Understanding professors’ expectations shouldn’t be a mystery. However, sometimes, there are disconnects between what a faculty member wants a student to produce for a project, and how the student interprets the instructions. In many cases, the expectations of faculty are clearly articulated, either in written or oral format. However, in other cases, there are situations where a faculty member’s feedback or outcomes from discussions regarding progress may not be as clear because they involve aspects of non-verbal communication such as eye contact, gestures, facial expressions, the tone of voice, and eye contact.

Addressing the Needs of Graduate Students

We draw particular attention to the needs of graduate students for our “When Faculty Say X” success seminar series. Graduate students have several forms of faculty interaction that have their own sets of nuances. For graduate students, the faculty member is a teacher, a mentor, an advisor, and a future colleague. There are several phases through which one must pass to navigate the transitions. During coursework, there is the phase where one follows the syllabus, turns in the homework, and takes the exam. During the qualifying exam and proposal stages, it can be difficult for a student to determine what they are supposed to know on the journey toward building expertise in a discipline or particular area of research. In addition to becoming a contributor to the field, a professor may have a methodology that must be employed by all in her lab or a set of theories which need to be used set the foundation for all work that comes out of the research group. There may be bibliographies that one must reference, techniques that must be mastered, and simple “unwritten rules” that must be followed. Some of the rules may include attending every group meeting and each departmental colloquium. Other rules may extend to writing, i.e., explicit use of a citation style, paragraph structure, or drafting process.  In the past, we have had in-person seminars and panels where students have a chance to post questions online, and faculty answer them in-person during a dinner seminar.

Launching #WhenFacultySayX 2017

In order to accommodate schedules of faculty guests who will join our seminar this year, and in an attempt involve all of the students in our PROMISE AGEP network and beyond, we are launching an interactive, online version of the seminar that will allow all to participate.

Here’s how it will work.

Between Friday, October 20 and Tuesday, October 31, 2017, we invite graduate students to post questions to faculty below in the comment section (you do not need a WordPress account to participate, we encourage anonymous posts.) We will encourage questions from graduate students broadly, and answers from faculty colleagues from any school.

Faculty: Faculty colleagues from around the world are welcome to share things that they want students to clearly understand, using the hashtag #WhenFacultySayX. You are also welcome to join the conversation below and reply to the comments. 

Students: This program was developed for you. It was developed to remove the barriers and fear regarding asking any and all questions related to your success. You may post anonymously.  Do you have a question that you want a faculty member to answer?

Post your questions in the comment section of this post at the bottom of this page. You may post anonymously. Our panel of experts will answer each question in the comments as well.

Our featured faculty panel of experts will answer questions that are posted on this website, below. 

PROMISE Director, Dr. Renetta Tull (@Renetta_Tull), Dr. Sarah Chard, Dr. L. Michael Hayden, Dr. Christopher Murphy, and Dr. J. Alan Yeakley.

Featured faculty:

1. Dr. Sarah Chard, Associate Professor of Anthropology at UMBC, Department of Sociology, Anthropology, and Health Administration and Policy.
2. Dr. L. Michael Hayden, Chair, and Professor of Physics at UMBC, Department of Physics.
3. Dr. Christopher Murphy, Chair, and Professor of Psychology at UMBC, Department of Psychology.
4. Dr. J. Alan Yeakley, Chair, and Professor of Geography and Environmental Systems at UMBC, Department of Geography and Environmental Systems.
5. Dr. Renetta Tull – Online Moderator. Dr. RenettaTull will moderate the discussion and will add commentary based on her experience as a former faculty member at University of Wisconsin-Madison, adjunct at College Park (http://hesp.umd.edu/facultyprofile/Tull/Renetta), and member of the program faculty groups for MSRP at MIT, and QoLT at Carnegie Mellon and University of Pittsburgh.
   Tull is the University System of Maryland (12 Institutions) Director of Graduate and Professional Pipeline Development, and Special Assistant to the Senior Vice Chancellor for Academic Affairs, http://www.usmd.edu/institutions/; at UMBC she is the Associate Vice Provost for Strategic Initiatives, Professor of the Practice, College of Engineering & IT.

