In 2000, UCI was invited to participate in The Responsive Ph.D. Initiative, launched by the
Woodrow Wilson National Fellowship Foundation. Besides UCI, 11 other universities have been invited, including Princeton, the University of Pennsylvania, Duke University and the University of Wisconsin at Madison. The purpose of the Initiative is to explore new paradigms and practices in an effort to enhance the value of graduate education for universities, society and students. Even before the Initiative started, UCI faculty and students had already started various independent programs to improve graduate education, such as HOT (Humanities Out There) and ArtsBridge. Programs such as these put us well on the path to bridging current gaps between the academy and the outside world. Because of its projected growth and the geographical location, UCI has a special opportunity and challenge to reform graduate education in ways that make it more exciting and relevant, and that give our students a stronger chance of success in their careers.
