Workshops and Development Series
The Graduate School offers several writing, teaching, communication, and professional development workshops and series. All workshops and development series adhere to the attendance policy (below).
Development Series
Development Series are non-credit course-style workshop series that provide sustained support, practice, and feedback on key aspects of teaching, communication, writing, and career management. Graduate students and postdoctoral scholars at any stage of their careers and in any discipline should enroll in these Development Series to improve their teaching, writing, speaking, and presentation skills, and preparation for industry. Development Series are non-credit bearing and free of charge (although some may require materials or refundable deposits).
Development Series that count toward the Teaching and Communication Certificate are indicated by an asterisk (*). Development series that count toward the Writing Certificate are indicated by a plus sign (+). Development series require compliance with the attendance policy. Email questions about Development Series to the instructor listed.
Fall 2019
Tuesdays 4:00-5:30 p.m. (August 27 through October 22), Hunt Library Teaching Visualization Studio
Instructor: Katie Homar
Video abstracts are a cutting-edge form of scientific communication that “advertises” a published article and conveys research to diverse audiences online. In this development series, participants will create their own video abstract from start to finish. In addition to composing a script and storyboard, participants will learn best practices for gathering footage, organizing video assets, and video editing through collaboration with NC State’s Library Media Team. This is a hands-on workshop series where participants will have opportunities to experiment with techniques for telling a research story on screen and get feedback at every stage from the instructor and peers. They will leave the session not only with a usable video abstract but also with strategies for managing a video project and communicating their research to diverse stakeholders. Open to all COE grad students and postdocs.
You may apply up to 18 hours of credit from this development series toward the Teaching & Communication and Writing Certificates.
Instructor: Shannon Madden
Participants in this 4-week, non-credit development series will learn and practice the conventions for writing strong grant proposals, including strategies for locating funding sources, aligning your proposed research project with the needs and values of the funding organization, articulating the broader impact of your work, and describing your project to non-specialist audiences, among other strategies.
You may apply up to 12 hours from this development series towards the Writing Certificate.
The Grant Writing development series will be offered twice during the Fall 2019 semester:
Section I: Thursdays, 2:30 – 4:30 PM, September 12 through October 3, Fox Hall
Section II: Thursdays, 2:30 – 4:30 PM, October 17 through November 7, Fox Hall
Tuesdays, 8:00-10:00 a.m. (August 27 through October 1), Withers Hall
Instructor: Joe Aldinger
This 6-week course will provide participants with information and strategies meant to establish a competitive edge during job searches the hiring process. Course topics will include the following: résumé, CV, and cover letter writing, best narrative practices for application materials, personal branding, interviewing, negotiating salary and compensation, networking, and how to develop professional portfolios.
Course participants will receive feedback for these features from their colleagues and the instructor along with feedback from professionals in academia, industry, government, and non-profit entities. Course activities will include workshops, guest speakers, and discussion based lectures.
Mondays 3:00-5:00 p.m. Withers Hall
Instructor: Vanessa Doriott Anderson
This development series aims to provide graduate students and postdoctoral scholars with an introduction to “backward course design,” a method that involves structuring course content according to desired results rather than “coverage.” We will practice writing learning outcomes that can be used for purposes of design and assessment, refine a discipline-specific syllabus through multiple peer-reviewed drafts, and consider the syllabus as a starting point for the creation of individual lesson plans as well as full-scale curricula. Finally, we will explore the uses of instructional technology in the context of course design. Participants can include the syllabus in their professional portfolio as evidence of their ability to apply a results-oriented methodology to the management of a learning and/or working environment. This series will be conducted in a blended online/in-person environment.
You may apply up to 44 hours from this development series toward the Teaching and Communication Certificate.
Tuesdays 1:00-4:00 p.m./ Fox Hall
Instructor: Vanessa Doriott Anderson
The Teaching and Presentation Practicum is designed to give graduate students at all levels, as well as postdoctoral scholars, the opportunity to engage in microteaching opportunities that will allow you to develop and refine your teaching and presentation skills in a supportive environment. You will read about a variety of strategies along with concrete examples of how they are used before tailoring specific strategies to your field of expertise. Each microteaching segment will be digitally recorded so that you have the opportunity to assess your own work; you will also benefit from giving and receiving constructive peer feedback related to teaching and presentation skills. Your final project will involve revising a previously taught segment in order to improve its efficacy. The recording of your project can be used in your professional portfolio as evidence of your teaching skills.