____________________________________________________________

Historical Perspective

____________________________________________________________

The “When Faculty Say X” seminar began as a PROMISE seminar in 2003, initially titled, “Understanding Faculty Expectations” as part of the PROMISE SUCCESS 2003, a precursor to the PROMISE Summer Success Institute (SSI). During an orientation session for new graduate students at UMBC circa 2004, UMBC Psychology Professor Dr. Susan Sonnenschein posted a chart with two columns. The left column noted “What Faculty Say,” and the right column noted, “What They Mean.” PROMISE adopted this method and started the “Faculty X|Y – When Faculty Say X, They Really Mean Y” seminar to allow students to anonymously ask questions, and have a faculty panel answer the questions (grouped by topic area) in person. This seminar has drawn crowds of more than 100 graduate students. The “they really mean y” portion of the title was dropped over time.  This 2017 #WhenFacultySayX virtual seminar is the online evolution of those early panels and workshops.

Some of the programs and questions from past years can be found in these links:

When Faculty say “X” … Understanding Faculty Expectations, Unwritten Rules. Dinner Seminar, Fri. Oct. 10, 2014

“When Faculty Say ‘X’ …” Do you understand what faculty say and mean? Dinner seminar, Friday, Oct. 11, 2013

Other videos that answer questions from past years can be accessed here: https://www.youtube.com/playlist?list=PL_uKXMv-Mty_sRI31EzJm0E0cJTX20mve

Sponsored by NASPA’s Center for Women, the Alice Manicur Symposium is an engaging and supportive environment for you to learn and reflect on your personal goals and aspirations. Join us January 21-24 in San Diego for the 2018 NASPA Alice Manicur Symposium to gain the tools to continue shattering the glass ceiling of institutional leadership—and the savvy to know if the vice president role is a destination you seek.

This application-based, biennial symposium facilitates in-depth discussions of critical topics impacting student affairs, as well as small, facilitated mentoring groups to enable participants to build the personal and professional connections that will serve to support them throughout their career journey. Benefit from the opportunity to meet one-on-one with experienced VPSA faculty members, as well as explore topics such as including strategic thinking, leading change, planning for career advancement, and work/life balance—all crafted for women, by women. All seasoned women working in higher education are invited to apply, the deadline has been extended to Friday, October 20, 2017. Applicants will be notified by October 27, 2017, regarding status, for this transformational event.

Read NASPA’s reflection on the incredible contribution of the late Alice Manicur.

Advanced registration is required. 

REGISTER HERE

FREE Transportation from UMBC!

A bus will be departing at 8 AM from Administration Circle (in front of the RAC and administration building), and it will be departing from College Park at 5:30 PM.

If you want to ride the bus, you need to email yarazeth@umbc.edu with the subject “BUS Oct 21” and include in the email your full name, campus, department, and cell phone number. The seats will be filled on a first-come-first-served basis. You will receive a confirmation via email. 

REGISTER HERE

 

Please share with your friends and classmates. This is open to students from any local college or university.

 

AGENDA

SATURDAY, OCTOBER 21

All activities will take place in the Jeong H. Kim Building,  University of Maryland – College Park’s Campus

9:00 AM              Registration, Pre-surveys and Continental Breakfast (Pepco Room #1105)

9:50 AM               Program Overview
Dr. Howard G. Adams, GEM Program Consultant (former Executive Director of GEM)

10:00 AM            Welcome (Lecture Hall # 1110)
Dr. Darryll Pines, Dean, Clark School of Engineering, University of Maryland – College Park
Dr. Margaret Palmer, Director, National Socio-Environmental Synthesis Center and Professor, Department of Entomology, University of Maryland – College Park

10:15 AM            Session 1:  Why Graduate School? (Lecture Hall # 1110)

