The world offers opportunities and challenges today that were unimaginable even 10 years ago. The nature of work is changing and creating the need for people with vision, creativity, empathy, critical thinking, and the ability to work collaboratively across disciplinary lines and traditional skill sets. Consequently, contemporary graduate student professionalization must adapt to meet these changes. CGU’s Academic Professional Development collaboration provides the complementary curriculum you need to excel in your career. In addition to our individual program opportunities, our innovative collaborations complement and extend your academic program to integrate professional development into the core of your graduate education. We prepare you to be an agile and resilient graduate: better able to imagine and create a future of your own design.
The Academic Professional Development events and projects are provided by the Career Development Office (CDO), the Center for Writing and Rhetoric (CWR), the Preparing Future Faculty program (PFF), and the Transdisciplinary Studies program (TNDY).
Academic Professional Development (APD) Events
It can be difficult to understand what employers are looking for. This workshop will allow you a peek behind the recruiting curtain. Join us as we discuss topics like: Skills that employers desire most, how to interact with employers and more! Visit Handshake for more information and to register for this online event.
CDO – What Employers Want webinar
Tuesday, July 21, 12:00pm – 12:45pm (PDT)
Facilitator: Michael Sacoto, CDO Assistant Director
Zoom Link for the Webinar
It can be difficult to understand what employers are looking for. This workshop will allow you a peek behind the recruiting curtain. Join us as we discuss topics like: Skills that employers desire most, how to interact with employers and more! Visit Handshake for more information and to register for this online event.
PFF – Understanding Issues of Engagement
Thursday, July 9, 1:00-2:00 pm (PDT)
Facilitator: Sarah Eckert, PFF Fellow
Register for the Webinar (You will be emailed the Zoom link)
In this webinar, we examine issues surrounding student engagement. We will explore possible reasons for student disengagement as well as how we might address such situations to promote learning and engagement.
PFF – Academic Integrity in Online Classes
Tuesday, July 14, 4:00-5:00 pm
Facilitator: Catherine Conner, PFF Fellow
Register for the Webinar (You will be emailed the Zoom link)
In this webinar, we will discuss taking a proactive approach to academic integrity and explore the strategies and tools you can use to develop a classroom culture that fosters honesty, integrity, and accountability.
PFF – Promoting Active Learning Online
Thursday, July 16, 1:00 – 2:00 pm
Facilitator: Noah Ringler, PFF Fellow
Register for the Webinar (You will be emailed the Zoom link)
As many classes have moved online, both students and professors have struggled to maintain class engagement. This should come as no surprise as teaching courses online is relatively new for many and requires a different set of skills. Accordingly, this webinar reviews specific strategies to facilitate student engagement online including a flipped classroom, group discussions, and problem-based learning.
PFF – Managing Writing in Online Classes
Tuesday, July 21, 7:00 – 8:00 pm
Facilitator: Catherine Conner, PFF Fellow
Register for the Webinar (You will be emailed the Zoom link)
In this webinar, we will discuss some of the challenges of teaching writing online and how you can help students engage with writing in meaningful ways, synchronously or asynchronously. We will also explore assessment and feedback options.
PFF – Reflexivity in Crisis and Beyond: Strategies for Your Class
Thursday, July 23, 12:00 – 1:00 pm
Facilitator: Cristal Almonte, PFF Fellow
Register for the Webinar (You will be emailed the Zoom link)
In this webinar, educators will examine why practicing reflexivity during a time of crisis is important and how they may use reflexivity to inform their teaching to improve their communication with students and their assessments.
PFF – Assignments and Assessments Online
Tuesday, July 28, 4:00 – 5:00 pm
Facilitator: Shamini Dias, PFF Director
Register for the Webinar (You will be emailed the Zoom link)
Inclusive assignments and assessments support students in learning and mastery. How do we do this effectively in online spaces? In this webinar, we explore how to design online assignments and assessments that are formative and support students’ learning autonomy and self-efficacy.
