In response to the evolving landscape of graduate education, we are excited to announce the Graduate Student Experience Symposium. As experienced adult learners, our graduate students have unique motivations and preferences that require innovative, tailored academic opportunities and support services. The Symposium aims to address these needs. The Symposium is open for graduate faculty, staff, and graduate students to attend.

Why Attend

By attending this symposium, participants will gain valuable insights into the latest trends and strategies in graduate education. They will have the opportunity to network with peers, share their innovations and best practices, and learn about research on graduate education. This event is an excellent opportunity for staff, faculty, and graduate students to come together, engage in meaningful discussions to enhance the graduate student experience and ensuring that our institution remains at the forefront of graduate education innovation.

Submissions to present at the Symposium are open to all members of the Georgia Tech community.  The Symposium will include the following session types:

• Lightning Rounds Sessions: 5-minute presentations in a common themed area followed by Q&A for the presenters
• Standard Sessions: comprised of 15-20-minute talks highlighting in-depth studies, innovations, or research in graduate education
• Panel Discussion Sessions: with students and experts
• Strategy Discussion Sessions: round-table discussions on challenges or opportunities in particular topics of interest

Abstracts for panel discussion proposals should include the names of the panelists and a description of the topic. The Strategy Sessions should have a short overview of a challenge or opportunity followed by interactive round-table discussions. The associated abstract should outline the topic, scope of the discussion prompts, and goals for the session.

Submissions are invited on the broad topic of the Graduate Student Experience.  A sampling of topics includes but is not limited to the following:

• Mentoring in research
• Academic support and enrichment, such as tutoring, academic advisement, peer mentoring
• Skill/knowledge building of foundational topics for success in Graduate School such as research methods courses and bootcamps on statistics, math, or programming
• Professional or career development opportunities, both within a curriculum or outside of it
• Innovative Curricular or Co-curricular models or topics
• Credit and non-credit credentials
• Teaching methods that focus on masters or PhD types of courses
• Student Success Strategies such as tracking degree progress and performance
• Research on graduate education
• Use of AI in Research
• Student engagement programs
• Mental health and wellbeing
• Programs to support international students
• Engagement and belonging
• Data-informed academic program management

This symposium is a outcome of the work done in the Graduate Transformative Teaching and Learning Institute Strategic Initiative. More details on these topics can be found on that website.