SGPS Bi-Weekly Memo for Graduate Students:
For archives of past memos click here.
Friday, January 28th, 2011
Contents:
1. Upcoming Career Development Workshops for Graduate Students and
Postdocs
2. Graduate Studies 9500 – The Theory and Practice of University Teaching
3. 2nd Annual Graduate Writing Conference
4. Updates from SOGS
5. Future Professor Series: Path to Teaching Excellence
6. Teaching Masters Class – Winter Semester Options
7. Western Libraries – Open Data in London
8. Canadian Immigration Seminar – Applying to Work or Immigrate to Canada
1) Upcoming Career Development Workshops for Graduate Students and
Postdocs
Graduate Student Career Day (Postdoctoral Scholars are Welcome to attend)
When: Friday, February 4th – 10:00am – 3:30pm
Where: The Great Hall
The School of Graduate and Postdoctoral Studies, The Student Success Centre and the Teaching Support
Centre present a full day event on Professional Development during your Graduate Education, NonAcademic Careers, Preparing for the Academic Job Search, Academic and Non-Academic Interview
Experiences, and Networking.
Click Here to register and then select the Events tab. Please register separately for each breakout
session you plan to attend.
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Keynote Speaker: 10:00 am – Dr. Adrian Owen – “How to get ahead in Science” – The Great Hall
Networking For Success: 11:00 am – 2:00 pm - Donna Messer – The Great Hall
o Participants will learn to maximize their strengths, to recognize the importance of their
social capital and learn to work within their communication style. “Building and Using
Your Network” effectively will provide participants with the roadmap they need to
succeed.
Breakout Sessions: 2:15 pm – 3:30 pm
1) CVs for academic careers:
2) Resumes for non-academic careers:
3) Preparing for Academic and Non-Academic Interviews
4) Getting Great Letters of Reference
More information: www.careerweek.uwo.ca
2) Graduate Studies 9500 – The Theory and Practice of University Teaching
Graduate Studies 9500, an interdisciplinary graduate credit course on the theory and practice of
university teaching, will be offered this spring by the School of Graduate and Postdoctoral Studies. The
goals of the course are: (1) to familiarize students with background research and theory relevant to
university teaching, and (2) to provide the opportunity for practice and feedback on basic teaching skills.
Students are expected to actively participate in class meetings through discussions and other learning
activities and through their involvement in mandatory microteaching sessions. Although the course will
appear on the student's transcript, it may be used as a substitute for departmental course requirements
only with special permission from the department. Course grades (fail, pass, or pass with distinction) will
be forwarded to Graduate Chairs, but will not affect the student's academic average. This course is best
suited to those with some university teaching experience. Course enrolment is limited to 30 students.
Class Meetings: Mondays and Wednesdays
1:30 p.m. – 3:30 p.m.
March 14th – May 18th (inclusive)
Room 121, Teaching Support Centre
Registration:
(in person only)
Begins in January
Teaching Support Centre
Room 122, The D.B. Weldon Library
Registration
Information:
Alicia Hitchcock, Teaching Support Centre
Phone: (519) 661-2111, ext. 80346
E-mail: ahitchc2@uwo.ca
3) 2nd Annual Graduate Writing Conference
The 2nd Annual Graduate Writing Conference will be held on March 4th, 2011. This conference is free
and open to all Western graduate students and postdoctoral scholars. The conference will address
specific graduate writing tasks and provide students with an opportunity to learn about best writing
practices from graduate faculty. A full program and online registration will be available on February 7,
2011 on the Writing Support Centre's GradWrite web page which can be found at:
http://www.sdc.uwo.ca/writing/index.html?grad.
For more information, please contact Janet Roukema (jroukema@uwo.ca)
4) Updates From SOGS
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SOGS Bursary program is now available to full-time graduate students until February 28, 2011.
https://grad.uwo.ca/student/index.cfm
Health Plan Opt-out deadline for the Winter 2011 new enrolments is January 31, 2011.
https://grad.uwo.ca/student/index.cfm
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PT Students and Family Opt-in deadline for the Winter 2011 new enrolments is also January 31,
2011 and forms must be submitted to the SOGS office along with payment for the remaining
year. http://www.uwo.ca/sogs/Benefits/index.html
5) Future Professors Series: Path to Teaching Excellence
When: Tuesday, February 15th, 2011
Where: Teaching Support Centre, Room 121, The D.B. Weldon Library
Four exciting workshops to choose from:
Maximizing Student Learning from Team Projects: Getting Them Started (9 – 10:15 am)
Facilitating online learning is unique and challenging. In this session you will gain insight into the pitfalls
and strategies from an experienced educator.