PFF – Building Community in Online Courses
Thursday, July 30, 4:00 – 5:00 pm
Facilitator: Shelby Lamar, PFF Asst. Director
Register for the Webinar (You will be emailed the Zoom link)
Building a sense of community in our courses increases student achievement, learning, and retention. Yet, it often seems difficult to build and sustain a classroom community in an online environment. This webinar will explore research-backed principles and practices that can help you build community in synchronous and asynchronous online courses.
ISP – Continuing Advanced ESL Workshop Series – Workshops 1 & 2: Online Learning & Success Strategies for International Students
Workshop 1: Friday, August 28, and Friday, October 2, 7:00 – 9:00 pm
Workshop 2: Friday, September 18, 7:00 – 9:00 pm
Facilitators: SheriAnn Simpson, ISP Director & Kristen Brownell
RSVP at ISP@cgu.edu.
Providing international students with strategies they can use to improve their online learning experience, participation, listening, speaking and “presence” in an online or hybrid class. Topics include: Strategies for Success in an Online or Hybrid Class, Online Class Etiquette, Self-Advocacy in a Virtual Context, Listening and Speaking in a Virtual Context, Interacting with Professors and Classmates Online, Group Work Online, Speaking Under Pressure in Online Class Sessions.
PFF – Using Productive Struggle to Build Learner Persistence
Thursday, October 1, 4:00-5:00 pm
Facilitator: Shamini Dias, PFF Director
View the Slides – View the Video
Often, struggling in the classroom can present barriers to learning and can leave students feeling defeated. But can productive struggle be a factor in active learning, self-efficacy, and resiliency? In this webinar, we will explore this concept and think more about ways to balance support with scaffolding to help students sharpen their higher-order skills and content knowledge.
PFF – Facilitating Well-being in Your Classes: Aligning Academic and Health Outcomes
Tuesday, October 6, 1:00-2:00 pm
Facilitator: Jonathan Aragon, PFF Fellow
View the Slides – View the Video
The research shows that when well-being improves so does academic performance. This webinar will provide you with guidance on facilitating well-being through your implicit teaching and provide you with some takeaway tools you can start using today.
ISP – Continuing Advanced ESL Workshop Series – Workshops 3 & 5: How to Deliver a Pitch or New Idea in a Class or for a Research Project (pairs with CGU’s Big Pitch contest)
Friday, October 9, 7:00 – 9:00 pm
Friday, October 30 7:00 – 9:00 pm
*(Please note that workshop 4 occurs in between these on October 16, 2020)
Facilitators: SheriAnn Simpson, ISP Director & Kristen Brownell
RSVP at ISP@cgu.edu.
Facilitating understanding the concepts of a “pitch”, and to practice the delivery of it. By “pitch”, we are referring to a process in which a student succinctly describes and delivers a new idea in a class or for a research topic. This pairs with The Big Pitch, a 3-minute, campus-wide contest. Even international students who do not plan on entering the contest should attend to practice delivering ideas to advisors, professors, and classmates.
CWR – Effective Reading in Graduate School
Monday, October 12, 1:00 – 2:00 pm
Register for Webinar
One of the most challenging parts of grad school is the amount of reading that you have to keep up with. Whether it is several articles a week, or several books, the material that you will be (and are) engaging with is dense and seldom lends itself to a breezy page-by-page readthrough. In this workshop, we will practice the skill of reading for argument rather than for content—that is, reading with an eye towards how different materials fit together in the context of your class (or your program or your field) instead of trying to keep track of every little detail. We will also look at and compare different ways to focus on your readings so that you can begin to develop a more purposeful approach to reading as you make your way through your program.
PFF – Value-Based Teaching: How to Align Your Values to Your Practice
Tuesday, October 13, 10:00-11:00 am
Facilitator: Noah Ringler, PFF Fellow
It is common to teach both how and what we were taught. By doing this, we can unknowingly perpetuate unjust policies and learning environments that are not aligned with our values. This webinar will discuss the process of identifying your values and the reflexive processes needed to turn those values into actionable policies and assignments to help all your students succeed in a diverse and inclusive learning environment.