You may apply up to 44 hours from this development series toward the Teaching and Communication Certificate.
Thursdays 9:00-10:00 a.m. (August 29 through December 5) EBII
Instructor: Katie Homar
This non-credit professional development series will introduce international graduate students to academic writing in the US. We will pay special attention to how academic writers use style, grammar, and vocabulary to communicate their research to audiences in their field and beyond. Participants in this series will have to opportunity to substantially revise a piece of writing, such as an article draft, research paper, or dissertation chapter as well as opportunities to interact online. Open to all grad students and postdocs.
You may apply up to 21 hours of credit from this development series toward the Teaching & Communication and Writing Certificates.
Wednesdays 9:00-11:00 a.m. (August 28 through October 16), Fox Hall
Instructor: Shannon Madden
Are you looking to transform your seminar paper, dissertation chapter, or conference talk into a publishable journal article? Participants in this 8-week, non-credit development series will learn the process and practices of manuscript development for article publication that are relevant across disciplines, and learn to utilize strategies for publishing research articles in disciplinary journals. Open to graduate students and postdocs in any discipline and at any stage of their graduate career. You may apply up to 24 hours from this development series towards the Writing Certificate.
Workshops
Workshops that count toward the Teaching and Communication Certificate are indicated by an asterisk (*). Workshops that count toward the Writing Certificate are indicated by a plus sign (+). Workshops can only be counted for credit once unless otherwise indicated. Please be aware of the workshop attendance policy (below).
August 2019
Monday, August 5 / 2:00 -3:30 pm /Talley Student Union Room 3210
Incorporating Citizen Science Into University Courses is a workshop for those interested in including their courses in the citizen science campus. The workshop will provide attendees with:
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An introduction to citizen science and its potential use in courses
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Fluency with the logistics of the SciStarter-NCSU web portal
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Help with finding the right citizen science project(s) for your teaching objectives
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Resources and templates for lessons plans
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Introduction to use of SciStarter portal for scholarly studies of student learning
All instructors, scholars, and mentors at NC State are welcome to come and learn what citizen science at the university can achieve, and help us identify areas that need further support.
Contact Caren Cooper (cbcoope3@ncsu.edu) and Brianna Johns (bljohns7@ncsu.edu) with questions.
Wednesday, August 7 / 11:00 am -12:00 pm / Talley Student Union 3221
This workshop will provide an overview of the ETD submission process. The ETD Reviewer will explain submission deadlines and introduce the resources on the ETD website that will help you prepare your document. Attendees are welcome to ask questions throughout the session. Attendance is not required for ETD submission or graduation.
Tuesday, August 13 / 2:00 -3:30 pm /Talley Student Union Room 5101
Incorporating Citizen Science Into University Courses is a workshop for those interested in including their courses in the citizen science campus. The workshop will provide attendees with:
-
An introduction to citizen science and its potential use in courses
-
Fluency with the logistics of the SciStarter-NCSU web portal
-
Help with finding the right citizen science project(s) for your teaching objectives
-
Resources and templates for lessons plans
-
Introduction to use of SciStarter portal for scholarly studies of student learning
All instructors, scholars, and mentors at NC State are welcome to come and learn what citizen science at the university can achieve, and help us identify areas that need further support.
Contact Caren Cooper (cbcoope3@ncsu.edu) and Brianna Johns (bljohns7@ncsu.edu) with questions.
The Scientific Research and Education Network (SciREN) is an outreach and networking organization that facilitates collaboration between PreK-12 and informal educators and research scientists, including grad students, post-docs, and faculty. SciREN helps scientists turn their research into lesson plans that align with curriculum taught in North Carolina schools, and then organizes networking events where scientists present their lesson plans to educators. Educators then use these lessons in the classroom, and scientists sometimes even participate in teaching the lessons they create.
