The Graduate Student Professional Development Program offers an array of academic and professional development offerings for graduate and professional students as well as post-docs. The Graduate School launched the Graduate Student Professional Development Program during the Fall 2005 semester in service of its mission to foster excellence in all aspects of graduate education. This Program was created to augment our academic infrastructure and enhance the graduate student culture on campus by offering a series of academic and professional development seminars and workshops for graduate and professional students that serve to improve their academic excellence, develop their professional talents, and launch their professional careers.  Programs fall into four broad categories:  Teaching Skills; Academic Excellence; Dissertation & Thesis Support and Professional Preparation..

Please RSVP for each program.

The Art of the Academic Interview
Tuesday, March 11, 2008
College of Health & Human Services Room #145
5:00 p.m. – 6:30 p.m.
Dr. Richard Leeman, Communication Studies Department
Dr. Leeman will help demystify the interview process for doctoral students aspiring to positions in the academy. This session is geared for those students seeking academic positions in the next two years.

 To RSVP, Click Here.

Wine & Cheese Chat with the Dean of the Graduate School
Thursday, March 13, 2008
Cato Hall Conference Room, 2nd Floor
4:00 p.m. – 5:30 p.m.
Bring your questions, thoughts and comments on graduate education to this informal chat with Dean of the Graduate School, Dr. Tom Reynolds.
RSVP Required by March 12.

 To RSVP, Click Here.

Academic Integrity, What Graduate Students Need to Know About Plagiarism
Monday, March 17, 2008
College of Health & Human Services Room #376
5:00 p.m. - 7:00 p.m.
Dr. Rosie Tong
Dr. Lisa Rasmussen
Dr. Cynthia Cassell

Plagiarism is considered a grave offense in academia.  This workshop will discuss why academic integrity is a fundamental value in scholarship, focusing in particular on the wrongs done via plagiarism.  Examples of proper and improper use of others' materials in a variety of disciplines will provide a concrete basis for understanding what constitutes plagiarism. Cases of plagiarism identified and disciplined will give participants an idea of the many ways in which plagiarism is apparent to evaluators, and of the seriousness with which it is treated. 

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How to Write a Review of Literature
Tuesday, March 18, 2008
College of Health & Human Services Room #145
5:00 p.m. – 6:30 p.m.
Jennifer Pooler Courtney, Director of the Writing Resources Center

Come to this workshop with a scholarly paper topic of your choice and three literature sources (e.g., actual articles) pertaining to this topic.  You will begin to prepare a review of these literature sources in this session.

 To RSVP, Click Here.

Seven Principles of Undergraduate Education
Thursday, March 27, 2008
College of Health & Human Services Room #145
4:00 p.m. – 5:00 p.m.
Dr. J. Garvey Pyke, Center for Teaching & Learning

This workshop will help TAs reflect upon the teaching practices they are currently using and help them to incorporate additional teaching practices to be more effective in the classroom.  This workshop is a foundational piece for instruction, but it is most useful after the participants have been teaching for a little while.

Communication in a Flat World: Challenges and Opportunities
Monday, April 7, 2008
College of Education #065
2:30 p.m. – 4:00 p.m.
Dr. Orlando L. Taylor, Vice Provost for Research, Dean of the Graduate School, and Professor of Communications, Howard University
Sponsored by the Chancellor's Diversity Challenge Grant

As Graduate Dean at Howard University since 1993, Vice Provost Taylor has played a significant role in assuring Howard's continued national leadership in graduate education. Howard, a richly diverse institution, produces more African American on-campus Ph.D. recipients than any research university in the United States. Vice Provost Taylor is a leader in several national initiatives involving graduate education. He has been a particularly vigorous advocate and spokesperson on topics and issues relating to access and equity in higher education.

For additional information contact Shawn D. Long, Dept. of Communication Studies sdlong@uncc.edu

To RSVP, Click Here.