PFF – Coping with the Load: Reference Management Software
Tuesday, October 13, 12:00-1:00 pm
Facilitator: Shelby Lamar, PFF Assistant Director
View the Slides
Reference management software is a scholar’s best friend! This workshop gives you tools to thrive during graduate school by showing how the free reference management software Zotero can save time and prevent citation frustrations. Organizing all your sources, reading notes, and entering citations manually can be overwhelming and cost precious time, especially when working on a long-term project like a thesis or dissertation. When working on a project, you may find that you forget what you have read, don’t remember where your notes are located, or can’t find the source of that amazing quote! The earlier you start using a reference management system, the easier it will be to take notes, write papers, make bibliographies, and organize your research. Come learn how to use Zotero and make grad life easier!
CDO – Career Pathways Conversation with Victor Rose
Tuesday, October 13, 5:00 – 6:00 pm
Zoom Link for the Webinar
Strategic Planning Manager, Amazon Web Services: During this session you will learn about Amazon’s job process and networking opportunities during the COVID era. The speaker will also touch on how to properly negotiate your salary, how to build credibility within your organization, strategies to identify transferable skills and more. You don’t want to miss out on this opportunity! Victor Rose is a CGU alumni and would like to continue making connections with current students.
ISP – Continuing Advanced ESL Workshop Series – Workshop 4: Practical, Everyday Writing in English for Graduate School
Friday, October 16, 7:00 – 9:00 pm
Facilitators: SheriAnn Simpson, ISP Director & Kristen Brownell
RSVP at ISP@cgu.edu.
Facilitating international students’ successful completion of basic but crucial writing tasks that they will engage in during their time at CGU and the workplace. Topics include: Writing Emails to Professors and Other Authority Figures, Messages and Exchanges Between Group Members in an Online and In-Person Format, Requests, Petitions, and Self-Advocacy, Asking for Information, Filling Out Documents for Government and Other Agencies, Meaningful Responses & Peer Feedback in the Discussion Area of Online Classes.
CWR – Qualifying Exams Preparation Weekend
Friday – Sunday, October 16-18, 8:15 am – 4:40 pm
Register here.
For most doctoral degrees, qualifying exams are the first major milestone that must be completed after coursework. The challenge of demonstrating breadth of knowledge in a field as well as preparedness for a culminating project is complicated by the shift in structure of the post-coursework phase. One proven method of maintaining productivity and motivation during this transition is to participate in community events that are designed to reduce distraction, facilitate peer engagement, and provide a source of accountability.
The Center for Writing & Rhetoric is happy to announce that in addition to our dissertation boot camps, writing retreats, and writing groups, we will now also be offering an event just for students at the qualifying exam stage. Designed for students doing timed exams, written assignments, dissertation chapter drafts, and portfolios, the event will provide the options of either dedicated work time with peers or a combination of work time and facilitated sessions on exam preparation topics.
The inaugural event in Fall 2020 will be entirely online on Friday, October 16th to Sunday, October 18th from 8:15 am to 4:30 pm each day. The deadline to register is October 11th at midnight!
PFF – Inclusive, Future–Focused Scholarship: Using 3 Tech Tools to Publish Inclusive Scholarly Works
Tuesday, October 20, 1:00-2:00 pm
Facilitator: Jonathan Aragon, PFF Fellow
Register here for Zoom link
In this webinar I will demonstrate how to harness the potential of modern technology to produce inclusive and engaging scholarly works. By the end of this webinar I will provide templates you can use to get started today.
CDO – Unlocking the Mysteries of the U.S. Workplace
Thursday, October 22, 3:00 – 4:30 pm
Zoom Link for the Webinar
It’s easy to understand and follow the written rules of the workplace. However, the challenge is figuring out and following the unwritten rules. This webinar will help you understand some of the unwritten rules common to most US work environments, including tips for navigating office politics. You’ll also have the chance to ask any questions you have to prepare you for success while working in the US.
PFF – Developing an Effective Teaching Portfolio
Tuesday, November 3, 12:00 – 1:00 pm
Facilitator: Liz Cardenas, PFF Fellow
View the Slides – View the Video
Did you watch the video? Please fill out our survey!