Attend the Open House and Lesson Plan Workshop and apply hours to the Teaching and Communication Certificate. Registration is open for the 2019 SciREN Triangle Researcher and Educator Open House on Thursday, September 26th, 2019 at the NC Museum of Natural Sciences in Raleigh. Registration also asks if you plan to attend the half-day Lesson Plan Workshop on the morning of Saturday, August 17th, 2019. At this workshop, you’ll have a chance to work directly with educators to make your lesson plan even more amazing.
Monday, August 19 / 2:00 -3:30 pm /Talley Student Union Room 3285
Incorporating Citizen Science Into University Courses is a workshop for those interested in including their courses in the citizen science campus. The workshop will provide attendees with:
-
An introduction to citizen science and its potential use in courses
-
Fluency with the logistics of the SciStarter-NCSU web portal
-
Help with finding the right citizen science project(s) for your teaching objectives
-
Resources and templates for lessons plans
-
Introduction to use of SciStarter portal for scholarly studies of student learning
All instructors, scholars, and mentors at NC State are welcome to come and learn what citizen science at the university can achieve, and help us identify areas that need further support.
Contact Caren Cooper (cbcoope3@ncsu.edu) and Brianna Johns (bljohns7@ncsu.edu) with questions.
Wednesday, August 28 / 11:00 am -12:00 pm / Talley Student Union 3221
This workshop will provide an overview of the ETD submission process. The ETD Reviewer will explain submission deadlines and introduce the resources on the ETD website that will help you prepare your document. Attendees are welcome to ask questions throughout the session. Attendance is not required for ETD submission or graduation.
Thursday, August 29 / 2:30 to 4:30 PM / Fox 206
This workshop is designed for graduate students and postdocs in any discipline who are planning to go on the academic job market. We will discuss features of job ads, common practices of academic search committees, and how to market yourself effectively to the academic departments you wish to work in. Bring a laptop and job ads that you are considering applying to, and come prepared to work on your job materials. This workshop satisfies credit toward the Graduate School Writing Certificate.
Facilitator: Shannon Madden
September 2019
Thursday, September 5 / 2:30-4:30 PM / Fox 206
As competition for academic jobs increases, so does the need for effective cover letters for your application. In this workshop, we will discuss how you can use the cover letter to market yourself to the hiring department in ways that set you apart from the rest of the applicant pool, how to tailor your cover letters to each job you apply for, the distinct moves or “parts” of an academic cover letter, how to shape cover letters differently for tenure stream and non tenure track positions, and how to maximize your experience, expertise, and assets in relation to the jobs you seek. This workshop is designed for graduate students and postdocs in any discipline who are planning to go on the academic job market. Bring a laptop and job ads that you are considering applying to, and come prepared to work on your job materials. This workshop satisfies credit toward the Graduate School Writing Certificate.
Facilitator: Shannon Madden
Monday, September 9 / 10 AM–11 AM / Online
AND
Monday, September 16 / 10 AM–12 PM / Online
In this two-part workshop, we will go beyond formulating learning outcomes to consider their use for both course planning and assessment. In the first session, we will use backward course design concepts to practice using outcomes as planning and assessment tools. In the second session, participants will share an activity and assessment sequence that they’ve developed from a specific learning outcome. Open to ALL graduate students and postdocs regardless of your teaching experience.
Attendance at both sessions is mandatory.
Research is infinite—but your literature review is not. How do you know what sources to review, how to access those sources, how to organize the literature review for logical coherence, and what sources to leave out? Come to this workshop to learn research and writing strategies that will help you narrow your research topic, cover the essentials of that topic, and set parameters that will result in a comprehensive and concise literature review. Bring a laptop, a topic for your literature review, and an idea about relevant databases and/or journals that you can search in for your topic. Open to all graduate students and postdoctoral scholars at any stage and in any discipline. This workshop satisfies credit toward the Graduate School Writing Certificate.
