Public Engagement

This is part 2 of Karen Buhr's report on Civic Engagement in Graduate Education - Students. Part 1 was posted yesterday.

Ways to get engaged

1. Discover an interdisciplinary center

The university has over 300 interdisciplinary centers. Find out what centers exist in your field and volunteer. You could get involved with recruiting volunteers, advertising for the center or help with ongoing research and projects. Use your skills to promote the causes that are important to you.

2. Preparing Future Faculty

Don’t be scared by the title! The program is great whether you are planning on becoming faculty or not. From trainings on grant writing to mentorship programs, preparing future faculty has learning opportunities for you. Contact them and find out what they offer.

3. Think of practical applications to your thesis/dissertation

We all want our work to be meaningful and not just sit on a shelf collecting dust. Don’t wonder if anyone will ever read your thesis, make it useful. Find an audience that can benefit from your research and deliver that information in a way that will help them. Present your project to a high school class to get them excited about your discipline, present to a community group, or promote your study in the news. Here are some suggestions:

a. Consider presenting your thesis to a high school or junior high school class

b. Write a press release about your project and try to get it published in a local paper

c. Find a practical audience like a community group that could benefit from your research and work with them to make it applicable to their needs.

4. Help your program cross disciplinary boundaries

Feel isolated in your department? Feel like you have a lot in common with students in other disciplines? Are all your friends in other disciplines? Find a way to bring your disciplines together. Examples like the malpractice ball that brings med students together with law students exist all over campus. Create one in your department.

Need funding? Graduate student organizations often provide small grants for special events and projects.

5. Get involved in your department

Many students feel isolated in their own departments, want to meet more people, or don’t know how to get involved. Here are some ways you can get more involved within your own department.

a. Let your advisor, director of graduate studies (DGS), and professors know that you want to get involved. They may have committees that need volunteers or may utilize you when opportunities arise.

b. Volunteer for curriculum committees. Most college curriculum committees have student representatives. Find out who is in charge of your curriculum committee and let them know that you would like to get involved.

c. Go to faculty meetings (if students are welcome). Some departments do not welcome students to faculty meetings, so check with your advisor. Find out what’s happening in your department, your college and your profession. Likely, you will find ways that you can better your department and get recruited for opportunities that will make a difference.

d. Volunteer for search committees. Most faculty and administration search committees have student members. Volunteer yourself to pick the next generation of mentors.

e. Talk with faculty, staff and administration in your department about ways that students can get more involved in the department. It usually helps if you can find other students who are also interested. Find a few friends, make an appointment with people that can make a difference and find out how you and your fellow students can get more involved. Most importantly, the department will know that this is important to students and may offer more opportunities.