A teaching portfolio is a collection of information about your teaching practice. When carefully developed, portfolios can significantly advance your professional growth and demonstrate evidence of exemplary teaching. This webinar will discuss how you can use teaching portfolios effectively to assess your teaching quality and enhance reflexivity.
PFF – What Do the Best Teachers Do?
Tuesday, November 10, 10:00 – 11:00 am
Facilitator: Noah Ringler, PFF Fellow
View the Slides – View the Video
Did you watch the video? Please fill out our survey!
Ken Bain conducted in-depth qualitative interviews with the most successful college professors in the country and this webinar will summarize his results and help you implement his discoveries in your courses. The webinar will cover issues like course design, student and self-assessment, and identifying student outcomes. The eBook is free to all CGU students on the Claremont Colleges Library website at https://ccl.on.worldcat.org/oclc/761325075.
CWR – Students of Color Writing Retreat
Sunday, November, 15, 9:00 am – 3:00 am
Register to Participate
The Center for Writing and Rhetoric is proud to present the first Students of Color Writing Retreat on Sunday, November 15, 2020. With a Writing Consultant facilitating breaks and debriefs, this retreat with be a collaborative space for students of color to mutually support themselves in all stages of the writing process and gain invaluable feedback for their work.
PFF – Understanding Teaching & Learning as a Complex Process: The Cynefin Framework
Thursday, November 19, 10:0012:00 – 1:00 pm
Facilitator: Liz Cardenas, PFF Fellow
View the Slides – View the Video
Teaching and learning are some of the most complex human interactions and understanding complexity can help us be more agile and adaptive. The Cynefin framework from David Snowden is a powerful thinking tool used to make sense of complexity, discover and adapt, and embrace uncertainty and innovation. This webinar will explore how the Cynefin framework can be applied in the education landscape during times of crisis and change.
CWR – The Big Pitch 2020
Friday, November 20, 12:00 – 1:00 pm
The format is simple. Participants have 3 minutes and a single PowerPoint slide to argue for the significance of their research, project, or art. This lends itself to business projects and artist statements as well as research work in the Humanities, Sciences, and Mathematics. The Big Pitch, CGU’s 3-Minute Thesis Competition, is open to all CGU students at any stage of their academic progress. For Fall 2020, the Big Pitch will be entirely virtual. Find out more information here!
CWR – Writing Retreat
Saturday, December 5, 8:30 am – 4:30 pm
This single day writing session is open to all students. Register here.
ISP – End of Semester Celebration: Game Night!
Saturday, December 19, 8:00 – 10:00 pm PST
All International Students are invited to join us for a FUN yet challenging event to practice your English skills hosted by the International Scholars Program at CGU. (Though it may not be “night” where you are, we call it this in American English.) Meet up and be social with other international students and ISP instructors as you test your knowledge of the English language, idioms, verbs, academic and daily vocabulary, along with some fun trivia. There will be prizes for the winners of each round of games. Please let us know if you are coming by signing up here. Or e-mail us to join our mailing list for future events.
CWR – Dissertation Boot Camp
Saturday – Sunday, January 9 & 10, 8:15 am – 4:30 pm. (Registration opens two weeks prior to event.) Register here.
Current CGU students who are ABD are eligible to attend the weekend boot camps. Space is limited and application review is generally first-come, first-served — but we do consider other factors to ensure that as many students as possible can participate. Proposal and Master’s thesis students will be considered after all ABD students’ applications have been reviewed. We normally notify all applicants of their status via email on the Wednesday prior to the weekend camp. If we are unable to accept you, we can place you on a waiting list and will notify you of any spaces that become available as soon as possible.
ISP – Continuing Advanced ESL Workshop Series – Workshop 1: Welcome Back Social Event & American Trivia Contest for International Students
Friday, January 29, 7:00 – 9:00 pm Pacific Time via Zoom. Register here
In this first workshop, we will welcome returning, new, and potential students to the Spring 2010 semester at CGU. We will also introduce the Spring ISP workshop series as well as provide a space for attendees to network with fellow CGU students and engage in social conversation in English. We will also offer a fun, English Trivia Contest with small gift card prizes to kick off the new semester.