Facilitator: Shannon Madden
Wednesday, September 11 / 1–3 PM / Williams Hall 2312
Do you want to compete in this year’s 3 Minute Thesis (3MT) competition? Are you curious about 3MT and communicating your scientific research to policymakers, industry partners, and the general public? This workshop will give you some skills to engage in effective research storytelling that captures the attention of your audiences and makes your work accessible to those outside your field. Participants will have the opportunity to practice new techniques and get feedback on their work. Participants will also learn key information about participating in NC State’s annual 3 Minute Thesis Competition, including tips for winning performances and visuals.
*If you plan to compete in this year’s 3 Minute Thesis Competition, you must attend one of these workshops. Students who are interested in learning about 3MT are also welcome to attend these workshops.
Thursday, September 12 / 11:00 am -12:00 pm / Talley Student Union 3221
This workshop will provide an overview of the ETD submission process. The ETD Reviewer will explain submission deadlines and introduce the resources on the ETD website that will help you prepare your document. Attendees are welcome to ask questions throughout the session. Attendance is not required for ETD submission or graduation.
Friday, September 13 / 1–3 PM / EB II 1226
Do you want to compete in this year’s 3 Minute Thesis (3MT) competition? Are you curious about 3MT and communicating your scientific research to policymakers, industry partners, and the general public? This workshop will give you some skills to engage in effective research storytelling that captures the attention of your audiences and makes your work accessible to those outside your field. Participants will have the opportunity to practice new techniques and get feedback on their work. Participants will also learn key information about participating in NC State’s annual 3 Minute Thesis Competition, including tips for winning performances and visuals.
*If you plan to compete in this year’s 3 Minute Thesis Competition, you must attend one of these workshops. Students who are interested in learning about 3MT are also welcome to attend these workshops.
Monday, September 16 / 10 AM–12 PM / Fox Labs 206
Do you want to compete in this year’s 3 Minute Thesis (3MT) competition? Are you curious about 3MT and communicating your scientific research to policymakers, industry partners, and the general public? This workshop will give you some skills to engage in effective research storytelling that captures the attention of your audiences and makes your work accessible to those outside your field. Participants will have the opportunity to practice new techniques and get feedback on their work. Participants will also learn key information about participating in NC State’s annual 3 Minute Thesis Competition, including tips for winning performances and visuals.
*If you plan to compete in this year’s 3 Minute Thesis Competition, you must attend one of these workshops. Students who are interested in learning about 3MT are also welcome to attend these workshops.
Wednesday, September 18 / 9:00 to 11:00 AM / Fox 206
Methods and Results sections explain your how you designed the research protocol, how you collected data, and what you found in the experimental process so that other researchers can replicate your study, validate your results, and interpret your findings. In this workshop, we will explore how to convey the structure of your protocol as well as what your research study yielded in ways that are effective, accurate, and usable. Open to graduate students and postdoctoral scholars in any discipline and at any stage of their program. This workshop satisfies credit toward the Graduate School Writing Certificate.
Facilitator: Shannon Madden
Wednesday, September 18 / 10 AM–12 PM / DH Hill 2112A
Top Hat is an interactive, cloud-based teaching platform that enables instructors to engage students both inside and outside the classroom with compelling content and activities. You can use Top Hat to take attendance, ask interactive questions with automated grading, and/or facilitate open-ended discussions and activities. If you’re new to Top Hat, you’ll want to join us for this comprehensive and interactive session! We discuss the key functionality of Top Hat, as well as the pedagogical benefits of using the platform.
We have allotted 30 minutes at the end of the workshop for hands-on practice so you will have the opportunity to create your own content and get your questions answered by our knowledgeable staff.
Wednesday, September 18 / 3:30PM-5:00PM / EB III Room 2240
AND
Wednesday, September 25 / 3:30PM-5:00PM / EB III Room 2240
In this two-part workshop, we tackle the challenge of composing abstracts and introductions. For the first part, we’ll examine how intros and abstracts are constructed as well as best practices for composing these key components of articles and chapters. In the second session, participants will implement these strategies to workshop their own introduction or abstract, leaving the session with stronger openings for an article or chapter. Open to all COE grad students and postdocs. This workshop satisfies credit toward the Graduate School Writing Certificate.
Attendance at both sessions is mandatory.
