Workshop Overview


Note: the 2006 workshop is over. Find out more about the "Early Career Geoscience Faculty" workshops (including a link to next year's), or read on for more information about the 2006 workshop.

Participants must have a faculty position at a two-year or four-year college or at a university and be in their first four years of full-time teaching or be starting a full-time faculty position in the fall.

Workshop goals for participants:

  • Learn about a variety of active learning strategies, different ways to integrate research into geoscience courses, and various grading and assessment techniques.
  • Share ideas and strategies for teaching entry-level courses as well as upper-level courses.
  • Consider successful strategies for maintaining an active research program and advising/supervising undergraduate and graduate research students.
  • Discuss life as an early-career faculty member and explore ways to balance teaching, research, and service responsibilities.
  • Leave with examples of assignments and activities for various courses, strategies for balancing competing demands, a support network of other early career faculty, and a plan for managing your early career as an academic.

EXPECTATIONS
Within one year of the workshop, each participant will write a progress report and will submit either a short (one to two page) letter of advice for other early career faculty or an assignment or activity developed after the workshop to be posted on the website.

COST
The operational costs of the workshop as well as room, board, and workshop materials are covered by a grant from the NSF Division of Undergraduate Education (DUE-0127310). Participants or their home institutions must provide transportation to and from the workshop. In cases of unusual hardship, we will be able to offer a few small stipends to help defray travel costs (Application deadline April 10, 2006). For more information about the workshops, including travel funds, please visit general information for workshop participants.

APPLICATION AND SELECTION CRITERIA
The workshop size is limited. The final list of participants will be established with the goal of assembling a group representing a wide range of experiences and educational environments. The application deadline is March 17, 2006.

FACILITIES
The workshop will be held at the College of William and Mary, Williamsburg, VA. Participants will be housed in dorms on campus and will eat meals on campus.

FOR MORE INFORMATION
Please contact Heather Macdonald (mailto:rhmacd@wm.edu) or 1-757-221-2443.