School of Graduate Studies
Queen's UniversityExpanding Horizons
Workshops for Graduate and Professional Students
Table of Contents
Overview - what is the EXPANDING HORIZONS Workshops Series?
The School of Graduate Studies (SGS), in partnership with student service providers at Queen’s, offers Expanding Horizons - a series of workshops and seminars to support the academic, personal, and professional success of our graduate students. Graduate students are encouraged to participate according to their needs and interests and may take one or as many workshops/seminars as they would like. Graduate students may also be interested in attending an assortment of workshops across theme areas in order to earn a Certificate in Professional Development in the process (see below).
- Communication & Interpersonal Skills: The ability to communicate effectively in written, oral and visual formats to a variety of audiences using a wide range of media is a critically important skill. Sharing knowledge and expertise, disseminating information to peers, decision makers, academics and the general public requires good communication and presentation skills. Interpersonal skills are also important because they determine how well we connect with others, including diverse audiences, and partners in collaborative projects. Strong communication and interpersonal skills are valuable assets that can contribute to success in academia, industry, government or agencies.
- Management and Leadership Skills: Knowing how to manage oneself, other people, resources and time effectively and efficiently enables a rewarding and balanced life. Learning to set and develop goals and milestones as well as to plan and manage projects are valuable organizational skills that are transferable to many situations. Employers value advanced degree graduates who have the leadership skills to generate creative ideas and objectives and to lead others to accomplish these objectives. Discovering how to balance personal wellness and professional demands is an essential grounding for an effective and satisfying career.
- Teaching and Knowledge Transfer Skills: Graduate students are often called upon to explain or teach complex concepts related to their discipline or research area. A good teacher identifies learning outcomes, and selects both appropriate content and delivery models. To facilitate learning in different contexts can require adapting instructional, outreach and dissemination activities and the consideration of different learning styles, motivations, backgrounds and experiences. Development of teaching and knowledge transfer skills can be of benefit to all graduate students in their academic and professional lives.
- Integrity & Ethical Conduct: Graduate students need to hone and develop skills that will assist them in making sound judgements and good choices based on a solid grasp of ethical principles and practices. Researchers and other professionals must understand and comply with professional codes of conduct and standards of practice in and beyond their own discipline. Graduate students need information about ethical considerations in situations involving conflict of interest, authorship, copyright and intellectual property in order to make sound decisions and judgements.
- Society and Civic Responsibilities: The workplace and study environment are becoming progressively more diverse and graduate students are increasingly becoming global citizens. Learning about cultural identities and work styles, the values of inclusivity and diversity and how graduate students can foster a healthy, respectful and safe learning environment for all will lead to cultural competency.
- Career Development: Career development is about exploring options, marketing yourself, planning and preparing for your future. The approach you take may depend on whether you are considering a career in industry, education, government, academia, or something else entirely. Fundamental skills in creating a curriculum vitae (CV) or resume that stands out, writing cover letters that inform and preparing for interviews will help in your job search. Strategies to help graduate students determine what career path to take and how to arrive there are valuable tools for career planning.
Partners – Career Services, Health Counselling and Disability Services, the Centre for Teaching and Learning, Human Rights Office, Human Resources, Learning Commons - Queen’s Library, Learning Strategies and the Writing Centre, MITACS, Learning Strategies Development Program, Office of Research Services, and Queen’s University International Centre.
Scheduling –Workshops will be scheduled throughout the academic year and will take place (where possible) on a Tuesday or Thursday from 4:00 to 5:30 pm. During the summer months some longer workshops will be offered over a one- or two-day period.
Registration – Graduate students need to register once for access to the Moodle system using their Queen’s Net-ID and password. Once in the system, students select the SGS Expanding Horizons “course” (listed under Graduate Studies in course categories, sub-category Exp.H, then when in to the outline, click the SGS Expanding Horizons title on the left to log in) and register for a specific workshop or several. You will only be able to register for workshops available in the current term. Students may add to or cancel their registration for a particular workshop at any time. There is no cost, but registration is required in order to track participation to determine eligibility for a certificate of completion and also to administer workshop evaluation.
For workshops hosted by MITACS, you will need to register directly with MITACS (http://www.mitacs.ca/step). MITACS will provide us the names of those who participated, so we can manually add you to our system.
See how to register and the Term schedule for Expanding Horizons Workshops in the Events section of the SGS website.
