PEA Dissertation Fellowship Program Discontinued

The administration recently discontinued The Dissertation Fellowship, which has attracted emerging doctoral scholars of color to the Academy for the past four years. The fellowship has previously been offered annually to two candidates from a pool of over thirty, and has included a $14,310 stipend alongside room, board and other benefits for one school year. Most fellows have not obtained permanent teaching positions at Exeter afterwards, due to a lack of vacant job positions. Instead, most have ended up moving to other institutions, including many elite boarding schools, such as Phillips Andover.

“That would make the program much stronger considering people, like me, are usually thinking about teaching secondary students.”

According to Dean of Multicultural Affairs Rosanna Salcedo, the purpose of the Dissertation Fellowship is to “introduce potential faculty of color to the Academy,” As such, PhD students of color who are “underrepresented in higher education” are particularly encouraged to apply. In the past, candidates have submitted their applications to Salcedo, who reviewed them and made final decision based on their demonstrated scholarship, personal journeys and financial needs. Current fellow Miriam Villanueva said that fellows are “completely independent” from the teaching activities of the school, although they usually are involved with “helping affinity groups, and maybe every now and then helping with a class.”

Chief Financial Officer David Hanson explained that expenses incurred by the fellowship program drew from the Exeter Fund, annual tuition, and endowed funds—namely The John and Elizabeth Phillips Fellowship Fund, which has a current market value of 2.3 million dollars. After finalizing the number of fellows in the Dissertation Fellowship program and other programs, the Dean of Faculty “submitted budget requests for approval by the Trustees on behalf of all faculty,” Hanson said. Although endowed funds can still “continue to support program costs,” funds especially designated for instant use, or “current use” funds, are expected to run out by the end of the 2017 fiscal year. The size of current use funds fluctuate based on annual donorship, once they are used up, they are gone.

As stated by Assistant Principal Ronald Kim, the portions allotted for the Dissertation Fellowship have been depleted. “The budget that had supported it has been exhausted,” he said. “We are looking into adapting the program in the future and finding funding to support an even better model for attracting rising scholars and potential teachers to Exeter.”

Villanueva expressed gratitude for the program for having provided her not just with housing and meals but with “a stipend for conference and research,” which she spent going to Lima, Peru for a weekend to present her project.

Jacqueline Lyon, another dissertation fellow, said that “including all the non-monetary benefits,” the fellowship is on par with similar ones offered to graduate students elsewhere.

The fellows are usually in the writing stage by the time they arrive at Exeter, hoping to complete their dissertations by the end of their time on campus. They are also provided various opportunities to get involved in the Exeter community. “We go through the same training as the faculty so that we are aware of the boundaries and understand what it is like to work with boarding school students,” Villanueva said.

According to Lyon, fellows took part in “student and student-faculty book and affinity clubs, attended assemblies, meditations, and lectures, and have joined in faculty fitness activities.”

Villanueva and Lyon both have had mixed experiences during their time at Exeter. Lyon, who came to the Academy with a strong interest in learning about career opportunities at Exeter and similar institutions, said that, “The quality of education at Exeter and the dedication of the staff and students have exceeded my expectations.”

While Villanueva agreed, she also faced a difficult transition coming to Exeter. “It’s a bit of a culture shock considering that New England is very insular,” she said. “The dissertation writing process can be isolating for anyone as it requires a lot of time alone in the library and a lot of mental concentration. Not having an established support system can make the process more difficult.”

Nonetheless, she is grateful for all the program has offered. “It’s a great environment for teaching,” she said. “I learned so much and I made connections with other fellows.” During her time at Exeter, she has found “a good community of kids and and faculty who offer a lot of support.”

Neither of the fellows will work at Phillips Exeter as faculty members next year. Lyon will be teaching anthropology at Bates College in Lewiston, Maine, while Villanueva will be working in the history department at Phillips Andover. She is also excited to teach a winter elective that will focus on the immigrant population in Lawrence, Massachusetts. “I can start teaching more about the history of the borderland and also about Panama,” she said. “That’s what I’m interested in—sharing my culture with everyone.”

Both of the fellows have appreciated the faculty support they’ve been given while at PEA. “Several Exeter faculty members have offered mentorship in my job search, especially Dr. Erik Wade, Rosanna Salcedo and Ron Kim,” Lyon said. Meanwhile, Villanueva said that if Exeter had had an opening this year in its history department, she would have been happy to stay.

Although disappointed by the program’s indefinite halt, many expressed the need for a fundamental restructuring of the Dissertation Fellowship, were it to be reintroduced. For example, Villanueva suggested that the fellows be given an office and that the current one-year program could be replaced with a two-year program in which the fellows would work with the affinity groups during their first year and teach at the Academy the following year. “That would make the program much stronger considering people, like me, are usually thinking about teaching secondary students,” she said.

Lyon agreed, pointing out that Exeter has not retained any of its past fellows, despite the fact that some have shown interest in staying. “I think more expectation of hiring needs and also more involvement from departments who intend to hire in the selection process and throughout the tenure of the fellowship can improve the retention,” she said. “I think students and faculty need to be more committed to active change.”