Workshop Overview


Note: the 2007 workshop is over. Find out more about the "Early Career Geoscience Faculty" workshops, or read on for more information about the 2007 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

On-site costs.On the Cutting Edge has funding from the National Science Foundation (DUE-0127310) that helps support our professional development program. However, we are moving toward a model where participants bear some of the operational costs of the workshop, and, this summer, participants must pay a $150 registration fee for the Early Career workshop. This fee will be paid after acceptance to the workshop at the time participants confirm their attendance. Because the workshop is still partially supported by NSF funds, participants must be either US citizens, permanent residents, or in the employ of US institutions. If you don't meet these requirements and are interested in participating in this workshop at your own expense, please contact the workshop conveners.

Travel. 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 March 15, 2007). 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 15, 2007.

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 or 1-757-221-2443.