Workshop Descriptions
Communication & Interpersonal Skills
| Workshop |
Information Literacy Skills: Expected vs Reality (Facilitated by the Libraries) |
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| Description | Presenters:
Information literacy (IL) is a set of abilities that enables individuals to meet information needs with effective information strategies and answers. Information challenges persist across a lifetime; they are present in daily life, in the workplace, and in all learning environments. Within any university course or program, a parallel IL curriculum exists although it is often not articulated in the syllabus. Nevertheless, there are expectations that students will engage with information in many ways such as analyzing scholarly literature to clarify and extend personal understanding. In reality, students often rely on the web for critical information with the popular usage of Google and Wikipedia. In this active workshop, participants will collectively define IL skills through building an IL framework of information-related core skills and then to discuss what factors in the classroom environment and course design could best enable IL skills development. |
| Workshop |
How to Write a Literature Review (Facilitated by Susan Korba - The Writing Centre) |
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| Description | Learning how to identify existing scholarship on a subject and to critically evaluate it is an essential skill in both academia and beyond. This workshop focuses on how to conduct and then integrate a literature review into a thesis in a purposeful and meaningful way. The workshop emphasizes the transferrable skills associated with conducting literature reviews that employers outside academia highly value. |
| Workshop |
Presentation Skills for Graduate Students (Facilitated by Learning Strategies Development Program) |
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| Description | Do you have an important presentation to give? Are you presenting your research, teaching a class, or defending your thesis? This workshop offers practical strategies to plan, organize, and structure a professional presentation, deliver that presentation in an engaging way, and effectively answer questions. Use your skills in the classroom, at a conference, or in the workplace. |
| Workshop |
Managing Presentation Anxiety (Facilitated by Learning Strategies Development Program) |
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| Description | Do you get anxious just thinking about giving a presentation or speaking in front of a group? Do you worry that you will freeze, look too nervous or ill-prepared? This workshop will provide information on what causes anxiety, strategies for dealing with presentation anxiety and also provide the opportunity to practise presenting a 5-minute introduction in front of the group. |
| Workshop |
Getting Published (Facilitated by School of Graduate Studies) |
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| Description | This seminar/workshop will provide insight on how the world of academic publishing works. You will develop a better understanding of how different commercial publishing models (subscription based and 'open access') work, and how their survival strategies have an impact on your choice of journals. You will also come to appreciate how journal editors determine which articles are desirable for their publications. |
| Workshop |
Writing for a Broader Audience (Facilitated by Susan Korba - The Writing Centre) |
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| Description | This workshop will focus on how to modify academic writing such as theses and articles for professional and popular contexts outside the academy. You will be required to communicate your research with passion and clarity to non-specialist audiences, and to measure your effectiveness in reaching diverse audiences. |
| Workshop |
Personality Theory and Communication (Facilitated by Shannon Hill - Human Resources) |
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| Description | No matter what work you do or what you study, your success is influenced by your personality. The Myers-Briggs Type Indicator (MBTI) is one of the most valued self-assessment tools in use today for understanding our behaviour in relation to others. Using the MBTI, you'll learn how one’s personality impacts on communication, negotiation, team performance and the capacity to positively influence others. Participants in this workshop will be given a MBTI to complete and submit one week beforehand. |
Management and Leadership Skills
| Workshop |
Time Management: Procrastination & Motivation (Facilitated by Learning Strategies Development Program) |
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| Description |
Do you put off work? Scramble to make deadlines? Feel as though there are not enough hours in the day? Have a big project and don't know where to start? This workshop will to help you to identify priorities, become motivated, avoid procrastination, and schedule time effectively. Learn practical tools and ideas to manage projects, meet deadlines, and achieve both long-term and short-term goals. Presentation Slide Show (487 KB)
Notes on Time Management (130KB) |
| Workshop |
Stress Management for Graduate Students (Facilitated by Learning Strategies Development Program) |
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| Description | Developing effective ways to manage stress in academia, private life, and the workplace is essential to maintaining a healthy personal and professional life. The challenges of balancing multiple and competing demands will be addressed in discussion and workshop format. There will be an emphasis on learning practical mind/body stress reduction techniques, based on cognitive and behavioural research. |
| Workshop |
Foundations of Project Management I: A Team-Based Approach (Facilitated by MITACS) |
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| Description | An introduction to project management with an emphasis on understanding the project plan and its effect on team dynamics |
| Workshop |
Foundations of Project Management II: A Team-Based Approach (Facilitated by MITACS) |
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| Description | Prerequisite: Foundations of Project Management I. This workshop focuses on implementation of the project plan and understanding of the status of a project, resource allocation and wrapping. |
| Workshop |
Team Building Excellence (Facilitated by MITACS) |
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| Description |
More than ever, in today’s world, organizational success depends on people working together - effectively. The pressure to communicate productively, quickly turn ideas into profitable action and consistently deliver results never decreases. People working from a clear understanding of personal strengths and an appreciation of the differences in others will be the foundation of success in the future.
