Graduate College Annual Workshop

The Graduate College is pleased to host the annual workshop for Faculty & Staff February 20-21, 2024.

The format of this year's event will be a mix of virtual and in person opportunities. Event details can be found below.

Tuesday, February 20, I-Hotel & Conference Center

Agenda                 Illinois Ballroom

8:30 a.m.               Refreshments/Networking

8:45-9:00              Welcome & Graduate Contact Excellence Award Presentation

9:00-9:15               Lightning Round

9:15-9:45               Annual Briefing of Graduate Education at Illinois (view slides)
                               Presented by Wojtek Chodzko-Zajko, Dean 

9:45-10:00            Break/Transition to Breakout Rooms

Wednesday, February 21

Session details will be available soon. These sessions will be held by Zoom. Zoom links will be shared with those who register for the session.

10:00-11:00     Q&A Session with GC Staff on Hot Topics (no slides available)

3:00-4:00       Fellowship Office Updates (no slides available)

1:30-2:30        Faculty Staff Assistance – Setting Boundaries for Wellness at Work (view slides)

About the Sessions

Graduate Contact Orientation/Department Resources

Presented by: Associate Director of Student Success, Emily Wuchner and Assistant Director of Academic Affairs, Matt Abbott

Get acquainted with campus policies, procedures and resources that will be helpful to you in your role as a Graduate Contact. 

Inclusive Mentoring

Presented by: Associate Dean Zeynep Madak-Erdogan and Assistant Dean of Lisa Abston

This workshop will explore inclusive mentoring practices for mentoring diverse groups of students. Also, the workshop will provide guidance on setting expectations and providing feedback in a way that bolsters cultural sensitivities.

Department Conversations and Collaboration

Moderated by: John Moist, Communications Specialist

Join us for an interactive and exciting round-table session where we will explore the following themes and topics: 

• Student Engagement

• Meeting Graduate Student Needs

• Meeting Faculty/Staff Needs

The goals of this session will be to connect, share, and learn about what units are doing in these spaces. Additionally, we hope to gather information to understand resources/tools that would be helpful to support faculty/staff needs as they support students.

Admission Topics – Options for Increasing Yield following SCOTUS

Presented by: Assistant Dean for Diversity, Equity and Inclusion, Lisa Abston

This workshop will focus on recruiting a diverse group of students in light of the recent SCOTUS decision. We will discuss strategies for increasing yield.

Fellowship Office Updates

Presented by: Assistant Dean, Fellowships, Ken Vickery and Director, Fellowship Processing, Meredith Wilmert

Join the Fellowship Office staff for conversations related to fellowship processing.

Q&A Session with GC Staff on Hot Topics

Hosted by: Graduate College Staff

In this session, the “floor” is yours. We will have several breakout rooms available with GC staff present to offer opportunities for you to interact and ask questions on the following topics:

• Student Service Team: Matt Abbott is excited to introduce the Student Service Team and answer any questions about their services available.

• Slate Q&A: Elaina Mullins invites you to bring your Slate questions – from admissions to registration forms. Staff will be on hand to provide information and brief demonstrations if needed.

• Data Tools: Chat with Eristeo Perez, Graduate College Data Specialist to ask about the kinds of data available to units across campus.

• Wellness Resources: Chat with Andrea Bridges, GC Wellness Coordinator, to learn about wellness resources available in our campus community.

• Recruiting Opportunities/Resources: Assistant Director for Graduate Diversity, Equity, & Inclusion will be on hand to speak about recruitment strategies and programming opportunities for diverse student demographics.

• Academic Policy Information – Assistant Dean Allison McKinney will be available to address questions about academic policies, including those regarding time limits for preliminary exams and degree completion mentioned in last fall's communication.

Faculty Staff Assistance – Setting Boundaries for Wellness at Work

Presented by: Josh Hagerstrom, LCPC - Clinical Counselor, Faculty Staff Assistance and Well-Being Services

As we juggle the multiple priorities of our work, it can sometimes be challenging to make space for ourselves. Josh Hagerstrom from Faculty/Staff Assistance Services will facilitate a conversation about strategies to support our wellness in the workplace and beyond.