Chris O'Connell '13 worked as a research assistant at the Collaborative on Academic Careers in Higher Education (COACHE) at Harvard Graduate School of Education. He assisted with data analysis from faculty surveys for member institutions and helped plan COACHE's summer conference. The experience reinforced Chris' interest in higher education and a career in the field, such as pursuing an advanced degree in education policy. He gained valuable skills in higher education research that he hopes to apply going forward.

1. [JOHN FRENCH MEMORIAL FUND PUBLIC POLICY INTERN PROFILE]
Chris O’Connell ’13 is from Roswell, Georgia, and attended North
Springs Charter High School. In high school, he was involved in
student government and was the captain of the St. Andrew's
Varsity Rowing Club. At Dartmouth, O’Connell is pursuing a major
of geography modified with public policy. He serves as an intern at
the Undergraduate Admissions Office, where he works on a
number of communications and campus outreach projects.
Currently, he co-chairs the Inter-Community Council and is a
member of the DOC First-Year Trips directorate. His other activities
have included working at the Tucker Foundation, volunteering with the Nicaragua Cross-
Cultural Service Program, and serving as the Student Assembly President his sophomore
summer. O’Connell spent this past fall working at the Brunswick Group, a global
communications consultancy. He has participated in the Geography foreign study program to
Prague, Czech Republic and plans to pursue graduate work in education policy after graduation.
Chris was funded by the Rockefeller Center for a summer 2012 Internship, with generous
support from the John French Memorial Fund.
Executive Summary from Chris’s final report:
The Collaborative on Academic Careers in Higher Education (COACHE) is a research project at
the Harvard Graduate School of Education that focuses on providing high quality data, best
practices, and research regarding higher education faculty
“This project was an incredible to the various colleges and universities that participate in
learning experience for me... the collaborative. Institutions join the collaborative with a
This work experience has 3-year membership and COACHE conducts longitudinal and
comparative surveys regarding faculty satisfaction, work-
reinforced my interest in higher
life policies, compensation, research, diversity, and many
education while providing me
other factors that influence the productivity and vitality of
with an appreciation and the faculty. COACHE, in addition to producing well-
renewed interest in higher regarded research on faculty issues, convenes institutional
education research.” leaders to discuss the implementation and adaptation of
these best practices.

2. My work with COACHE has primarily been in data analysis for member institutions and
providing support for their summer conference. The survey administered to tenure-track and
tenured faculty members provides an incredible amount of data, which I assisted their research
staff in analyzing and preparing for university provosts and deans to understand and interpret.
In regards to their summer conference for university administrators, I conducted background
research on the specific needs and goals of the participating institutions in order to assist
COACHE staff in planning a substantive event. I also put together a survey analysis of the
conference and pulled together feedback to improve the event for future years.
I plan to apply the knowledge and perspective I gained from this experience in several ways. At
Dartmouth, I have been involved with several different administrative offices that work with
faculty. I think my experience learning about academic administration and faculty affairs has
broadened my own perspective on a number of issues facing higher education and Dartmouth
College. From a career standpoint, my experience at COACHE has solidified my interest in
pursuing a career in higher education, including an advanced degree. I found higher education
research to be a captivating field and I plan to pursue a career path that engaged some of the
analytical research skills my time at COACHE provided me.
Chris O'Connell '13 spent his summer as a research assistant at the Harvard Graduate School of
Education where he supported the research and marketing functions for the Collaborative on Academic
Careers in Higher Education (COACHE). He is pictured outside HGSE's Monroe C. Gutman Library.