This workshop is a fun, interactive, and productive way to not only focus a team on a common goal, but also inspire the very skills needed to be a part of a successful team. For some reason, most of us tend to think we work in isolation. In this high-energy experience, teams compete for points and prizes (optional). This challenge combines the aspects of risk versus reward forcing teams to make decisions that affect their ability to produce results with ease. This experience increases our awareness to the downstream impact of our communication and decisions, and the way those decisions get amplified by the structure of the organization. Get ready to test the strength of our lines of communication and teamwork. |
| Workshop |
Dealing with Perfectionism in Writing (Facilitated by Learning Strategies Development Program) |
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| Description | If perfectionism hinders completion of your writing and/or causes undue emotional stress, this workshop will offer guidance in meeting these challenges. In this session, you will evaluate the effects of perfectionism on your writing, learn about practical anti-perfectionism strategies to help you begin and complete projects, and help you move your paper off your desk and into your supervisor’s hands. |
| Workshop |
Leading with Emotional Intelligence (Facilitated by Jacoba de Vos, Human Resources) |
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| Description | Understanding the essentials about Emotional Intelligence (EQ) is an important and valuable skill for working with different people with distinct personalities. The workshop provides instruction on learning to to foster a more productive and engaging collaborative environment. New research shows that, unlike IQ, emotional and social intelligence can be developed and increased during any point in your career. |
| Workshop |
Bridging the Generation Gap (Facilitated by Shannon Hill - Human Resources) |
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| Description | New graduates entering the workplace, will work with people from different generations. The key to working effectively with different generations is developing an understanding of generational influences, values, and what motivates people. Learning to appreciate and utilize this diversity in a positive way can enhance our workplace. In this workshop, we explore the characteristics and strengths of each generation and develop strategies for improving communication and multi-generation team performance. |
Teaching & Knowledge Transfer Skills
| Workshop |
Tips on Applying for Scholarships and Fellowships (Facilitated by School of Graduate Studies) |
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| Description |
This session will provide information about what makes an application stand out, what sells and what doesn’t, and how best to present your research. Faculty members who have sat on review panels for Tri-Council Agencies will share their experiences and address questions. PDF of Presentation Slide Show (265KB) |
| Workshop |
Providing Effective Feedback on Student Writing (Facilitated by Susan Korba - the Writing Centre) |
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| Description | One of the most challenging aspect of teaching is the need to grade students’ written work; in particular, evaluating the strengths and weaknesses of student writing and providing succinct and useful commentary can be difficult. Teachers often feel overwhelmed by the sheer volume of assignments/essays to be marked and/or unsure about how to address students’ specific problems; students often feel frustrated by a lack of specific feedback and a clear explanation of what they’ve done “wrong”. In this session, we will discuss expectations around marking written assignments – those of teachers and students – and explore strategies for responding to student writing that will result in fair and consistent grading and specific and useful feedback. |
| Workshop |
Principles of Teaching and Learning (Facilitated by the Centre for Teaching and Learning) |
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| Description | This session describes the key concepts that connect teaching with learning and explores how what the teacher does can influence what the student does and learns. |
| Workshop |
Revising Graduate-Level Writing (Facilitated by Susan Korba - the Writing Centre) |
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| Description | This workshop will address the fundamentals of editing a large project, from polishing a draft to integrating your supervisor’s comments. |
| Workshop |
Preparing an effective research grant application (Facilitated by Office of Research Services) |
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| Description | This workshop provides tools and strategies on how to write a persuasive and compelling grant application. Topics include: the importance of starting early, writing with simplicity and clarity, defining a project with a realistic scope, and demonstrating effectively your ability to carry out the research. |
| Workshop |
Assessment for Learning (Facilitated by Denise Stockley, the Centre for Teaching and Learning) |
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| Description | With what we evaluate signaling what we want students to learn, this session discusses the options, selection, and implementation of assessment for supporting student learning. |
| Workshop |
Teaching for Inclusivity (Facilitated by the Centre for Teaching and Learning) |
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| Description | This session explores how to create teaching and learning environments that are inclusive and respectful of diversity, where everyone is encouraged to participate. |