Dr. Howard G. Adams, GEM Program Consultant (former Executive Director of GEM)

11:15 AM             Break

11:30 AM             Session 2: How to Apply to Graduate School (Lecture Hall # 1110)
Dr. Renetta G. Tull, Associate Provost for Graduate Student Professional Development & Postdoctoral Affairs, University of Maryland –  Baltimore County (GEM Program Consultant)
Jeffrey A. Franke, Interim Assistant Dean/Chief of Staff, Graduate School, University of Maryland – College Park

12:30 PM             Lunch Break & Graduate Resource Fair (12:30-1:30 PM) (Kay Boardroom #1107, #1111, Rotunda)

1:30   PM             Session 3:  How to Fund Graduate School? (Lecture Hall # 1110)

                             Francis DuVinage, Ph.D., Director of National Scholarships Office, University of Maryland, College Park
Jasmine Crenshaw, Ph.D., Assistant Director, Center for Diversity in Engineering (CDE), Office of Diversity and Engagement, School of Engineering and Applied Science, University of Virginia
                             Monique Hite-Head, Ph.D., Associate Professor, Department of Civil Engineering, Morgan State University

2:15 PM                Break

2:30 PM                   Session 4: Voices from the Field (Lecture Hall # 1110)
Moderator: Quintaniay Holifield, Ph.D., Soil Scientist, U.S. Forest Service
Daniel Smith, Ph.D student, Department of Biological Systems Engineering, Virginia Tech
Shakira Hobbs, Ph.D., postdoctoral fellow, School of Engineering and Applied Sciences and the Darden School of Business, University of Virginia
                             Kelly Anderson, Ph.D student, Department of Geographical Sciences, University of Maryland, College Park

3:30 PM                Closing Remarks/Post Surveys (Raffle – Prize Give Away -iPad Mimi)
Dr. Darryll Pines, Dean, Clark School of Engineering, University of Maryland -College Park
Dr. Margaret Palmer, Director, National Socio-Environmental Synthesis Center (SESYNC) and Professor, Department of Entomology, University of Maryland – College Park

3:45 PM                Ice Cream Social (Kay Boardroom)

5:00 PM                Program Ends

The Howard Hughes Medical Institute (HHMI) is pleased to announce the 2018 Hanna H. Gray Fellows Program competition. We know that the biggest challenges in science call for diverse perspectives and original thinking. Through the Hanna H. Gray Fellows Program, HHMI will recruit and retain individuals from groups underrepresented in the life sciences. The program will support early career scientists with the potential to become leaders in academic research. Through their successful careers, HHMI Hanna Gray Fellows will inspire future generations of scientists from America’s diverse talent pool. The Institute will select and support up to 15 Fellows in this competition. The competition is open to all eligible applicants, and no nomination is required.

We appreciate your help in distributing this program announcement and encouraging eligible individuals from your institution, and beyond, to apply. Applicants can establish eligibility and submit an application via the HHMI online competition site.

Applications are due January 10, 2018, at 3:00 PM (Eastern Time).

HHMI announced the selection of 15 exceptional scientists as the inaugural class of HHMI Hanna Gray Fellows. For more information, see our HHMI.org program page or press release.

With best regards,

Erin K. O’Shea, PhD

President

Howard Hughes Medical Institute

Program Overview

Fellows will receive funding ($80,000 annually) for up to four years of their postdoctoral training and may continue to receive funding ($270,000 annually) for up to four years during their early career years as independent faculty. The program includes opportunities for career development, including mentoring and active involvement in the HHMI scientific community.

Eligibility

• The program is open to individuals from gender, racial, ethnic, and other groups underrepresented in the life sciences at the career stages targeted by this program, including those individuals from disadvantaged backgrounds.
• The program is open to basic science researchers and physician-scientists in the biomedical and life science disciplines.
• The program is open to applicants of any citizenship or nationality who:
  • have a PhD and/or MD or equivalent conferred by an institution in the U.S. (including Puerto Rico) by the start of the grant term.
  • have been accepted to join a laboratory as a postdoctoral researcher at a research institution located in the U.S. (including Puerto Rico) at the time of the application due date.
• The postdoctoral training mentor must hold a tenured or tenure-track position (or equivalent) at an institution in the U.S. (including Puerto Rico).
• Applicants can have no more than 12 months of postdoctoral research experience at the time of the application due date.

