This past year, the editors of the Christian Higher Education journal approached us about developing a Special Issue on “Doctoral Education Issues and Practice in Christian Higher Education.” Ben Pyykkonen and I served as the co-guest editors, and we recruited presenters from the last two forums to develop articles for this special issue. This issue just came out in February (Vol. 20, Nos. 1-2). It contains articles addressing issues such as:
• The status of doctoral programs in CCCU schools
• Building community-experience in an online doctoral program
• Impact of stress on doctoral students and ways program leaders can respond to help
• Quality assurance practices with doctoral capstone products (dissertations, etc.)
• Mentoring online doctoral students through their dissertations
• Alternative models/approaches for comprehensive examinations
• Addressing religious diversity needs in Christian doctoral programs

In addition, we have included an annotated bibliography of resources on doctoral education, bothT here in the U.S. and internationally. You can read more about the issue by clicking here.

The publishers of the Christian Higher Education journal (Routledge/Taylor & Francis Group) have generously made the articles of this special issue available free online through the end of March.  Click here to learn more. Access them as well, at the Taylor & Francis Website before April 1^st:  https://www.tandfonline.com/toc/uche20/current

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Reviews of publications, software, and websites, as well as examples of manuals, exams, portfolios, and dissertation/project guidelines you use at your institution, can all be beneficial to your colleagues in doctoral education. As you identify resources that you have found helpful for your work with your doctoral education efforts, and as you develop materials you think may be helpful for others to see, please submit them for review and posting in one or more of the categories identified below by completing the Resource Submission Form below. Feel free to contactTrace Hebert, tshebert@lipscomb.edu, with questions about possible items to post.

Areas of interest:

• General Resources on Doctoral Education
• Resources on Research Doctoral Program (Ph.D.)
• Resources on Professional Doctoral Program
• Clinical Psychology (Psy.D.)
• Education/Educational Leadership (K-12 and Higher Education) (Ed.D.)
• Doctor of Ministry (D.Min.)
• Law (J.D.)
• Nursing Practice (DNP)
• Physical Therapy (DPT)
• Other Doctoral Programs

One of the Doctoral Council’s major goals is to promote interaction and collaboration among CCCU institutions in the development and support of doctoral education.  Toward this end, we will be striving to:

1. Keep and update proNewgrammatic data on doctoral programs offered by CCCU institutions.
2. Sponsor and promote biennial forums for doctoral program directors, faculty, and other administrators desiring to develop and maintain strong doctoral education efforts at their schools.  Other events for new doctoral program directors will also be offered as opportunities arise.
3. Collect and provide helpful resources for doctoral program directors and faculty, including examples of how CCCU institutions  address different aspects of their programs (e.g., coursework, candidacy exams, portfolios, dissertation/project design and supervision, program assessment).

Use these links to learn more about these initiatives and join us as we seek to support strong doctoral education in CCCU institutions.

In September 2015, the first CCCU doctoral education forum – developed by a grassroots group of doctoral program directors –  was held at Azusa Pacific University with the title, “Doctoral Programs in the CCCU: Conversation and Collaboration.” Those who attended expressed strong support for seeing this kind of interaction continue, both through future forums and resource sharing.  This led to the establishment of the CCCU Council for Collaboration in Doctoral Education.

Since its formation in 2016, the Doctoral Council has sponsored a forum in the fall of 2017 and 2019 for doctoral program directors, administrators, and faculty, which drew together over 100 attendees. Our next gathering will take place in the fall of 2022.  Other initiatives in process include webinars, the development of a “white paper” on the purpose, role, and support of doctoral education in Christian higher education institutions, as well as this website portal to provide information and share helpful resources with doctoral personnel at CCCU institutions.

Council Members Include:

Kris Barnett, Anderson University

Heewon Chang, Eastern University

Alicia Crumpton, Johnson University

Leihua Edstrom, George Fox University

Trace Hebert, Lipscomb University, Chair

Anita Henck, Azusa Pacific University

Kevin Lawson, Biola University, ex officio

Ben Pyykkonen, Wheaton College

Stan Rosenburg, Vice President for Research, CCCU

Jeff Clawson, CCCU Representative