Resolution on Doctoral Fellowships

Whereas doctoral students make an essential contribution to faculty research, undergraduate teaching and the maintenance of an intellectual and scientific environment attractive to faculty members and students alike; and

Whereas recruitment of the best doctoral students hinges on the availability of first-year fellowships that allow the students freedom to complete required coursework and to explore options without constraint; and

Whereas such recruitment is contingent on attractive multi-year packages of support with competitive stipends and salaries and complementary health benefits and fee remissions; and

Whereas at Rutgers-New Brunswick there are currently too few such fellowships, their stipends are barely competitive and they lack the associated health insurance and fee remissions afforded to less prestigious assistantships;

Therefore be it resolved that the Faculty Council strongly recommends to the President that doctoral fellowships be set as a principal and aggressively pursued target of the next capital campaign; and

Be it further resolved that the University offer to all prospective donors to the fellowship campaign a promise of full tuition remission for fellows supported by gifts and endowments, above and beyond existing remission allocations; and

Be it further resolved that the University adopt as one of its highest priorities the identification of resources to provide health benefits and fee remissions for all fellows and trainees; and

Be it further resolved that, as part of the University plan for graduate student support, an annual increase in the fellowship budget be established as policy to accomplish both the increase in the number of fellowships needed as well as the annual increments in fellowship stipends required by both the cost of living and the national competition for doctoral students.