McDougal Fellows Program

2024-25 Call for applications: Opens February 1, closes March 8, 2024.

The McDougal Fellows Program aims to provide graduate students with the opportunity to collaboratively work with deans and directors overseeing recruitment, retention, community building, career and professional development, and student well-being. Serving as a McDougal Fellow is a professional development opportunity that will allow participants to build a community with their peer fellows across divisions (e.g., humanities, social sciences, sciences). Fellows will report directly to one dean or director affiliated with an office or area as listed below, but will be expected to periodically work across offices and initiatives:

  1. McDougal Graduate Student Center
  2. Office for Graduate Student Development and Diversity (OGSDD)
  3. Office of Career Strategy (OCS)
  4. GSAS Graduate Student Professional Development
  5. GSAS Mental Health and Wellness
Objectives
  • McDougal Fellows are PhD students themselves who develop programming and serve as peer advisors, mentors, and advocates.
  • McDougal Fellows help graduate students access resources and programs that focus on their specific needs and desires and assist undergraduate students interested in applying to graduate school.
Join us for an information session about being a McDougal Fellow!  Hear from deans, directors, and current fellows, and ask your own questions about the fellowship. Feb. 21 from 11:00 a.m. to 12:00 p.m. Register for the info session here.
Why become a Fellow?
  • The opportunity to participate in, and contribute to, efforts related to university recruitment, retention, career and professional development, community building, and student well-being, by way of active collaboration with other graduate students, deans, and directors.
  • The ability to develop and hone professional skills related to goal setting, goal implementation, and teamwork while understanding and navigating campus resources.
  • The opportunity to learn how to diplomatically educate students, faculty, administrators, and other constituencies on a wide variety of issues in graduate education.
Eligibility
  1. All students who are registered full-time and in good academic standing in a PhD degree program in the Yale Graduate School of Arts and Sciences are eligible to apply.
  2. Preference is given to continuing students who will be in years two through five of their degree programs, given the nature of the commitment and the knowledge of the Yale Graduate School of Arts and Sciences needed.
  3. Preference is given to students who will be in residence in the Greater New Haven area for the entire term of their appointment so they will be able to organize and participate in on-campus events.
  4. Preferred Skills:
    1. Strong interpersonal, writing, and oral communication skills.
    2. The ability to work as a team.
    3. Experience with organizing community building and social events.
    4. Experience to serve as peer advisors, mentors, and advocates for graduate students.
    5. Ability and desire to create a welcoming and inclusive environment.
Term of Appointment
  1. McDougal Fellow appointments are from August 1, 2024 - May 31, 2025.
  2. McDougal Fellows will be expected to work six to eight hours per week.
  3. All McDougal Fellows must be present for the Orientation Week activities August 19 – August 23, 2024, for new students.
  4. All McDougal Fellows serve one term appointment and must be re-appointed for an additional term.
  5. Fellows may be dismissed prior to the end of the appointment for conduct which is considered detrimental to Yale University or for failure to live up to their responsibilities as a McDougal Fellow. Should a fellow be dismissed for any reason, the payment of the honorarium will cease.
  6. 6.     McDougal Fellows will receive an honorarium for their involvement with programming. The total honorarium for the August 1, 2024 – May 31, 2025 appointment is $5700.
McDougal Offices

Primary duties and responsibilities vary according to your primary appointment shown below. However, you will be expected to periodically work across offices and initiatives.

McDougal Graduate Student Center:

  1. Attend weekly meetings.
  2. Take primary responsibility for one of the following program areas:
    1. Community building
    2. International
    3. Family
    4. Social 
    5. Health and Wellness
  3. Manage evenbts using Yale Connect and other technology platforms
  4. Work three of four First Fridays at Five each semester.
  5. Work a shift at the Winter Ball.
  6. Help with three to four Orientation Week events.

Office for Graduate Student Development and Diversity (OGSDD):

  1. Attend bi-weekly meetings.
  2. Plan, implement, and evaluate two programs, events, or workshops per semester focused on any of the following areas:
    1. Mentoring and Networking
    2. Transitions: First Year Focus Program
    3. Academic and Professional Development
    4. Socail Justice and New Haven
    5. Recruiting
  3. Serve as a peer mentor in the Transitions Program.
  4. Pariticipate in the Bouchet Conference and Recruitment Days.

Office of Career Strategy (OCS):

  1. Attend weekly meetings.
  2. Develop programming and resources to educate students about diverse career pathways and prepare them for a successful job search.  These may include:
    1. Alumni-led career talks or panels
    2. Site visits to employer workplaces
    3. Networking events
    4. Online content such as video interviews with alums
    5. Interactive workshops on job search skills such as interviewing 
  3. Prepare thematic monthly newsletter as part of a team.
  4. Serve as liaison to student and postdoc groups focused on career development.

GSAS Graduate Student Professional Development:

  1. Attend bi-weekly team meetings
  2. Plan and lead two professional development workshops (either solo or with a partner) per semester.
  3. Provide innovative ideas and administrative support for three professional development programs:
    1. GSAS Professional Experience (GPE) fellowship
    2. Yale Graduate Impact (YGI) fellowship
    3. 3-Minute Thesis (3MT)
  4. Collaborate with GSAS alumni to share their professional development pathways with current students
  5. Research external models of professional development and develop Yale-specific resources.
  6. Share your perspective on the professional development needs of graduate students.

GSAS Mental Health and Wellness:

  1. Attend bi-weekly team meetings.
  2. Take primary responsibility for one of the following:
    1. Developing mental health and wellbeing seminars/workshops
    2. Developing ongoing mental heal and wellbeing programming activities for GSAS students
    3. Gather and analyze feedback from students regarding campus mental health and wellbeing events/programs, on-campus mental health resources, and mental health and wellness programming needs
    4. Participate in Mental Health Awareness Week events

All McDougal Fellows should be prepared to be called upon from time to time to provide support with the Bouchet Conference, 3MT, Winter Ball, Orientation activities, campus visits by prospective students, and First Fridays at Five. You will also be asked to serve as a mentor to incoming/continuing students as part of a general mentoring program. You will not be expected to participate in all the above activities. You will be asked to do so only if it is necessary and if doing so will not cause you to exceed eight hours of service that week.

Selection Process
  1. The online application will be posted on February 1, 2024 and will be due by March 8, 2024.
  2. Selected applicants will be asked to participate in a brief interview with the Selection Committee of their primary office/area of interest (e.g., McDougal Graduate Student Center, Office for Graduate Student Development and Diversity, Office of Career Strategy, Professional Development, Mental Health and Wellbeing).
  3. McDougal Fellow appointments will be communicated to applicants by April 15, 2024.
Allied McDougal Offices

The following offices are part of the McDougal team, but have a separate application process:

The Poorvu Center’s McDougal Graduate Teaching Fellows design and lead programs on effective and innovative teaching, develop teaching resources, and provide individual observations for graduate student instructors at Yale. In addition, they receive professional development training that prepares them for careers within and beyond the academy. Applications are due in March each year through a separate process. Learn more here.