Examining Graduate Education in Astronomy

[9622599] Milkey美国天文学会（AAS）将领导其会员进行一次关于天文学研究生教育目标的考试。科学界正在进入对基础研究和高等教育的公共投资将大幅减少的时代。因此，新博士从事传统学术研究工作的机会预计也会减少。鉴于这些现实，重新审视研究生院在为我们的学科、我们的学生和支持天文学学科的社会服务方面所扮演的角色既是必要的，也是及时的。讨论的核心问题是：(1)考虑到(a)这门学科需要继续进行世界级研究的传统，以及(b)我们国家需要有想象力、有科学能力和适应能力的年轻人，无论是在技术队伍中还是在国家学校里担任教师，天文学研究生教育的目标和内容应该是什么？2)我们是否应该考虑改变学术机构的招生政策、研究生课程、资助模式或学术文化，以满足(a)天文学学科和(b)国家的需要？美国科学院将在即将召开的两年一度的美国科学院会议上开启这一对话。美国科学院将在1996年举办三次区域研讨会，邀请天文学系主任、选定的研究生、教育界和工业界的应邀成员以及物理界参与类似自查的代表参加；2)出版和散发一份报告，总结讨论情况，概述改革研究生课程的可能模式，并建议改变资助模式，以刺激或促进改革；3)设计一个就业数据库，帮助研究生做出现实和明智的职业选择，并帮助研究生部门指导招生、资助和课程政策。＊＊＊

9622599 Milkey The American Astronomical Society (AAS) will lead its membership in an examination of the goals for graduate education in astronomy. The scientific community is entering an era in which public investment in basic research and higher education is projected to decrease significantly. As a result, opportunities for new PhDs to follow traditional academic research careers are also expected to decrease. Given these realities, it is both essential and timely to re-examine the role of graduate schools in serving our discipline, our students, and the society which supports the discipline of astronomy. Central to the discussion are the questions: (1) What should be the goals, and content, of an astronomy graduate education in view of (a) the discipline's need to continue a tradition of carrying out world class research, and (b) our nation's need for imaginative, scientifically capable and adaptable young people, both in the technical workforce and as teachers in the nation's schools? 2) Should we consider changing academic institutions' admissions policies, graduate curricula, funding patterns or academic culture to meet the needs of (a) the discipline of astronomy, and (b) the nation? The AAS will open this dialog at the upcoming bi-annual AAS meeting. The AAS will 1) conduct three regional workshops during 1996 with astronomy department chairs, selected graduate students, invited members of the education and industrial communities, and representatives from the physics community involved in similar self-examination; 2) publish and disseminate a report summarizing the discussions, outlining possible models for restructuring graduate curricula, and suggesting changes in funding patterns to stimulate or facilitate restructuring; and 3) design an employment database to help graduate students make realistic and informed career choices, and to help graduate departments guide admissions, funding, and curricular policies. ***