test
Home Chemistry Education English History Mathematics Neuroscience
 

2005 SUMMER CONVENINGS- Supporting Intellectual Community

Three convenings were held in the summer of 2005, each included departmental representatives from each of the six disciplines. The three themes for the convenings were: Developing Effective Teachers, Developing Researchers and Scholars, and Supporting Intellectual Community. At each convening participating departments had the opportunity to present a Snapshot that described how their department's program advances the theme in one of four specific topic areas. Each department Snapshot can
be found under their department, or from the following exhibition.

2005 CONVENING REPORT
SUPPORTING INTELLECTUAL COMMUNITY

1. Creating and nurturing robust intellectual communities

Teachers and researchers benefit from developing in an intellectual community with many opportunities to interact with a wide range of colleagues. Many departments deliberately create these opportunities with brown bag lunch programs, colloquia series, journal clubs, and sponsored social events. Other community-building activities are initiated by individuals and groups within the department. There are challenges to insuring broad participation in these activities, and multiple communities may flourish in a department without achieving inclusiveness of marginalized individuals (e.g., part-time students, parents of young children, dissertation writers, emeritus faculty, foreign students). How are communities created and nurtured in your program? What steps have you taken to increase inclusiveness of all doctoral students?

Presenters' Snapshots:

2. Promoting effective advising and mentoring

The faculty-student relationship is a critical element of doctoral programs, and is a building block of intellectual community. Many departments have spelled out the formal role of advisors and committees, and made mutual expectations for advisors and students explicit. Departments may foster strong connections between students and faculty by providing opportunities for mentoring and advising by other faculty, staff and students; and by taking collective responsibility for the quality of mentoring by faculty. How does your department promote effective advising and mentoring by departmental faculty?

Presenters' Snapshots:

3. Developing a professional identity within a disciplinary community

As stewards of the discipline, scholars have responsibilities to their departmental, university, and disciplinary communities as well as to society at large. Doctoral students develop a professional identity that allows them to represent the discipline in these communities. Departments can support the development of professional identity by offering opportunities for students to represent themselves as professionals – for example as members of departmental committees, as representatives of their lab or program at conferences or in recruiting, or representing the discipline to the larger community. How does your department encourage the development of a professional identity?

Presenters' Snapshots:
 

 

El CID is the name of the legendary 11th century Spanish hero Rodrigo Diaz de Bivar. El Cid means “the Lord”, because of his nobility, courage, and spirituality. This statue guards the Puente de San Pablo in his hometown of Burgos, Spain.