Monday, September 23 / 10 AM–11 AM / Fox Labs
AND
Monday, September 30 / 10 AM–12 PM / Fox Labs
In this two-part workshop, we will explore ways to engage with students’ diverse learning styles. In the first session, we will conduct a self-assessment and discuss concrete strategies to motivate students according to their learning style. In the second session, you will receive feedback on an activity that you designed based on what you learned in the first session. Open to ALL graduate students and postdocs regardless of your teaching experience.
Attendance at both sessions is mandatory.
Wednesday, September 25 / 9:00 to 11:00 AM / Fox 206
So you presented your research findings . . . now what? The Discussion section of an article explains the significance of your findings and provides readers with an interpretation of your results. Participants in this workshop will learn strategies that are appropriate for writing discussion and conclusion sections for individual journal articles and for dissertations/theses. Participants should bring a laptop and their own original research results to get the most out of this workshop. This workshop satisfies credit toward the Graduate School Writing Certificate.
Facilitator: Shannon Madden
October 2019
Monday, October 7 / 10 AM–11AM / ONLINE
AND
Monday, October 14 / 10 AM–12PM / ONLINE
In this two-part workshop, we will explore strategies to make PowerPoint slides more visually engaging and interactive. In the first session, we will analyze effective and ineffective forms of visual communication. In the second session, you will present your own slide(s) for peer review. Slides can be course- or research-based. Open to ALL graduate students and postdocs regardless of your teaching experience. Attendance at both sessions is mandatory.
October 7th through November 15th
The course is available to all faculty and staff within the UNC system. This program will provide the audience with an introduction to accessibility and will offer practical methods for incorporating multiple accessibility techniques into face-to-face, blended, and online classrooms.
The course is formatted as a self-paced, asynchronous, online class delivered via Moodle. Moodle is NC State’s official Learning Management System.
Wednesday, October 9 / 9:00 to 11:00 AM / Fox 206
Capturing the essence of your journal articles, dissertations/theses, and capstones in accurate, effective titles and abstracts can be a special challenge. In this workshop, we will discuss and practice utilizing best practices for composing clear, accurate, and concise titles and abstracts for your writing projects. Open to graduate students and postdocs in any discipline and at any stage of their program. This workshop satisfies credit toward the Graduate School Writing Certificate.
Facilitator: Shannon Madden
Speaking about your research interests to general audiences, including the media, is an essential science communication skill. In this “hands-on” workshop facilitated by NC State’s University News Services Team, learn strategies for translating complex research projects to broad audiences and techniques for effective on-camera interviews. Participants in this small workshop will have the opportunity to tour NC State’s studios in the Butler Communications Building and practice the on-camera interviewing techniques.
Open to all graduate students and postdocs.
Wednesday, October 16 / 3:30PM-5:00PM / EBIII Room 2240
AND
Wednesday, October 23 / 3:30PM-5:00PM / EBIII Room 2240
In this two-part workshop, we address the challenge of finding appropriate sources (“literature”) and synthesizing sources to create a lit review that situates your research in the state-of-the-art. In the first part, join the University library system’s engineering specialists to discuss best practices for conducting searches and evaluating engineering journal articles. In the second session, participants will workshop lit review chapters or sections, drawing on strategies from the first session. Participants will leave these sessions with tips on locating relevant literature as well as a refined draft of a lit review chapter or section. Open to all COE grad students and postdocs. This workshop satisfies credit toward the Graduate School Writing Certificate.
Attendance at both sessions is mandatory.
Monday, October 21 / 10 AM–11 AM / Fox Labs
AND
Monday, October 28 / 10 AM–12 PM / Fox Labs
In this two-part workshop, we will explore strategies for delivering a compelling, accessible academic job talk. In the first session, participants will reflect on the purpose of their talk as well as its audience, and will engage in a number of exercises to help them pitch their research to an interdisciplinary audience. In the second session, 1-3 speakers will present their job talk for peer review. Open to ALL graduate students and postdocs regardless of your teaching experience. Attendance at both sessions is mandatory. This workshop satisfies credit toward the Graduate School Writing Certificate.