| Workshop |
Writing for your Audience: From Academia to Industry (On-line) (Facilitated by: MITACS) |
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| Description | Participants listen to a voiced lecture and receive feedback on their written work. Each week consist of a single module over a 4 week period. Each module in this series is based on effective business writing principles and includes writing exercises, additional resources and writing aids. |
Integrity and Ethical Conduct
| Workshop |
Intellectual Property: Publications & Patents (Facilitated by the Office of Research Services) |
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| Description | Laurie Vaughan-Evans, Research Contracts Manager in the Office of Research Services, will provide a brief overview of Queen's University's approach to the protection of intellectual property arising from research projects. In particular, Laurie will address issues of importance to graduate students and their supervisors. It is never too early in one's research career to consider the importance of protecting your intellectual property and ensuring that appropriate steps are taken to allow the fullest impact of your research discoveries. |
| Workshop |
An introduction to copyright, creative commons and Intellectual Property (Facilitated by MITACS, with participation by Queen’s Copyright Advisory Office) |
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| Description | The presentation will introduce the types of IP; namely, trade secrets, patents, trade-marks, copyrights and industrial designs. |
| Workshop |
Integrity in Research Services and Academics (Facilitated by Susan Marlin, AVP, Vice Principal (research)) |
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| Description |
Professionalism and leadership in graduate student research and in your subsequent career entails a strong understanding of ethical principles and the ability to apply these principles wisely and judiciously. Knowledge of professional codes of conduct and standards that are specific to your discipline and to the research world more broadly is essential. Such practical issues as managing conflict of interest, defining authorship in collaborative projects, ensuring confidentiality and protecting research participants will be explored in this workshop. Presentation of Integrity in Research Services & Academics slideshow (588 KB) |
| Workshop |
Good Citation Practices (Facilitated by Michael White – the Library) |
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| Description | The Library's collection of citation-tracking databases offers new search and analytical capabilities that can help you understand the impact of your research over time. Knowing where and how often your work is being cited is useful when preparing grant applications, applying for a new academic or research position, preparing a tenure or promotion portfolio and deciding where to submit an article for publication. This workshop will cover the basics of citation searching in Web of Science, Google Scholar and other databases. You will learn how to create an alert that will notify you when someone cites your paper in a published article. We will also discuss the various metrics (h-index, Eigenfactor, impact factor, etc.) used to determine both personal and journal impact factors. Bring your current CV or list of publications. |
| Workshop |
Understanding Student Learning (Facilitated by Joy Mighty, the Center for Teaching and Learning) |
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| Description | Students learn through multiple ways and at multiple levels; this session navigates through the diverse approaches to learning and the creation of learning goals. |
| Workshop |
Workplace Legislation and Legal Issues (Facilitated by Shannon Hill - Human Resources) |
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| Description | Participants will learn about the legal framework of Canadian law, as it applies to the workplace, that is essential knowledge for all workers. It is important, regardless of one’s role, to be aware of our rights and responsibilities in relation to current legislation. This is particularly crucial when working in the government sector and for people with supervisory responsibilities. The importance of knowing workplace policies and procedures will be covered as well as mandatory compliance training. The following types of legislation will be discussed: Employment Standards Act, Freedom of Information and Protection of Privacy Act (FIPPA) and the Occupational Health and Safety Act. |
Society and Civic Responsibilities
| Workshop |
Mental Health Helping Skills (Facilitated by Mike Condra, Health, Counselling & Disability Services) |
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| Description |
This workshop is designed to equip attendees with knowledge and skills so that they can:
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| Workshop |
Introduction to Aboriginal Culture (Facilitated by Four Directions/Faculty of Education) |
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| Description | This workshop is currently being developed and will be available for the 2012/13 academic year. |
| Workshop |
Intercultural Competence, Part 1 (Facilitated by the Queen's University International Centre) |
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| Description | Participants will learn the significance of culture in forming an individual's world view and specifically in communication styles. They will become familiar with some dimensions of intercultural competence for success in multicultural environments |