Selection of Fellows

The review process will assess the applicant’s potential for a career as an independent academic researcher and the quality of the training environment with the selected mentor. The selection of finalists will be made by the end of September 2018. Awards may begin as early as September 18, 2018, but no later than January 15, 2019.

Additional Information

Additional information including a full Program Announcement is available at www.hhmi.org/hanna-h-gray-fellows.  For questions, contact program staff at fellows@hhmi.org.

An invitation from PROMISE at College Park

ALL USM graduate students, postdoctoral scholars, faculty, and staff are invited to the
Annual USM PROMISE AGEP Fall Harvest Dinner & Networking Reception. This is a FREE event.

Additional details and agenda: https://gradschool.umd.edu/calendar/events/event/3623

To register, please fill out this RSVP: https://go.umd.edu/fallharvest2017
Contact Associate Director, Office of Graduate Diversity and Inclusion, Christopher Perez for additional information: cperez6@umd.edu

If you are an employee of UMBC, a “Non-Traditional” (working full time, part-time, coming back to school) student, or a Postdoc working on writing materials (Grant Proposal, a paper for a publication, etc.), and you are working on your graduate school courses, proposal, or dissertation, then this event is for you!  This session will have support, coaching, and food for you.

You work hard every day to serve others on our campus! You may be supporting your family members, or you have decided to take some time for yourself to reach your goals.  Now, let us work with you to finish your graduate degree. This version of the “Dissertation House” was created just for you!

We encourage you to take advantage of the full 2 days to work on your writing. Please follow the application process.

Dissertation House for UMBC Employees and Non-Traditional Students
Friday, 10/13/17,   9:00 – 5:00 PM (Part I)
Saturday, 10/14/17,  9:00 – 3:00 PM (Part II)

Graduate students who are at other schools within the University System of Maryland (http://www.usmd.edu/institutions/) may apply and will be considered if there is space available.

Application: https://dissertationhouse.wordpress.com/apply/

PART I:

I. Submit a brief description (maximum 2 pages, font size 11-12 point 1-inch margins) that describes the project that you wish to accomplish during the Dissertation House period.  Applications will neither be reviewed nor accepted outside of the application enrollment period.

PART II:

II. Please use the following guidelines  for the application:

(1) Summary of the project, including research question(s), data or texts, and method

(2) Amount completed on the project to date

(3) Any obstacles that you are encountering that hinder completion of the dissertation.

(4) Include the following header information with the description:

• Name
• Address
• Telephone numbers (home, office, and fax)
• E-mail address
• Academic Program and Year in the program

RSVP: 

Please log in to MyUMBC, click “I can attend” https://my.umbc.edu/groups/promise/events/50671

Dates/Location: 10/13 & 10/14, 2017 at AOK Library, Room 767

Application Enrollment Period: Application can be submitted from 9/12 to 10/6. Email applications to promisestaff@gmail.com.  Please use the words “Dissertation House” in the subject line of your email and be sure your file is attached to the email and saved under your name.

Selection Process: Eight participants will be selected for participation in the Dissertation House.  The following applicants will have priority:  (1) Applicants who plan to finish the Ph.D. within the next 6 months; (2) Individuals who are working on dissertations and theses rather than a proposal; (3) Applicants who submit earliest; and (4) Individuals who appear most able to benefit from the services offered at the Dissertation House.

If your application is accepted, you will receive an acceptance notice via email and additional details about the Dissertation House.  All students, including those who have not applied or those who are not selected, have the option to participate in the next online challenge, a virtual version of the Dissertation House.