October 23, 2019 / 9:00 to 11:00 AM / Fox 206
Understanding and processing peer review feedback from journal reviewers and dissertation committee members can be challenging, and incorporating feedback into substantive revisions on your writing even more so. In this workshop, participants will discuss and implement strategies for using writing feedback to revise and improve written documents. Methods for guiding readers’ interaction with your writing and requesting targeted feedback that is most useful and appropriate for the given stage of writing you are in will also be discussed. Open to graduate students and postdoctoral scholars at any stage of their program and in any discipline. This workshop satisfies credit toward the Graduate School Writing Certificate.
Facilitator: Shannon Madden
November 2019
Monday, November 4 / 10 AM–11 AM / Fox Labs
AND
Monday, November 11 / 10 AM–12 PM / Fox Labs
In this two-part workshop, we will explore strategies for managing conflict in the classroom. In the first session, we will examine various approaches to preventative and reactive conflict management, using real-life examples. In the second session, participants will role-play a variety of scenarios to practice assertive conflict management. Open to ALL graduate students and postdocs regardless of your teaching experience. Attendance at both sessions is mandatory.
Wednesday, November 6 / 3:30PM-5:00PM / EBIII Room 2240
AND
Wednesday, November 13 / 3:30PM-5:00PM / EBIII Room 2240
In this two-part workshop, we address the challenge of creating discussion and conclusion sections. While these sections have many names in engineering writing, our workshops will focus on interpreting and evaluating results and answering the “big questions” about the applications or downstream impact of your work. For the first part, we’ll examine how discussions and conclusions are constructed across engineering fields. In the second session, participants will implement these strategies to workshop their own discussion/conclusion section, leaving the session with stronger drafts of an article or chapter. This workshop satisfies credit toward the Graduate School Writing Certificate.
Attendance at both sessions is mandatory.
Monday, November 18 / 10 AM–11 AM / ONLINE
AND
Monday, November 25 / 10 AM–12 PM / ONLINE
In this two-part workshop, we will explore strategies for writing a teaching statement that is professional yet personalized. In the first session, we will look at models of effective and ineffective teaching statements and hone our ability to critique and revise them. In the second session, participants will present their own draft teaching statements for peer review. Open to ALL graduate students and postdocs regardless of your teaching experience. Attendance at both sessions is mandatory. This workshop satisfies credit toward the Graduate School Writing Certificate.
December 2019
Monday, December 2 / 10 AM–11 AM / Fox Labs
AND
Monday, December 9 / 10 AM–12 PM / Fox Labs
In this two-part workshop, we will consider best practices for reading, analyzing, and using the data from your course evaluations. How can you make your evaluations work for you, so that they become part of a cycle of reflective teaching practice? How can you use them as evidence of effective teaching in your job materials? How can you separate constructive criticism from ad hominem attacks and excessive praise? And how can you supplement your standard course evaluations to get the information you really need to improve your teaching? Attendance at both sessions is mandatory.
In compliance with the Americans with Disabilities Act, NC State will honor requests for reasonable accommodations made by individuals with disabilities. Requests can be served effectively if notice is provided at least 10 days before the event. Direct accommodation requests for professional development programs to professional-development@ncsu.edu.
Attendance Policy
Participants who cancel their registration for any Professional Development event (e.g., workshops, seminars, symposia) more than 24 hours before the first session of an event will not be penalized. Registrants who fail to attend an event or who cancel their registration less than 24 hours before the first session of an event will be marked as a “No Show” for the event. Those with two recorded “No Shows” will automatically be dropped from all future Professional Development events for the remainder of the semester in which the two “No Shows” occur.
This policy is in place to encourage students to practice time management and professionalism. The instructors create materials and activities based on attendance so this information needs to be as accurate as possible in order for participants to get the most out of the session.
For development series, please review the syllabus for the attendance policy specific to your course.
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The professional development team is pleased to announce new opportunities for digital credentialing. We will be issuing evidence-based badges through the Graduate School NC State account at Badge List. You can display the badges you’ve earned on your LinkedIn page. Create an account to get started, then join our group using this code: gradpack. We will add new badges throughout the year, so check back often.