| Workshop |
Intercultural Competence, Part 2 (Facilitated by the Queen's University International Centre) |
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| Description | Participants will complete the Intercultural Development Inventory (IDI) which is based on the Developmental Model of Intercultural Sensitivity (DMIS). The session will look at the average results for the group as a means of becoming familiar with the measurement items. Individual consultations, offered in confidence by IDI-qualified administrators, will be available upon request. Participants will explore the next steps toward increasing intercultural competency. |
| Workshop |
Working in a Diverse Workforce (Facilitated by Shannon Hill, Human Resources) |
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| Description | This workshop will assist you to in developing strategies to successfully work in today’s diverse work environment. We will define diversity as it applies to the workplace, discuss the importance of increasing our self-awareness, explore different cultural work styles, cross-cultural communication, and interacting with persons with disabilities. |
| Workshop |
Human Rights and Equity in the Workplace (Facilitated by Stephanie Simpson, the Human Rights Office) |
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| Description | The ability to participate fully and equitably in places of work is considered fundamental to human dignity. Several pieces of Canadian legislation protect workers from various forms of harassment and discrimination in workplaces and place obligations on employers to make workplaces inclusive and accessible . In this interactive session, participants will learn about the equity and human rights responsibilities of both employees and employers in Canada as set out in documents such as the Charter of Rights and Freedoms, the Ontario Human Rights Code, the Accessibility for Ontarians with Disabilities Act (AODA) and "Bill 168". |
Career Development
| Workshop |
Teaching Dossier (Facilitated by Carolyn Hoessler, the Centre for Teaching & Learning) |
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| Description | This session will introduce the nature and structure of teaching dossiers, which are a valuable summary of accomplishments, strengths, and directions as a teacher increasingly submitted when applying for academic positions. |
| Workshop |
Networking (Facilitated by MITACS) |
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| Description | This workshop explores the building and maintaining of professional relationships through effective networking. We will cover the 10 rules of effective networking, and explore how to use and not abuse your network, how to make the first minute count, how to listen carefully and how to follow-up. Participants will learn the importance of sharing contacts, and will receive insights on how to refresh, build, and make the most of the networks they already have. |
| Workshop |
Curricula Vitae (CVs), Résumés and Cover Letters that Convey Your Strengths (Facilitated by Christine Fader, Career Services) |
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| Description | An application that features clear and memorable descriptions of your abilities will distinguish you from other applicants—and it can win you an interview. Find out about best formats and how to customize sections of the resume or CV to demonstrate a match between you and the work you want. Discover ways to relate your education and experience to familiar and new fields. |
| Workshop |
The New Job Search: To Academic and Beyond in Industry, Government and Business (Facilitated by Christine Fader, Career Services) |
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| Description | Learn techniques that minimize the time and maximize the results of "after graduation" work search. Learn about effective methods and resources for prospecting new opportunities. Find out what you need to know, what to do, where to look and who to contact, as well as how to schedule your search, optimize references and establish effective networks. Obtain information on respectful approaches to getting around the gate-keepers and tips on handling prospective contacts and references. |
| Workshop |
Interviewing for Academia, Industry, Government and Business (Facilitated by Julia Blackstock,Career Services and Dr Sandra den Otter, SGS) |
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| Description |
This workshop will cover what to expect in all kinds of interviews. Find out how to develop confidence in a presentation and in answering tough questions including those that are technical, behavioral and problem-based. Discover strategies for staying focused when talking about past experiences.. Learn practical tips on interview preparation, giving relevant evidence to support your strengths, asking questions, overcoming problems, addressing weaknesses, and following-up after the interview.
Powerpoint Presentation on interviewing (206KB) |
| Workshop |
Job Search for International Graduate and Professional Students (Facilitated by Career Services) |
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| Description | In this workshop tailored for international graduate and professional students, learn what to expect as you transition to the North American workplace, how to identify and illustrate the benefits of your international education and experience and what you can do to improve your job search skills in a new culture. Topics include networking, workers’ rights and responsibilities, gaining Canadian experience, using Career Services resources, and practical tips for increasing your effectiveness in finding a job. |