Featuring a Keynote from Dr. Saundra McGuire

Friday, September 22, 2017 · 8:45 AM – 2:15 PM

UMBC Campus – University Center

The Faculty Developing Center at UMBC extends an invitation to all PROMISE AGEP and Postdoctoral Fellows at UMBC Community to participate.

Please join us for the fourth annual Provost’s Teaching and Learning Symposium!  This symposium, part of the Hrabowski Innovation Fund initiative, will bring together UMBC faculty and staff to discuss ways to use evidence to inform teaching and learning. Samples of sessions include:

Please join us for the fourth annual Provost’s Teaching and Learning Symposium!  This symposium, part of the Hrabowski Innovation Fund initiative, will bring together UMBC faculty and staff to discuss ways to use evidence to inform teaching and learning. Samples of sessions include:

• Hrabowski Innovation Fund Fellows’ and Awardees’ Projects
• Pedagogical Innovation Demonstration
• Bridging Student Learning Outcomes & Student Success Analytics
• Closing the Loop with Evidence Based Interventions
• Effective and Efficient Grading
• Next Steps in Assessing Graduate Student Learning
• …as well as posters

For more information, please download the agenda and a detailed program.

This year’s keynote address will be given by Saundra McGuire, Ph.D., author of Teach Students How to Learn: Strategies You Can Incorporate Into Any Course to Improve Student Metacognition, Study Skills, and Motivation, Stylus Publishing LLC, 2015. 

Keynote: Get Students to Focus on Learning Instead of Grades:  Metacognition is the Key!  21st Century students come to college with widely varying academic skills, approaches to learning, and motivation levels.  Faculty often lament that students are focused on achieving high grades, but are not willing to invest much time or effort in learning.  This session will focus on the importance of helping students acquire simple, but effective learning strategies based on cognitive science principles.  We will engage in interactive reflection activities that will allow attendees to experience strategies that significantly improve learning while transforming student attitudes about the meaning of learning.

Dr. Saundra Yancy McGuire is the Director Emerita of the Center for Academic Success and retired Assistant Vice Chancellor and Professor of Chemistry at LSU. Prior to joining LSU, she spent eleven years at Cornell University, where she received the coveted Clark Distinguished Teaching Award.  She has delivered keynote addresses or presented workshops at over 250 institutions in 43 states and eight countries.  Her latest book, Teach Students How to Learn: Strategies You Can Incorporate into Any Course to Improve Student Metacognition, Study Skills, and Motivation, was released in October 2015.  The most recent of her awards is the 2017 American Chemical Society (ACS) Award for Encouraging Disadvantaged Students to Pursue Careers in the Chemical Sciences.  She received her B.S. degree, magna cum laude, from Southern University in Baton Rouge, LA, her Master’s degree from Cornell and her Ph.D. from the University of Tennessee at Knoxville, where she received the Chancellor’s Citation for Exceptional Professional Promise.

REGISTRATION IS REQUIRED FOR LUNCH!  PLEASE CLICK “I CAN ATTEND” BELOW BY SUNDAY, SEPTEMBER 17 TO REGISTER FOR LUNCH.

https://my.umbc.edu/groups/fdc/events/50998

FACULTY ARE INVITED TO ATTEND ANY OR ALL PRESENTATIONS!

√ Counts toward ALIT Certificate
§ Counts towards INNOVATE Certificate
Ͼ CIRTL graduate students are invited to attend

Join us to discuss ethical, effective, and inspiring mentors

Thursday, September 21, 2017 ,· 8 AM – 8 PM

The Office of Postdoctoral Affairs and The Graduate School at University of Maryland College Park (UMD) extend an invitation to all Postdoctoral Fellows and Associates and Graduate Students of the USM System interested in pursuing an Academic Career to attend this event.

All events, save for the networking reception, will be held at the University of Maryland, College Park Campus. The reception will tentatively be held at the Milkboy Arthouse, subject to confirmation from the venue.