CWR – Qualifying Exams Preparation Weekend
Saturday – Sunday, February 6 & 7, 8:15 am – 4:30 pm. Register here.
For most doctoral degrees, qualifying exams are the first major milestone that must be completed after coursework. The challenge of demonstrating breadth of knowledge in a field as well as preparedness for a culminating project is complicated by the shift in structure of the post-coursework phase. One proven method of maintaining productivity and motivation during this transition is to participate in community events that are designed to reduce distraction, facilitate peer engagement, and provide a source of accountability. Designed for students doing timed exams, written assignments, dissertation chapter drafts, and portfolios, the event will provide the options of either dedicated work time with peers or a combination of work time and facilitated sessions on exam preparation topics.
ISP – Continuing Advanced ESL Workshop Series – Workshops 2 & 3: People & Cultures
Friday, February 12, 7:00 – 9:00 pm via Zoom. Register here.
Friday, February 26, 7:00 – 9:00 pm via Zoom. Register here.
These two, two-hour sessions with Q&A will allow students exchange of cultural information regarding their own culture and customs, as well as listen to and learn from their their fellow students. In this third workshop we will discuss American culture and customs, and students will have the opportunity to ask questions about the nuances of life in the U.S.
CWR – Dissertation Boot Camp
Saturday – Sunday, February 13 & 14, 8:15 am – 4:30 pm. (Registration opens two weeks prior to event.)
Register here.
Current CGU students who are ABD are eligible to attend the weekend boot camps. Space is limited and application review is generally first-come, first-served — but we do consider other factors to ensure that as many students as possible can participate. Proposal and Master’s thesis students will be considered after all ABD students’ applications have been reviewed. We normally notify all applicants of their status via email on the Wednesday prior to the weekend camp. If we are unable to accept you, we can place you on a waiting list and will notify you of any spaces that become available as soon as possible.
CWR – Students of Color Writing Retreat
Sunday, February 21, 8:45 am – 4:00 pm. (Registration opens two weeks prior to event.)
Register here
The Center for Writing and Rhetoric has recently started offering Students of Color Writing Retreats. With a Writing Consultant facilitating breaks and debriefs, this retreat will be a collaborative space for students of color to mutually support themselves in all stages of the writing process and gain invaluable feedback for their work.
CWR – Writing Retreat
Saturday, February 27, 8:30 am – 4:30 pm
This single day writing session is open to all students. Register here.
CWR – Dissertation Boot Camp
Saturday – Sunday, March 13 & 14, 8:15 am – 4:30 pm. (Registration opens two weeks prior to event.) Register here.
Current CGU students who are ABD are eligible to attend the weekend boot camps. Space is limited and application review is generally first-come, first-served — but we do consider other factors to ensure that as many students as possible can participate. Proposal and Master’s thesis students will be considered after all ABD students’ applications have been reviewed. We normally notify all applicants of their status via email on the Wednesday prior to the weekend camp. If we are unable to accept you, we can place you on a waiting list and will notify you of any spaces that become available as soon as possible.
CWR – Students of Color Writing Retreat
Sunday, March 21, 8:45 am – 4:00 pm. (Registration opens two weeks prior to event.) Register here.
The Center for Writing and Rhetoric has recently started offering Students of Color Writing Retreats. With a Writing Consultant facilitating breaks and debriefs, this retreat will be a collaborative space for students of color to mutually support themselves in all stages of the writing process and gain invaluable feedback for their work.
ISP – Continuing Advanced ESL Workshop Series – Workshops 4 & 5: Speaking & Listening in Professional and Social Contexts
Friday, March 26, 7:00 – 9:00 pm via Zoom. Register here.
Friday, April 9, 7:00 – 9:00 pm via Zoom. Register here.
These two, two-hour sessions with Q&A will will cover in the classroom and in professional environments such as internships, the workplace, interviews, department events, etc.
CWR – Writing Retreat
Saturday, March 27, 8:30 am – 4:30 pm
This single day writing session is open to all students. Register here.
