Published: Jan. 24, 2018

The Graduate Teacher Program (GTP) is launchingits Spring Conference 2018 next week with “New Directions in Higher Education.”

If you go

Who: Graduate students, faculty and staff
What: Spring Conference:“New Directions in Higher Education”
³:Friday, Jan. 26, 5–6:45 p.m.;Saturday, Jan. 27, 8:30 a.m. to 4:30 p.m.
³:Eaton Humanities, room 150;Fleming Building, room 155

Taking placeFriday, Jan. 26, and Saturday, Jan. 27, the event will bring to campus speakers from inside and outside the Front Range on the topics of college pedagogy, academic professional development and employment opportunities for holders of advanced academic degrees.

The conference is designed for graduate students, especially those who work as TAs or GPTIsor serve other instructional roles on campus. It provides a forum for graduate students and faculty to discuss new directions in higher education with a focus on college teaching, the job marketand larger changes that will have an impact on university life during the 21st century.

Events begin at 5p.m. Friday evening in Eaton Humanities, room 150, with snacks and refreshments preceding the keynote address by ProfessorPhilip Fernbach of the Leeds School of Business. His talk, titled “The Knowledge Illusion,” will draw on his much discussed co-authored 2017 book of the same name (Steven Sloman and Philip Fernbach, The Knowledge Illusion: Why We Never Think the Same).

The conference continues on Saturday, with panels beginning at 9 a.m. There will be a second keynote address at 10:45 a.m. in Fleming Building, room 155, by Jeffrey Bennett, who will present “The Race Between Education and Catastrophe.” Bennett received a PhDin astrophysicsfrom ƷSMӰƬ in 1987, has served as a Visiting Senior Scientist at NASA Headquartersand is now the author of several award-winning books and textbooks for students, scholarsand children.

Professor Philip Fernbach

Friday's keynote speaker Professor Philip Fernbach

This year features an original format with panelists from the University of Denver, Portland State University, the University of Wyoming, Regis Universityand ƷSMӰƬ;and two panels of PhDalumni from the humanities, sciencesand social sciences, who have pursued careers outside of higher education after graduation.

The program is especially excited to present a panel of speakers on “Managing Conflict in the Classroom” and an “Ignite Session,” where graduate students can share their research with attendees in short five-minute presentations.

In the past, the GTP held two separate conferences, the Spring Conference, which was largely focused on college pedagogy, and the Collaborative Preparing Future Faculty Network Forum, held the Saturday before spring break, which focused on professional development. The 2018 conference combines these events in order to maximize opportunities for the campus.