Adele Stamp Student Union

3972 Campus Drive

College Park, MD 20142

The registration as a cost of $15 for Non-UMD Students or Faculty members.

REGISTER HERE

The symposium has four goals:

1. To recognize and discuss the issues surrounding mentoring in STEM fields.
2. To discuss effective mentorship and advocacy techniques at all levels: PhD, Postdoc, Faculty
3. To provide a platform to connect like-minded young scientists who wish to effect change at their own institutions at the grassroots level.
4. To inspire participants to practice effective mentorship practices and promote these skill sets to their peers and colleagues at their own institutions.

Among the many roles that scientists play, mentoring younger scientists is one which researchers are rarely trained for. In the current STEM research environment, where lack of funding is but one of the systemic issues faced by young scientists, the roles, responsibilities, and career trajectories are changing. Organizations such as Future of Research and Rescuing Biomedical Research have been formed in recent years to address systemic issues facing academic research. Others, such as the National Mentoring Research Network, have arisen to address the training needs of those who wish to remain in academia but receive no formal training in how to supervise and mentor students. Still, there are gaps in the cultural awareness and value of being an inspiring leader, promoting a positive work environment, and in having happy, mentally fit employees. Where other industries recognize these benefits, academic culture lags.

But all of these issues are intertwined, and lead to the pessimism and learned helplessness found in many young researchers regarding their careers across the nation and the world. Because system, training, and culture all intersect to provide a scientist’s well-being and productivity, Labmosphere and Future of Research are holding a conference in collaboration with UMD-College Park to discuss current mentorship practices and the way in which they could be improved upon.

This whole day conference will take place at the end of National Postdoc Appreciation week (September 21st). It will consist of three speakers with break-out sessions in between the talks, as well as a mentorship panel at the end followed by discussion and a networking reception.

Tentative schedule:

8:00 – 9:00 AM

Event Registration and continental breakfast served in main auditorium

9:00 AM – 10: 30 AM

9:00 AM Opening remarks (Blessing Enekwe (UMD); Jeff Franke (UMD); Gary McDowell (FoR))

9:30 AM Keynote Speaker (UMD-Faculty and NRMN Core faculty (Dr. Sandra Quinn))

10:15 AM Questions and first talk wrap-up

10:30 AM – 12:00 PM

Break-out Sessions for workshops:

Culturally Aware Mentoring (Dr. Sandra Quinn)

Local Advocacy (Gary McDowell and Union of Concerned Scientists)

12:00 PM – 1:00 PM

Networking lunch in the main auditorium

1:00 PM – 2:30 PM

1:00 PM Hypercompetition in Research (Dr. Chris Pickett, Rescuing Biomedical Research)

1:45 PM Courageous and Value-Based Leadership in Academic Research (Brooke Deterline, Courage to Lead)

2:45 PM – 4:00 PM

Break-out Sessions for second round of workshops:

Mentorship across the industry/academia divide (Will Olds, Proteintech)

Support Networks (Juan Pablo Ruiz, Labmosphere)

4:00 PM – 5:30 PM

Workshop wrap-up and mentoring panel:

Meg Bentley, Director in Residence of Laboratories, Dept of Biology, American University

Andy De Los Reyes, University of Maryland

Belinda Huang, George Washington University

Chinonye “Chi-Chi” Nnakwe, American Association for the Advancement of Science

5:45 PM – 6:00 PM

Transfer to Milkboy Arthouse for Reception

6:00 PM  –  8:00 PM

Final remarks by organizers and networking reception

Official website: http://futureofresearch.org/college-park-2017/

For more information please contact:

Blessing Enekwe, Ph.D.
Program Director, Office of Postdoctoral Affairs (OPA)
The Graduate School, University of Maryland
2123 Lee Building,
7809 Regents Drive, College Park, MD 20742
(301) 405-6009 I  blessing@umd.edu  I  gradschool.umd.edu  I  @UMDGradSchool
Advancing graduate education. Enhancing the graduate student experience.