This morning, we opened the Fall 2014 “Dissertation House for Employees and Non-Traditional Students.” This event is set aside to specifically serve career professionals, and non-traditional students who came back to school to work on their PhDs. Some have children in college, and some are leaders (e.g., VPs, Directors) in their respective professions. For various reasons, the PhD has been elusive … they haven’t had time to finish the dissertation. In the room today, we have a person from the Office of the Provost at a USM school, and attorney who is in the Public Policy program, an Assist. VP,  a clinical professional at a national lab, and some full-time IT professionals. This event is for them, and we invite you to join in. Join us online: https://dissertationhouse.wordpress.com/blog-online-challenge/summer-2014-challenge/

Tips from Dr. Wendy Carter-Veale, the Dissertation Coach and owner of http://www.phdcompletion.com/: 

• *When it was time to go to graduate school, you did whatever you needed to do to get in. You wrote the statement, took the exams, asked for the letters … now I need you to to do whatever you need to do to get out. Be that committed.
• “Stop looking for big blocks of time, carve out 15 minutes each day.”
• “Feedback gets you closer to a PhD, perfection won’t.”

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Tips from Dr. Alexis Williams, Human Development, University of Maryland College Park, Dissertation House Alum:

• Label what is easy, medium, and hard
• Create a system for accountability (I still have an accountability partner!)
• Be systematic and committed
• Set your countdown to defense and place it where you’ll see it every day.
• Build the habit of getting up and showing up for the dissertation. It’s hard but it feels so much better emotionally to do even a little every day.

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Tips from Dr. Nanda Cortes, Biological Sciences, UMBC, Dissertation House Alum:

• Break it into chunks
• Work for a few minutes, finish a graph, do something even if it’s something that doesn’t require a lot of thinking.
• Exercise or have a hobby. It helps clear the mind and makes it easier to work.
• Find a good support group

As one of the co-founders of The Dissertation House, I urged our participants to take this time for themselves. Our career professionals in the room are always doing things for others, and in their dedication to their responsibilities, they haven’t always taken time for themselves. This is that time. We urge you to do the same … move your dissertation forward, today.

–Dr. Renetta G. Tull, Associate Vice Provost for Graduate Student Development and Postdoctoral Affairs, UMBC

Graduate Research Assistantships in Participatory Action Research Project: Work with K-12 Teachers in Baltimore, Maryland.

The Teachers’ Democracy Project (TDP) is a grant-funded research project situated within the Language, Literacy and Culture (LLC) doctoral program at University of Maryland, Baltimore County (UMBC).

TDP will offer research assistantships to up to two graduate students accepted in the LLC Doctoral Program for the Fall of 2015 (application deadline: December 1, 2014). Please indicate in your admissions cover letter that you are also interested in this research assistant position, which will be decided in a separate process from the admissions process.

Research assistants earn a research stipend for 20 hours of work a week, and receive tuition credits for up to 10 credits per semester.  They also receive health benefits, a travel stipend for conferences, and have the opportunity to work on collaborative publications along with the co-researchers in the project.  

The work of a TDP research assistant involves working with the program PI and director on program management, assisting with all aspects of the research project, and direct work with teachers in classrooms.  We are particularly interested in graduate students who have a background in K-12 public education and/or in media production in educational settings.

Please continue reading about this opportunity in the LLC Website (see link below)

Each year, PROMISE and the Graduate School at UMBC host a dinner seminar that allows graduate students to ask questions of faculty. This year, the  “When Faculty Say ‘X’ … ” seminar will be held on Friday, October 10, 2014 in BIO 120.

This is your chance to ask the faculty any questions about expectations, understanding requirements, how they say “no”, how they show their approval, etc.

We will also reflect upon and review past advice from faculty representing many departments in all colleges throughout UMBC.

Your feedback makes this annual session special. Do you have a question that you want a faculty member to answer? Post it in the comment section of this post at the bottom of this page. You may post anonymously.

