ILU Meeting Minutes 17 October 2012
9:30 am – noon, Robarts 4nd floor
WHO WAS THERE:
Jenaya Webb (OISE), Sarah Fedko (UTSC), Judith Logan (Robarts), Susanne Tabur (Gerstein), Richard Carter (St. Mike’s), Eveline Houtman (Robarts), Roma Kail (Victoria), Suzanne Meyers Sawa (Music), Mindy Thuna (UTM), and Sara McDowell (Robarts), Judith Logan (Robarts), Michelle Spence (Engineering), Carla Hagstrom (Gerstein).
Visitors: Karen McCrank (GPS Program Co-ordinator) and Heather Kelly (GPS Director)
REGRETS: Susan Barker and Rita Vine.
MINUTES FROM SEPTEMBER MEETING:
These were passed with no changes.
GRADUATE PROFESSIONAL SKILLS PROGRAM: Heather Kelly and Karen McCrank introduced the committee to this program, which aims to address the reality that most graduate students find careers outside academia. Making professional activities more visible and accessible is one of the program’s major objectives.
The program offers optional workshops and courses to help students increase and deepen such professional assets as communication, time management, interpersonal skills, ethics, teamwork, and entrepreneurial skills. Kelly and McCrank gave the committee a snapshot of UofT graduate students: there are about 15,000 (one of the highest numbers in North America); there are 175 graduate programs at the university; 55 of these are professional programs. Graduate students can now request a transcript notation indicating they have taken workshops and/or courses relating to professional skills. The GPS is open to all graduate students; more than 1,600 have registered already; 50 students have graduated from the program so far; and it’s accessible through the Portal.
To graduate from the GPS program, students must complete 5 GPS credits in 3 of 4 skill areas:
1. Communication: oral presentations, writing, and interpersonal skills
2. Teaching: TATP program
3. Personal Effectiveness: time management, CVs, leadership
4. Research-Related skills: ethics, applying for grants.
GPS course offerings range in length from 3 hours to 12; they involve active learning; and they must be offered regularly. To manage all its workshops and courses, the GPS has teamed up with several program partners, including the UofT Libraries, the Career Centre, the Academic Success Centre, Psychological Services, Hart House, Student Life, TATP, and the Office of Research Ethics.
Assessment of the program’s effectiveness, so far, is anecdotal. But Kelly and McCrank are aiming to get more data on student satisfaction and learning. In the next few years, they intend to further develop what they see as the major gaps in the GPS:
1. Entrepreneurship (especially business plans)
2. Digital Media Literacy Skills
3. Copyright and Publication
4. Service Learning and External Partnerships
Mindy said the UTM library had been involved in the GPS for the previous three years.
PD EVENT UPDATE:
The event will be held in the Multi-Faith Centre (569 Spadina Avenue) on Wednesday December 12th. The morning will chiefly consist of a lecture on UofT students and their experience; the afternoon will involve more hands-on group activities intended to relate information literacy to students and their experience. A 10-minute lightening-round session on assessment will begin the day. Eveline Houtman is the main contact for this event.
NEXT MEETING:
Our next meeting will be Wednesday 21 November 2012.