Tag: workshops

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Office of General Education

Student communications blast off from the Office of General Education

Energy is high on the Hilltop as we welcome students back to campus.

This academic year, the Office of General Education is committed to enhancing the student experience by providing programming to connect students to SMU resources and help them stay on track toward graduation. Plus, we want each student to get the most out of the Common Curriculum.

As we work towards this mission, the Office of General Education has begun student communications to keep all undergraduate Mustangs in the loop of campus offerings.

A quick look at two recent communications sent to all undergraduate students is featured below:

Sender Subject Line Brief Description
The Office of General Education (gened@smu.edu)  Welcome Mustang! Scheduling information about Common Curriculum workshops and pop-ups. A link to Zoom office hours was provided, increasing the accessibility of our services.
Peer Academic Leaders (peeracademicleaders@smu.edu) Ready to PAL around? Let’s connect you with campus resources and more! Information about the Peer Academic Leaders (PALs) program and its various services. Booking.SMU and SMU360 links were referenced.

We hope you may amplify or point students to these communications in your interactions. Specifically encouraging Degree Planner and other programming.

We look forward to keeping you and our students informed throughout the year. Please direct feedback to gened@smu.edu.

Categories
Office of Engaged Learning Office of Engaged Learning – Research

A Look at the 2023 Summer Research Intensive So Far

SRI Workshop

The Summer Research Intensive program has reached its halfway point and has already been jam-packed with lots of opportunities for collaboration and networking. Undergraduate Research Assistants gather weekly to hone their skills in professional development workshops, learn from the experiences of faculty members (Summer Research Symposium), and engage with each other outside of research (“Real Talk” lunches). 

Whether it be coding qualitative data or looking at viscosity studies in chemiluminescence, many of the summer researchers have been able to make strides in their research studies with their faculty mentor, along with building connections with other cohort members in the weekly SRI sessions. 

“My favorite part of workshops have probably been the ability to meet other people doing research. The ability to share our unique experiences through the exercises and lessons we do has proven to be very fun and interesting,” says Connor McAlpin, undergraduate research assistant working with Dr. Chrystyna Kouros (Psychology). 

In highlighting one of the professional development workshops thus far, SMU Librarian Director for Educational Initiatives Megan Heuer led a session and took a deep dive into literature reviews for research and for papers. She discussed the different components of a literature review and the resources available to students that will assist them in finding sources relevant to their research questions. 

Brynn Price, senior undergraduate researcher at SMU, discussed how the workshop with Heuer “will prove especially helpful as{she}was asked to help with a systematic review in the coming months.” Brynn is working with Dr. Jeanna Wieselmann (Teaching & Learning) and Dr. Emma Wilson (English). 

“The most impactful point of the discussion was how we should go about formulating a research question and what resources we should use to do so… It helped to streamline and visualize the step-by-step process for my research,” said Marc Pham, undergraduate research assistant working in the lab of Dr. Joe Camp (Electrical & Computer Engineering).

As the undergraduate researchers continue to move through the SRI, the hope is that they will gain a better understanding of what being a research assistant entails and expand their horizon on what research opportunities may be available for them upon their undergraduate career.  

Students in the Summer Research Intensive will be presenting their work on a Three Minute Thesis-style competition on Thursday, July 27, at 2pm in the Hughes-Trigg Chamber. This is open to the public so all are welcome to attend and support these students!

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Office of General Education SMU in Four Student Academic Engagement & Success

Office of General Education publishes a schedule of student outreach efforts

Throughout the Spring 2023 semester, the Office of General Education will host a variety of student outreach events in the form of pop-ups and workshops to answer questions about the Common Curriculum, University Curriculum, and the new Degree Planner tool in my.SMU.

Pop-Up Tabling Events

Can’t stop by the GenEd office? No problem. We will come to you! Pop-ups are an opportunity to quickly stop by our table and ask questions related to your degree plan, general education requirements, proficiencies and experience, petitions, the Second Language Requirement, and much more. Upcoming pop-up dates and locations include:

Fondren Library by Starbucks

  • January 25, 2-4pm
  • February 15, 2-4pm
  • March 8, 2-4pm
  • March 29, 2-4pm
  • April 12, 2-4pm

Meadows Owens Arts Center, in the Taubman Atrium

  • April 5, 1-3pm

Caruth Hall- Mary Alice and Mark Shepherd Jr. Atrium

  • April 19, 10am-12pm

Common Curriculum Workshops

Why does SMU have general education requirements? What are Proficiencies and Experiences? How and when should I satisfy each requirement? Workshops dive deeper into your Common Curriculum questions and provide in-person support in completing your Degree Planner. Join us for these one-hour working sessions. Upcoming spring 2023 workshops dates include:

Laura Lee Blanton, Blanton 110/112

Sign up for a Common Curriculum Workshop via SMU Connect.

Any other questions, comments, or concerns? Contact the Office of General Education, sign up for an appointment with a team member, or stop by our office in Laura Lee Blanton Suite 102.