dissertation chair), department, program, and term, offering multiple ways to filter and view this information for analysis and reporting.
Key Metrics and Visualizations
- KPIs: Total number of students, number of dissertation chairs, number of students enrolled in current term dissertation courses.
- Cards: Highlight important metrics like the number of dissertation chairs and the number of students being advised.
- Tables: Provide detailed breakdowns of student names, dissertation credit hours earned, chair assignments, and course enrollment information.
- Charts: Visualize data, such as the number of dissertation chairs by major or the number of students enrolled in dissertation courses, helping to quickly grasp patterns and trends.
This dashboard streamlines the process of tracking dissertation activity, providing leadership with tools to manage student progression and advising load effectively.
User Manual: Dissertation Chairs Dashboard
Filters and Slicers:
- Dissertation Chair (Primary Advisor): Filter data by the name of the dissertation chair for easy access to individual student-chair pairings.
- Degree Type, Research-Based Program: Filter data by type of degree (Ph.D., Ed.D.) and program type.
- College, Department: Filter by academic unit to narrow down the view to specific colleges or departments.
Key Performance Indicators (KPIs):
- Total Number of Students: Displays the total count of students in the dashboard.
- Number of Dissertation Chairs (Primary Advisors): Shows the total count of dissertation chairs/primary advisors present in the system.
Cards:
- Dissertation Chair Data: Information on data sources for dissertation chair information, which comes from the Graduate College via Veronica.
Visuals:
- Table: Dissertation Chair and Students: Lists the dissertation chair with details such as program, EID, and the number of students they are advising. Users can interact by filtering or drilling down on this data.
- Bar Chart: # of Dissertation Chairs by Major: Displays the number of dissertation chairs per academic major. The chart allows filtering by major to explore different programs.
Overall Functionality:
This page provides an overview of the dissertation chairs or primary advisors who guide doctoral students through their dissertations. It helps the Graduate College and faculty easily track who is advising each student and how many students each chair is responsible for, giving insights into faculty workload.
Filters and Slicers:
- Student Full Name: Filter to display a specific student’s earned dissertation hours and advisor information.
- Degree Type, Research-Based Program: Filter by degree type (e.g., Ph.D. or Ed.D.) and research program type.
- College, Department: Filter to focus on specific colleges or departments.
Key Performance Indicators (KPIs):
- Number of Students: Shows the total count of students with earned dissertation hours.
Visuals:
- Table: Active Students with Earned Dissertation Credit Hours: Lists students with details such as name, program, earned dissertation hours, and their dissertation chair. Allows users to search for a specific student and see their progress in dissertation hours.
- Bar Chart: # of Students by Major: Displays a breakdown of students across different majors based on their earned dissertation hours. The user can interact with the bar chart to explore major-specific data.
Filters and Slicers:
- Student ID and Full Name: Filters to focus on a particular student’s dissertation courses.
- Dissertation Chair: Filter by the dissertation chair to view the courses their students are enrolled in.
- College/Department: Filter by academic unit to view dissertation course enrollment by department.
Key Performance Indicators (KPIs):
- Number of Students Enrolled in Current Term: Displays the count of students enrolled in dissertation courses in the current term.
- Dissertation Chair-Student Matching: Indicates whether the dissertation chair matches the course instructor for each student. This helps monitor alignment between advisor and course instruction.
Visuals:
- Table: Current Term Dissertation Courses: Provides details about students currently enrolled in dissertation courses, including their instructor, dissertation chair, co-chair, and whether the chair and course instructor match. Users can search for specific students or faculty to assess dissertation enrollment.
Overall Functionality:
This page serves as a management tool for tracking which students are enrolled in dissertation courses for the current term and whether their dissertation chair matches their course instructor. It helps ensure alignment between the dissertation chair and the dissertation course, which is crucial for the successful guidance of students through the dissertation phase.
Access and Support
Access to the dashboard is restricted to authorized personnel, including PIs, department administrators, and financial leads who manage sponsored projects. Users can log in through the institution's secure login system to access the dashboard.
For technical support or inquiries related to the dashboard:
- Contact Information: Users can reach out to the ResearchIT support team at ResearchIT@utrgv.edu for assistance with access, data issues, or other technical difficulties.
- Training and Resources: Training sessions and user guides are available upon request to help users navigate the dashboard and utilize its features effectively.
If you have any additional questions or need further support, please contact researchIT@utrgv.edu support team for further assistance.