Constructive Discontent: Engaging Doctoral Students to Advance Doctoral Programs
Abstract: This paper presents a virtual committee model through the lens of Kenneth Burke’s Pentad. Doctoral students worked successfully toward a more inclusive and engaging environment in a blended delivery Education Doctoral Program. If the model promotes success, students mentored through the process will, in turn, usher others toward a culture of inquiry. The doctoral student remains the focal point of scholarly work. As such, the pragmatic application of this theoretical frame is an educational philosophy that cultivates and preserves individuality, and does so amid global concerns of the University and its goals. The approach lends legitimacy to conscious efforts to implement purposeful transformation while encouraging a climate of involvement. This study overviews an identifiable outcome that could enhance retention by creating a community of learners. The virtual planning committee provides insights for seeking and supporting the means to magnify student voice—not only within the context of an annual gathering, but within the general context of the doctoral degree.