Grad symposium largest ever
More opportunities for more students: Associate Dean
With 23 presenters, this year’s graduate symposium showcased the work of the most students ever, says Associate Dean Charlotte Enns.
“We also had really good attendance for all of the sessions, which was really encouraging,” she said.
Presentations spanned a range of topics—from technology and freedom in academic inquiry to teacher mentoring in Manitoba schools. For students, the Education Graduate Student Research Symposium presents several opportunities, Enns said, explaining that presenters may be almost completed their topic or still collecting data. Regardless, advisers are encouraging students to participate.
“I am very pleased that faculty members are encouraging students to present—not just a thesis, but comprehensive papers and even course-related assignments in this forum. It really showcases a broader range of the work that our students are doing.”
The idea is to make students competitive for scholarships, research grants and funding, Enns says, adding they gain experience presenting in a concise format, get feedback from the audience and credits for their resume, including a publication credit when their paper is uploaded to the faculty website.
Increasingly, the symposium is run for students by students. This year, the newly formed Education Graduate Students Association (EdGSA) took on much of the responsibility for organizing this year’s symposium, including vetting the papers and setting up the sessions.
“They came up with the theme. They came up with the session topics, logistics and co-facilitating the sessions,” Enns says. “I would like to give them more responsibility so that in the end, they’re running it.”
