Held on the first Thursday of every month, the AGEP Learning Community discusses a wide range of topics related to graduate education and the preparation of future faculty in the STEM and SBES disciplines.
The open invitation to engage in the community activities is to all members of our institution who share the goals of the AGEP initiative, namely the development of a professoriate that reflects the demographic profile of our nation.
This tradition started with three faculty members and three graduate students and now attracts over forty graduate students, post-docs, and faculty from several departments including the Graduate School.
There is a student steering committee that keeps the content of the meetings relevant and the structure flexible as to serve the needs of the participants. Although the structure of the meetings are flexible and dynamic, it always highlights a pair of “cross talks” from student members of the community. These cross talks are short presentations that are delivered without electronic visual aids or handouts, just using the chalk board.
The community also provides opportunities to share key information regarding graduate school success and helps to facilitate a camaraderie that extends beyond the academic setting.