Communications

Date: Jan 19, 2011

To: University Students in Charlottesville and at the College at Wise

From: Bob Pianta, Dean, Curry School of Education

Re: Inauguration Academic Symposium: Request for student proposals

Students from across the University are invited to submit proposals for presentations at a day-long academic symposium on the use of evidence in the improvement of teaching in higher education. The symposium is part of the celebration of the Inauguration of Teresa A. Sullivan as eighth president of the University of Virginia. Students are encouraged to attend the symposium sessions, to register to attend the symposium lunch, to participate as discussants for faculty-led presentations, and to make presentations of their own work.

The symposium, which will take place on April 14, 2011, will begin with a keynote presentation by Lee Shulman, PhD, professor emeritus of education at Stanford University and president emeritus of the Carnegie Foundation for the Advancement of Teaching.  

Research presentations will be structured in three 80-minute symposium-format sessions throughout the day--two in the morning and one after lunch. Each 80-minute session will include a moderator, two 20-minute research presentations, and discussants familiar with the work presented in the session. Students who have led or been involved with research on teaching are invited to submit a proposal for a 20-minute presentation to be included as a part of a session.

The aim of each presentation is to identify ways in which the collection and analysis of evidence related to teaching (e.g. curricular structure, teaching quality, student outcomes) have been used to improve teaching and learning outcomes. Presentations should be illustrative exemplars and must be framed by substantive issues and results presented in terms of portability to other contexts and broader impacts across the University. Proposals for presentations should identify a substantive area or problem that is the primary focus of the work. Some suggestions include the following, but students should feel free to submit work from other areas.

•     Assessment of learning outcomes and teaching quality

•     Clinical teaching, including simulation

•     Coursework innovation

•     Teaching with technology

•     Curriculum development

•     Diversity: including gender, race/ethnicity, culture, economic status, sexual orientation

•     Research supervision/instruction (undergraduate and graduate) and mentorship

•     Community engagement, leadership, professional socialization

Proposals, using the submission form at https://www.virginia.edu/inauguration/proposals/ are due by Jan. 31 for review by the Inauguration Academic Symposium Planning Committee, with announcements of presenters no later than Feb. 11. Proposals should be submitted using the form or may be sent to Brandi Duncan at lbd2n@virginia.edu. Students interested in submitting but having questions concerning the nature or suitability of the work should contact any of the members of the Inauguration Academic Symposium Planning Committee. A complete list of the committee members is contained in the submission form.

Bob Pianta

Dean, Curry School of Education

Chair, Inauguration Academic Symposium Planning Committee