Organizational Leadership Ph.D. student Ted Scholz consults residency coordinator Dr. Nancy Davis about his dissertation.

After five months of online interactions, the first cohort of The Chicago School’s new Ph.D. in International Psychology and Organizational Leadership online-blended programs met in person during an on-campus residency held Feb. 5-7, 2010.

The Chicago School convened 34 students from around the world in the first on-campus residency of its kind—a requirement for the new programs that began last fall. “It’s a face-to-face intensive weekend of study,” said Dr. Nancy Davis, Ph.D. residency coordinator. “We focused only on things they needed to do in person and that they couldn’t do well online.”

The central purpose of the residency was dissertation preparation. Faculty designed a number of workshops to introduce students to the process, including how to write a problem statement and how to select a committee. In one exercise, students met with each faculty member for 10 minutes—speed-dating style—to determine who might be a good match for their dissertation committees.

The weekend included several other activities designed to introduce students to the school, to offer information on how to be a successful doctoral student, and to foster personal connections. President Michael Horowitz and Dr. Patricia Breen, senior vice president of academic affairs, gave welcome speeches at the first dinner. Later in the weekend, international psychologist Dr. Yael Danieli delivered a keynote address about trauma in organizations. Other speakers participated in panel discussions throughout the weekend.

Students gained a better understanding of the institution after a campus tour and presentations by staff. Their guests also attended a workshop on how to live with a doctoral candidate. The second and final on-campus residency for this cohort will take place in April 2011, while the first residency for the next cohort will occur in August 2010.

One of the most valuable aspects of the experience proved to be meeting each other in person. “What mattered more than the learning was that we met and interfaced,” Dr. Davis said. “We thrived together because we had been online for five months sharing stories about each other, our workplaces, and our career aspirations.”