Abstract Deadline CIRTL Forum 2008: Aligning the Preparation of Graduate Students for STEM Early Faculty Careers

CALL FOR CONTRIBUTED POSTERS

The NSF Center for the Integration of Research, Teaching, and Learning will hold its third CIRTL Forum - Aligning the Preparation of Graduate Students for STEM Early Faculty Careers - in Madison, Wisconsin on June 16-17, 2008.
The goals of this national Forum are to: (1) explore the alignment of experiences from graduate school through early career faculty positions, (2) enhance the mutual awareness about STEM academic career paths among graduate students, academic employers, and graduate deans and faculty, and (3) showcase the scholarly preparation in teaching and learning of the new generation of graduate students and early-career faculty. The Forum will include national speakers, panel presentations and small-group discussions, interactive break-out sessions, and poster sessions.

We invite abstract submissions for contributed posters from:

Graduate students on topics such as:

• projects in teaching-as-research and scholarship of teaching and learning
• new approaches to enhancing undergraduate student learning in STEM
• needs and opportunities for the professional development of graduate students seeking STEM academic careers, with particular emphasis on teaching and learning skills

Deans and faculty of graduate universities on topics such as:

• institutional initiatives to enhance the professional development of STEM graduate students pursuing academic positions, with particular emphasis on teaching and learning skills
• the graduate and post-graduate pathways to faculty positions

Deans and faculty of employing academic institutions on topics such as:

• institutional initiatives to enhance the professional development of early-career faculty, with particular emphasis on teaching and learning skills
• the new generation of STEM faculty

Posters will be accepted based on their technical merit and contribution to our knowledge of conducting teaching-as-research, pedagogy and assessment, and professional development initiatives for graduate students and early-career faculty.  Posters can describe results from completed works or completed phases of projects, or on-going institutional programs.  All abstracts will be reviewed by at least two reviewers. 

If accepted, poster presenters will be asked to be available at their posters during scheduled poster sessions to discuss their work with Forum participants.  Posters must be designed to fit on a 4 ft. high x 4 ft. wide free-standing, cloth covered poster display and to be attached to boards with push pins or velcro.  Posters may be prepared as a single poster or as several smaller sections mounted together. 

Please submit abstracts electronically (a maximum of 300 words including, title, authors and contact information) by April 25, 2008 to:

Trina Trefil, Michigan State University, The Graduate School at: trefiltr@msu.edu.
Please include: “CIRTL Forum Abstract” in the subject line.

Individuals will be notified by early May if their poster abstract has been accepted for presentation.  Graduate students with accepted abstracts will have two nights of lodging provided by CIRTL.  Questions about abstract submission should be directed to: Dr. Rique Campa, Michigan State University, The Graduate School, 118 Linton Hall, East Lansing, MI 48824, 517-432-7340 or 517-355-0301.

About CIRTL and the Forum:

CIRTL is a network of 6 research universities promoting the development of a national faculty in science, technology, engineering, and mathematics (STEM) committed to implementing and advancing effective teaching practices for diverse student audiences as part of their professional careers.

The CIRTL Forum, hosted by the University of Wisconsin-Madison, focuses on aligning the preparation of graduate students for faculty careers in science, technology, engineering and mathematics (STEM).

The goals of the CIRTL Forum 2008 are:

• To explore the degree of alignment of STEM faculty experiences from graduate school through early career faculty positions;

• To enhance mutual awareness and alignment of key stakeholder groups – graduate students, graduate universities, academic employers and graduate faculty

• To highlight the new generation of graduate students and early career faculty prepared by future faculty programs

This Forum will bring together STEM faculty and leaders from all types of academic institutions to meet with graduate deans and future faculty to achieve these goals.  For more information about the Forum, please visit http://cirtl.net/Forum2008.