Calendar of Events for 2009-2010

Presented by: Wayne Lesser, Lydia French, Marjorie Foley, Ann Cvetkovich (co-chair), and Matt Cohen (co-chair)

September 2009

�Applying for Fellowships: A Collaborative Workshop�

While teaching is both a fulfilling experience and an ideal source of financial support for students in the program, there are other sources of funding, both small and large, to support research at the graduate level. There are strategies for writing successful applications and these prove useful not only for graduate applications but also for applications at later career stages, both postdoctoral and professional. This session will bring together students in the process of composing project descriptions for internal and external fellowships for a general advice session and a smaller group workshop.

October 2009 I

"Effective Teaching and Maintaining Your Teaching Portfolio"
This panel will present strategies for developing a teaching portfolio and offer examples of how to design and present your work as a TA and an AI. The goal will be to assist you in finding the most effective manner in which to give a vivid and complete portrait of yourself and your pedagogy both while a graduate student at UT. It will also address how you might present yourself to prospective employers for positions in which your record as an instructor and approach to teaching will be considered as part of your application. Of particular concern will be the role of different teaching loads and profiles in different positions.

October 2009 II

"The Masters Report as an Integrated Moment in Your First Years at UT"
This session takes as its point of departure the guideline document designed by the Graduate Policy Committee in 2004 in the context of the program's decision to make the MA report required. That document sketches the nature and purpose of the MA report. The session will comprise presentations by students who have written their reports already and faculty who regularly supervise MA reports. Its goal will be to give a clear impression of the variety of possible types of reports and to clarify for students what they can do to make the experience as valuable and productive as possible. It will also explore the role of first and second readers and make suggestions as to how students can most effectively handle the logistical and faculty sides of the experience.

November 2009

�The Field Exam: Identifying Areas of Interest and Inquiry�

Beginning with the incoming class of Fall 2009, the department will require a Field Exam to be taken no later than the 12^th class day of the seventh semester. This panel discussion will address the role of the field exam in the course of the graduate program, how the interest groups composed the lists, the role of faculty mentorships and partnerships, and how to prepare for the exam itself. Panelists will include faculty representatives from a variety of interest groups as well as students who have now successfully completed their exams.

January 2010

"Composing the Prospectus for a Successful Exam: A Collaborative Workshop"
This roundtable and workshop will bring together students in the process of writing the Prospectus in preparation for the Prospectus exam. The focus will be upon the variety of prospectus formats and examinations which have proved successful and at the same time on strategies which these diverse projects and experiences have in common, especially the designing of a concrete plan of writing, the defining of the working relationship with supervisor(s), and the formation of a committee that will facilitate the project�s completion. The workshop will allow students to identify various successful models in order to determine the best strategy for their own project.

February 2010

"Writing the Dissertation"
Many graduate students work hard to get to the dissertation-writing stage of their careers, but then feel overwhelmed or frustrated by the implied imperative "Go off and Write!" This roundtable will cover strategies for completing the dissertation in a timely manner, maintaining productivity without the structure of coursework, and sustaining a dedication to one project over a period of time.

April 2010

"Getting Published in the 21st Century"
This workshop will consider the challenges of scholarly publication in the 21st century in an era which still requires print publications for professional advancement despite the market forces that challenge traditional views. Building upon last year's discussion of first publications, this session will consider how to prepare and edit one of your essays for a journal. A panel of students and faculty, who have been successfully published before graduation, will discuss how best to prepare and present your work so that it is accepted by a scholarly journal in your area.