CWR – Dissertation Boot Camp
Saturday – Sunday, April 10 & 11, 8:15 am – 4:30 pm. (Registration opens two weeks prior to event.) Register here.
Current CGU students who are ABD are eligible to attend the weekend boot camps. Space is limited and application review is generally first-come, first-served — but we do consider other factors to ensure that as many students as possible can participate. Proposal and Master’s thesis students will be considered after all ABD students’ applications have been reviewed. We normally notify all applicants of their status via email on the Wednesday prior to the weekend camp. If we are unable to accept you, we can place you on a waiting list and will notify you of any spaces that become available as soon as possible.
CWR – Qualifying Exams Preparation Weekend
Saturday – Sunday, April 17 & 18, 8:45 am – 4:30 pm. Register here.
For most doctoral degrees, qualifying exams are the first major milestone that must be completed after coursework. The challenge of demonstrating breadth of knowledge in a field as well as preparedness for a culminating project is complicated by the shift in structure of the post-coursework phase. One proven method of maintaining productivity and motivation during this transition is to participate in community events that are designed to reduce distraction, facilitate peer engagement, and provide a source of accountability. Designed for students doing timed exams, written assignments, dissertation chapter drafts, and portfolios, the event will provide the options of either dedicated work time with peers or a combination of work time and facilitated sessions on exam preparation topics.
ISP – Continuing Advanced ESL Workshop Series – Workshop 6: Decoding Regional Cultures and Linuistic Differences Within the United States
Friday, April 23, 7:00 – 9:00 pm via Zoom. Register here.
This workshop will help students understand more about American geography as well as the unique culture and linguistic diversity of each region in the U.S. (the South versus the East Coast, for example) plus we will discuss the U.K. and Australia briefly. Additionally, it will allow students to practice more advanced levels of English such as the past tenses and compound past tenses, which are often a challenge for non-native speakers via exchange of information regarding where they have been and experiences they have had from their travels in various countries including the U.S.A.
CWR – Writing Retreat
Saturday, April 24, 8:30 am – 4:30 pm
This single day writing session is open to all students. Register here.
CWR – Students of Color Writing Retreat
Sunday, May 2, 8:45 am – 4:00 pm. (Registration opens two weeks prior to event.)
Register here
The Center for Writing and Rhetoric has recently started offering Students of Color Writing Retreats. With a Writing Consultant facilitating breaks and debriefs, this retreat will be a collaborative space for students of color to mutually support themselves in all stages of the writing process and gain invaluable feedback for their work.
ISP – Continuing Advanced ESL Workshop Series – Workshop 7: What Does Your Future Hold?
Friday, May 7, 7:00 – 9:00 pm via Zoom. Register here.
This workshop will encourage students to ponder topics related to their professional futures; to discuss their goals at CGU, their personal goals and beyond. Furthermore, and perhaps most importantly, it will allow students to practice more advanced levels of English such as the future and the conditional tenses, which are often a challenge for non-native speakers.
CWR – Writing Retreat
Saturday, May 8, 8:30 am – 4:30 pm
This single day writing session is open to all students. Register here.
CWR – Summer Dissertation Boot Camp
Monday – Friday, June 7-11
Along with meeting for five days, Summer Dissertation Boot Camp participants benefit from a number of other features, including guest faculty and peer speakers addressing issues such as the writing process and staying motivated, as well as group discussions, expanded planning work, and 25+ hours of writing time. Submission of a detailed plan and confirmation from your advisor that you have discussed your plan with them is required. Only current CGU students who are ABD or in the proposal phase may apply. Eligible students must submit an application which includes a brief statement on how you hope to benefit from the Boot Camp and a detailed Writing Plan for the week. Your your advisor must e-mail the CWR (write@cgu.edu) with confirmation that they have reviewed your writing plan with you/. An application will not be considered complete until we receive confirmation from an advisor.
ISP – Continuing Advanced ESL Workshop Series – Workshop 8: End-of-the-Year Social Event
Friday, May 14, 7:00 – 9:00 pm via Zoom. Register here.
Details of this end-of-the-year social event to be announced.