Academy of Criminal Justice Sciences Doctoral Student Summit: A Model of Professional Development

Doctoral student attrition has been a consistent and ongoing problem, with only half of Ph.D. students completing their degrees. Often generated by feelings of isolation and dissatisfaction during the Ph.D. process, attrition results in negative consequences for students, their departments and institutions, and the broader academic community. Students face substantial financial and psychological burdens, institutions lose out on their investments, and the larger community misses out on significant contributions to resolutions to social challenges. To make matters worse, attrition rates are highest among the most marginalized students. Effective strategies for reducing attrition involve aiding in the development of students' academic identity and creating a supportive sense of community. Although many departmental and institutional efforts to support doctoral students exist, challenges remain. Further, the needs of students are far-reaching and arguably require interventions from the academic community as a whole. To confront these challenges, the Academy of Criminal Justice Science approved the development of the Doctoral Student Summit, a professional development seminar intended to support Ph.D. students in degree completion through providing opportunities to foster academic identities and develop extended academic communities. This manuscript outlines the origins and evolution of the Doctoral Summit and provides an outline of its model and potential benefits to the field of Criminal Justice and other disciplines.