Building a scholarly community on the road to the Ph.D - Last Word - Brief Article

Black Issues in Higher Education, Dec 20, 2001 by Koritha A. Mitchell

When I entered a doctoral program in English Literature, I committed myself to six years of intensive study. According to my acceptance letter, teaching was also required. The path was clear: Study, teach, graduate.

After 4 1/2 years, I now know the process is not that simple. Doing my own work while being responsible for 25 to 50 students per semester is not easy. Also, being enrolled full-time creates financial constraints that you must experience to understand. Still, I have managed to stay on track. I passed the qualifying examination last month, and my dissertation prospectus is being approved, with three of the six chapters coming directly from my master's thesis.

Looking back, the years have not passed quickly or painlessly. However, as I look ahead, I am amazed at how prepared I feel. Once the excitement of passing the exam faded, I wondered how I got this far, with energy and optimism to spare. I now realize that following good advice played no small part.

From the beginning, I bombarded fellow graduate students with questions about their experiences. They shared insights about department politics and professors' teaching styles. Such information was not in the course catalog, so I knew I had to surround myself with people -- not just books. By seeking advice from my peers, I demonstrated both dependence and independence. I knew I could not succeed alone, but I did not wait for a circle of friends to come to me. I built a scholarly community for myself.

Just as graduate students hover between the roles of teacher and pupil, they inhabit a space characterized by the simultaneous need for community and autonomy. Learning to embrace this ambiguous space may be the key to success. For example, when working on large projects, feedback from professors is important, but not always readily available. This is no time to wait idly. Instead, consider all resources, including other students. Of course, there is no substitute for an adviser's expertise, but you may avoid losing momentum by contacting others.

Similarly, though no one finishes a dissertation without a support system, everyone needs an internal source of motivation. Mine is a philosophy of personal accountability that took root when I was 12 years old. I had not done my schoolwork but explained that it was my teacher's fault. My mother's response was simple: "That teacher has hers. You'd better get yours."

Today, I understand that my mother's advice is not about an antagonistic relationship between teacher and pupil. To the contrary, what the teacher did -- or did not do -- is inconsequential. When I take responsibility for my own success, no one's actions matter more than mine.

However, even this self-reliance is rooted in a sense of community. I am driven to succeed because my work on anti-lynching plays has an impact on my students and the profession. I have a long way to go, but I never underestimate my insights. Therefore, I do not stop working because my committee has given its approval. I know the material and can see where further progress can be made. I take responsibility for the quality of my research because it is my contribution to society.

Finally, I press on because I am motivated by the next generation. We all agree that academia needs more scholars of color. The earlier we see ourselves as professionals, not just graduate students, the sooner we will fill academic positions and mold future scholars.

-- Koritha A. Mitchell is a doctoral student in the English Department at the University of Maryland College Park.