The following UMBC faculty members will serve as discussants and will answer questions that are posted anonymously, or asked in-person:

• Dr. Susan McDonough – Department of History
• Dr. Kimberly R. Moffitt – Department of American Studies
• Dr. Claudia Galindo – LLC
• Dr. Marie-Christine Daniel-Onuta, Department of Chemistry and Biochemistry
• Dr. Brian Cullum, Department of Chemistry and Biochemistry
• Dr. Tim Oates, Department of Computer Science and Electrical Engineering

UMBC’s graduate students should RSVP here: http://my.umbc.edu/groups/promise/events/26555.

Each year, PROMISE and the Graduate School at UMBC host a dinner seminar that allows graduate students to ask questions of faculty. This year, the  “When Faculty Say ‘X’ … ” seminar will be held on Friday, October 10, 2014 in BIO 120.

This is your chance to ask the faculty any questions about expectations, understanding requirements, how they say “no”, how they show their approval, etc.

We will also reflect upon and review past advice from faculty representing many departments in all colleges throughout UMBC.

Your feedback makes this annual session special. Do you have a question that you want a faculty member to answer? Post it in the comment section of this post at the bottom of this page. You may post anonymously.

The following UMBC faculty members will serve as discussants and will answer questions that are posted anonymously, or asked in-person:

• Dr. Susan McDonough – Department of History
• Dr. Kimberly R. Moffitt – Department of American Studies
• Dr. Claudia Galindo – LLC
• Dr. Marie-Christine Daniel-Onuta, Department of Chemistry and Biochemistry
• Dr. Brian Cullum, Department of Chemistry and Biochemistry
• Dr. Tim Oates, Department of Computer Science and Electrical Engineering

UMBC’s graduate students should RSVP here: http://my.umbc.edu/groups/promise/events/26555.

If you are an employee of UMBC (50% time or more) or a “Non-Traditional” student, and if you are working on your graduate school courses, proposal, or dissertation, then this event is for you! We’ve worked with our UMBC employees who are also graduate students at UMBC, College Park, Northeastern, and other institutions.  This year, we are extending this opportunity to non-traditional students who are coming back to school or working full-time. This time is for you! This session will have support, coaching, and food will be provided for you on both days.

You work hard every day to serve others on our campus! You may be supporting your family members, or you have decided to take some time for yourself to reach your goals.  Now, let us work with you to finish your graduate degree. This version of the “Dissertation House” was created just for you!

Dissertation House for UMBC Employees and Non-Traditional Students
Friday, 10/10/14,   9:00 – 5:00 PM (Part I), COMM 331
Saturday, 10/11/14, 10:00 – 3:00 PM(Part II), COMM 331

Application: https://dissertationhouse.wordpress.com/apply/

Graduate students who are at other schools within the University System of Maryland (http://www.usmd.edu/institutions/) may apply, and will be considered if there is space available.

If you are an employee of UMBC (50% time or more) or a “Non-Traditional” student, and if you are working on your graduate school courses, proposal, or dissertation, then this event is for you! We’ve worked with our UMBC employees who are also graduate students at UMBC, College Park, Northeastern, and other institutions.  This year, we are extending this opportunity to non-traditional students who are coming back to school or working full-time. This time is for you! This session will have support, coaching, and food will be provided for you on both days.

You work hard every day to serve others on our campus! You may be supporting your family members, or you have decided to take some time for yourself to reach your goals.  Now, let us work with you to finish your graduate degree. This version of the “Dissertation House” was created just for you!

Dissertation House for UMBC Employees and Non-Traditional Students
Friday, 10/10/14,   9:00 – 5:00 PM (Part I), COMM 331
Saturday, 10/11/14, 10:00 – 3:00 PM(Part II), COMM 331

Application: http://dissertationhouse.wordpress.com/apply/

Graduate students who are at other schools within the University System of Maryland (http://www.usmd.edu/institutions/) may apply, and will be considered if there is space available.

• Best Course: Civic Agency and Social Entrepreneurship (POLI/AMST/SOCY 205)
• Best Welcome Week Activity: Convocation (including the walk there!)
• Best Dessert in the Skylight Room: Banana Cream Pudding/Pie (whatever it is, it is topped with vanilla wafers and delicious)