Creating a Community of Support for Graduate Students and Early Career Faculty

1. Creating a Community of Support for Graduate Students and Early Career Faculty 1) Why we're here2)What we'll do3) Things to know Ken Foote, CU-Boulder, Geography k.foote@colorado.edu

2. Questioning the current situation Many newly hired staff arrive in their first jobs "without feeling that they were effectively prepared in graduate school for such key duties as teaching undergraduates and conducting research" (Jaschik, 2008). Self-help, "sink-or-swim" views tend to be the norm--but stereotypes of the early career period as a rite of passage, heroic struggle, or endurance contest tend to reinforce this attitude www.sinkorswimschool.com/

3. Why focus on the early-career period? The early career period can amount to a third or half of a person's career Research seems to indicate that help offered during this period can be very helpful at reducing anxiety, increasing productivity and helping people succeed

4. Toward better practice 1) Opportunities for professional development should be expanded and woven thoroughly into departmental and disciplinary life In classes, seminars, colloquia, and informal events like lunches At professional meetings, in workshops, panels, paper sessions In summer workshops and in cyberspace using Web 2.0 capabilities 2) Our personal and professional lives must be considered together rather than separately as they intersect and interconnect 

5. 3) Networking and mentoring are essential to improving the early career experience 4) Professional development should be viewed as a life-long, career-spanning process which may involve "mentoring the mentors"

6. The value of making the implicit explicit Many norms of academic life are implicit, rather than explicit elements of graduate training The importance of tacit knowledge to academic success raises the issue of unequal access and its consequence for equity and diversity as well as the challenge of attracting high-quality students. We are working to overcome arbitrary barriers to access such as gender, sexuality, age, family status, nationality, disability and other qualities irrelevant to professional achievement.

7. Making the implicit explicit can enfranchise a wider range of geographers, attract a greater variety of students and open the discipline to a broader array of voices Prepares leaders able to respond effectively to the contemporary (and future!) challenges facing higher education

8. What we'll do--take a week to: Focus on some of the most important issues: 1. Teaching & learning issues--often the source of great stress2. Publishing and grants.3. Topics identified on the workshop questionnaire.Work on:1. Developing or revise one course outline.2. Creating one or more active-learning exercises for a course.3. Begin a 2-3 year professional development plan.Save other topics for informal discussions over dinner and follow-up at AAG and NCGE

9. Take a moment to reflect 1. What is your greatest strength as a professor?2. What is your greatest limitation as a professor?3. In what area(s) would you most like to expand or improve your abilities this week?4. In what area(s) would you most like to expand or improve your abilities over the next year?Please hand in tonight.

10. Things to know 1. Most of our sessions will be on the top floor of Norlin Library.2. Contact numbers: Ken: 303-641-3346, JW: 206-605-8259; 3. Boulder is a in high, dry environment: drink lots of water, acclimatize for a day or two, use sunscreen & hats.4. Broadway (for walking) and buses are safe & easy way to get around.5. Login to wireless and computer labs is listed on back of your badge, as is door code to GUGG 6. 

11. Things to know 6. Breakfast in Sewall, 7-8:30 am 7. First session begins at 9:00 (some food, coffee, tea, juice, etc. available) 8. Enjoy Boulder