GradSTEP 2004

The Academy in the New Millennium:
Present Trends and Future Developments

Saturday, January 24, 2004

9:00 am - 2:30 pm Registration                           
Featheringill 106 (Lobby)
Snacks and beverages available

9:15 am - 10:30 am Session I

Professional Development in the Sciences: Writing Important Papers and Developing a Professional Portfolio
Featheringill 211
Keivan Stassun, Dept. of Physics & Astronomy
F2P2 Credit: Professional Development (1.25 hours)

Two of the most important factors for a successful academic career in the sciences are (1) publishing research papers that are widely read, and (2) knowing how to "market" one's work. We will discuss specific strategies for writing important papers and for putting together a strong portfolio suitable for academic job applications.

Diversity in Teaching and Learning: The ‘Other’ in the ClassroomFeatheringill 129
Linda Manning, Director Margaret Cuninggim Women’s Center
F2P2 Credit: Teaching and Learning (1.25 hours)

This workshop will utilize the concept of the ‘other’ to explore issues of diversity in the classroom.  Specifically, participants will examine how divergent vantage points in the classroom and in course texts can inform teaching and learning.  

Effective PowerPoint for the Classroom
Featheringill 201
Robert Jenkins, Dept. of Germanic Language & Literature
F2P2 Credit: Technology or Teaching and Learning (1.25 hours)

This workshop will cover strategies for how to make PowerPoint more effective in your classroom - including such topics as: How to get the most out of PowerPoint with your teaching, using PowerPoint for more than just lecture, using PowerPoint slides as both a record and an update tool, as well as common pitfalls of PowerPoint use in the classroom. Although some knowledge of PowerPoint is preferred, we will try to accommodate those who are just learning.

Is the Grass Really Greener? Perspectives From All Sides of the Academic Fence                                                                                            
Featheringill 110
Rob Carnahan, Dept. of Cancer Biology
F2P2 Credit: World of the University (1.25 hours)

This session will begin by focusing on the Carnegie Classification system for Higher Education.  We will examine how and why institutions are classified, as well as how these categories shape the goals and environment of an institution.  We will then explore how the expectations, lifestyle, and roles of faculty vary between these different categories.  This part of the workshop will be facilitated by an open panel discussion with current faculty members from a diverse array of institutions.

10:45 am - 11:45 am Plenary Session

New Voices, New Vision: The Academic Culture Clash

Featheringill 134 (Auditorium)
Cathy A. Trower, Senior Research Associate, Harvard University Graduate School of Education
F2P2 Credit: World of the University (1 hour)

Trower will present a look at how the academy has changed -- new scholars with different beliefs, values, and attitudes about academic careers -- and what hasn't changed -- employment practices created in the 1940s.  Are we on a cultural collision course?  Trower will address that question by presenting current faculty demographic data and her latest research about what doctoral students and early career faculty say they want from life and career.

11:45 am - 1:00 pm LUNCH                                                          
Rand Hall
Join GradSTEP colleagues at Rand Hall for lunch.  Tickets distributed at GradSTEP registration are required for admittance to Rand.

1:00 pm - 2:15 pm Session II

Q&A from Plenary: “What’s on Your Mind?”
Featheringill 129
Cathy A. Trower, Harvard University Graduate School of Education
F2P2 Credit: World of the University (1.25 hours)

An opportunity for participants to ask questions of the speaker about topics from the morning's plenary, and to raise other relevant issues for dialogue on the changing academy.

How to Ace the Academic Job Interview
Featheringill 211
Rachel Rigsby, Dept. of Chemistry
F2P2 Credit: Professional Development (1.25 hours)

You spent months perfecting your CV, cover letter, and teaching portfolio, and now you're on your way to your first interview.  What should you expect once you arrive on campus?  What can you do (and not do) to convince the search committee that you are the perfect candidate?  Ask questions and learn from new faculty and search committee members so you can be prepared.

Academic Service-Learning: Integrating Classroom and Community
Featheringill 110
Forrest Perry, Dept. of Philosophy
F2P2 Credit: Teaching and Learning (1.25 hours)

Service-learning, which has become increasingly popular in the past decade, aims to connect students to the world outside academia by bringing together community service and classroom learning. In this workshop you will be introduced to the practice of service-learning and hear from instructors from different disciplines who have incorporated service-learning into their courses.

Thinking Outside the Classroom: Online Discussions 
Featheringill 300
Anne Demo, Dept. of Communication Studies & Theatre
F2P2 Credit: Technology or Teaching and Learning (1.25 hours)

Online discussions enabled by course management systems like Prometheus provide a means to foster student engagement outside the classroom.  This workshop will highlight strategies for incorporating online discussion assignments in your syllabus.  In addition, the session will address both the benefits and obstacles
faced by instructors who have designed and implemented online discussion assignments in multiple classes.

2:30 pm - 3:45 pm Session III

Interdisciplinary Scholarship and Collaborative Work: Breaking Down Barriers in the Academy 
Featheringill 211
Isaac Prilleltensky, Dept. of Human & Organizational Development
F2P2 Credit: World of the University (1.25 hours)

This workshop will explore the benefits of investigating issues of social relevance from an interdisciplinary perspective. Participants from various disciplines will address a topic of concern and later reflect on the factors enabling and inhibiting interdisciplinary collaboration.

Beyond Course Evaluations: Gathering and Using Student Feedback to Improve Your Teaching
Featheringill 129
Peter Felten, Assistant Director, Center for Teaching
F2P2 Credit: Teaching and Learning (1.25 hours)

Student course evaluations often provide too little information too late to help you teach more effectively and your students to learn more.  This session will explore a variety of classroom assessment techniques that allow students to give a teacher useful feedback during the semester, enabling better teaching and learning as the class progresses. 

Alone at the Computer: Tips and Techniques for Writing a Dissertation
Featheringill 110
Rory Dicker, Dept. of Women’s Studies
F2P2 Credit: Professional Development (1.25 hours)

In this panel, we will hear from people who have completed the dissertation writing process.  These writers -- who had widely divergent strategies for writing their dissertations -- will share tips and pitfalls from their own experiences.  The goal of this workshop is to discuss different techniques for writing a dissertation and to reflect about which techniques would be suitable for various writers.

For information on upcoming events, please see gradSTEP. For information on past events, please see our gradSTEP Archive.

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