Tips from International Faculty (10:30 – 11:45 am)
You will leave this interactive panel discussion with new insights and strategies for adapting to the
Canadian academic culture.
I Rest My Case: use of case studies in undergraduate education (1 – 2:15 pm)
By the time you leave this session, you will have participated in a complex case as a student and from
that, be able to describe the benefits and challenges that the case brought to your own learning, be
exposed to a variety of strategies, and obtain a list of resources and databases.
Women in Academe (2:30 – 3:45 pm)
The goal of this panel discussion is to raise awareness about issues that are salient in the experience of
women in academe, share mentoring resources, and allow participants and presenters to discuss the
ways in which they find work/life balance and manage teaching and research in a variety of disciplines.
Each workshop counts towards the Western Certificate in University Teaching and Learning.
REGISTRATION OPENS January 31st at http://www.uwo.ca/tsc/future_professor.2010-2011.html
6) Teaching Masters Class – Winter Semester Options
Step into the classrooms of Western’s most respected and innovative instructors and observe them
engaging with their undergraduate students, their course material, and their discipline. Following the inclass observation, join us at the Teaching Support Centre to meet with these instructors and discuss the
strategies they employ in their classrooms.
Each month we will feature one or two instructors from departments across campus who teach in varied
classroom settings – large, small, upper year, first year, survey, practical, theoretical. This is an excellent
opportunity for you to benefit from the experience and insight of our most successful teachers. Limited
space is available in each master class and registration is required.
Lecture in Persuasive Writing (Monday, February 7th, 2011) SEB 2100, 1:30 – 2:30 pm
Observe Lecturer, Paul Schmidt, as he teaches 100 students rudimentary persuasive writing techniques.
Afterwards meet the instructor to discuss what instructional strategies he employed and why.
Lecture in Media, Information and Technocultures (Tuesday, February 8th, 2011) TC 304 1:30 -4:30 pm
Observe Professor Susan Knabe as she introduces 30 MIT students to issues raised in the media
coverage of sexual violence. The class will examine the ways that myths about sexualized violence
(gender, rape and race; intimate partner violence; childhood innocence) circulate within the media in
ways which draw on and reinforce assumptions about race, gender and class. Particular attention will be
paid to the way that sexual violence is reported in print and electronic media.
Lecture in Psychology (Thursday, March 17th, 2011) NCB 101, 1:30 – 3:30 pm
Observe Dr. Mike Atkinson as he leads a class of over 800 first year psychology students in a discussion
on Sigmund Freud. Afterwards meet with Dr Mike to discuss what instructional strategies he employed
in this large classroom setting and why.
Lecture in First Year Chemistry (Wednesday, March 23rd, 2011) NCB 113, 2:30 – 3:30 pm
Observe Professor Felix Lee lead over 180 students in exploring the structure of organic molecules.
Afterwards, meet with Dr. Lee here in the Teaching Support Centre to discuss what instructional
strategies and technologies he employed and why.
7) Western Libraries – Open Data in London
Western Libraries cordially invites you to attend a panel discussion titled “Open Data in London: What Is
It and How Is It Used?”
Date: Thursday, Feb. 10, 2011
Time: 2:00 pm - 3:30 pm
Location: Room 293, North Campus Building
Speakers:
 Elaine Gamble, Manager of Open Data London beta site
o http://www.london.ca/d.aspx?s=/Open_Data/default.htm
 Aaron McGowan, Developer of NextStop London Transit Guide
o http://labs.amcgowan.ca/nextstop/
 Dr. Michael Buzzelli, Department of Geography, The University of Western Ontario
The intent of the Open Data movement is to provide freely available online data for analysis and
innovation by scholars and the public. It recently has made some notable achievements, such as last
year's decision by the World Bank to provide all its data for free. Last fall, the City of London launched
an Open Data beta web site, following in the tracks of other Canadian municipalities.
What does open data have to offer and how have people put it to use? Come to this event to find out.
8) Canadian Immigration Seminar – Applying to Work or Immigrate to Canada
Attention international students, post-doctoral fellows, visiting researchers & scholars! Learn about:
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Work Permits
Applying for Permanent Residency (Federal Skilled Worker, Canadian Experience Class,
Provincial Nominee Program)
Working in London
Date: Friday, February 4, 2011
Time: 1:30 p.m. to 3:30 p.m.
Location: Conron Hall, University College, Room 224
Information will be presented by representatives from the Visa Section of the Canadian Consulate
General (Detroit), the Ontario Provincial Nominee Program, and the London Economic Development
Corporation.
This seminar is free of charge and all are welcome! For more information visit:
http://www.sdc.uwo.ca/int
Feedback:
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contact me ctatter@uwo.ca. Your insights and ideas help us improve.