Courses to Careers (C2C) Workshop

Welcome!

Funding provided by National Science Foundation DUE 2336367 and DUE 2336368.

To start us off!

1. Introductions…
1. Of the workshop
2. Of yourselves
3. Of the design team
4. Of the goals
5. Of resources - website, slack, working doc’s
6. Of the week’s schedule�
2. Write out shared expectations in this space�
3. Thinking about identity - intersectionality & disability�

Introduction of the workshop!

• From Courses to Careers (C2C): Addressing ableism in physics through faculty-student partnerships�
• Tackling big problems is hard & takes all of us�
• Goals for the workshop:
• Build mutually-beneficial partnerships to both share & learn from the vast experience in this room
• Develop fluency and improve knowledge in disability topics & STEM career options
• Identify goals, use best practices, and create an implementation plan for your next steps

Acknowledging the moment we’re in

• Currently, we’re being told that equity & inclusion efforts are unimportant.�
• We disagree. This work matters & is worth doing.�
• We are not going to shy away. Following standpoint theory:
• “Members of non-dominant groups, she [Hartsock] maintains, are capable of seeing beneath the surface of the social relations they experience, and the standpoint thus achieved allows them to see beyond present structures to possibilities that the members of the dominant group, which designed the structures according to the lights, are unable to vision.” ¹��¹ Mahowald (2005)

Introduction of yourselves!

• We’re going to spend a lot of time talking to each other this week. This is just better if we get to know each other a bit.�
• Find 2-3 others nearby and share:
• Your name
• What you do (instructor/student, institution, major/field, etc.)
• Share 1 thing about yourself. Some potential ideas:
• Interesting fact?
• What do you like to listen to on a road trip?
• What is the most recent movie you saw and what was your opinion of it?
• Why were you interested in this workshop?�
• We’ll mix up groups in ~5 min

Introduction - Design Team - Project Leadership

Matt Guthrie

(he/him)

Physics Faculty

UConn

Xian Wu

(he/him)

Physics Faculty

UConn

Erin Scanlon

(she/her)

Physics Faculty

UConn

Daryl McPadden

(she/her)

Physics Faculty

MSU

Theo Bott

(he/him)

Physics Grad Student

MSU

Tanya Adams

(she/her)

Rehabilitation Counselor

MSU/State of MI

Introduction - Students on the Design Team

Erin Syerson

Western Michigan

Jayden Butler

Rochester Institute of Technology

Bella Tuffias-Mora

Arizona State

David Cassens

Albion College

Mason Moenter

Michigan State

Introduction of the goals!

• Goals for the workshop:
• Build mutually-beneficial partnerships to both share & learn from the vast experience in this room.
• Develop fluency & improve knowledge in disability topics & STEM career options
• Identify goals, use best practices, and create implementation plan for next steps
• Instructors - focus on modifying their courses to be accessible and inclusive
• Students - focus on exploring the STEM workforce and the transition from college to careers�
• Through different sorts of activities:
• Whole group discussions
• Q&A’s or panels
• Small group activities

• Reflections
• Feedback to each other

Introduction of the resources!

• Website: https://coursestocareers.physics.uconn.edu/
• Schedule
• Logistics info
• Materials
• Slack: https://c2cnsfgrant.slack.com/
• Easy way to contact us, ask questions, etc.
• Post links
• Communicate after the workshop
• Working doc
• Many activities will have you do reflections or activities
• Made Word doc template to take notes/follow along
• Download & fill out for yourself!

Slides & materials

• We have all of the slides for the week available on our website: https://coursestocareers.physics.uconn.edu/workshop-schedule-2/ �
• The slides are organized by the day, the block, & the participant path (student/instructor).�
• There is also alt text provided as well as speaker notes that outline what’s said on each slide. So if you miss a block or need to reference back, that text is provided as a resource.�
• We have also pinned the link to the website in the slack channel so it’s easy to find. There are three channels specific to this workshop: #uconn-25-workshop, #uconn-25-instructors, and #uconn-25-students. All other channels will include MSU participants and design team members.

Daily Schedule

• This will be our daily schedule!
• Exception is Thursday, we will end at noon!�
• Lunch is not provided, but there are many options nearby. �
• Some activities will be combined instructor/student & some will be separated by group.

Today’s Schedule

• Focus for today:
• Getting to know each other
• Getting comfortable with the topics
• Reflecting & setting some goals�
• You are here!

Other Stuff!

• If there is something that you need or something comes up, please let us know. We’re happy to support or adjust as needed.�
• This is the first time we’re running this workshop, so feedback (& patience) is always appreciated!�
• Along those lines, there will also be opportunities to participate in research studies with this workshop. These are completely optional, but they do help us improve each iteration & understand the impact of the workshop if you’re able to participate. (Largely after the workshop.)�
• Stipend processing - if haven’t filled out W-9 form yet, please grab one & fill it out today!

Naming shared expectations in this space:

• What do we mean by “Shared Expectations?”
• Often unspoken rules, values, actions & guidelines that shape how we interact in this group/workshop
• Sometimes referred to as “norms” �
• Worth saying these expectations out loud, especially when dealing with complex, difficult topics

​

• It is important that they are shared expectations. We shape how we will interact in this space.

Naming shared expectations in this space:

• Acknowledge: learning is challenging; mistakes are part of the process. Be patient with yourself and others.
• Language Reframing: Consider reframing language to align with the models of this space.
• Tools: Use phrases like "If I can say that a different way" or "Perhaps instead we could say that".
• Pauses: Pause between speakers and make sure to take turns when speaking. Don’t talk over one another.
• Self-Care: Take care of yourself in this space.
• Feel free to stand, move, eat, drink, etc., as needed.

Photo by Denis Linine from Pexels

Other shared expectations to add?

• Take ~10 min with those at your table & discuss if there are other shared expectations we should say out loud. ��
• For some prompts or guiding questions (if needed):�
• Think of spaces where you feel comfortable asking questions or learning something new, what are the characteristics of those spaces? What about that space makes you feel comfortable?�
• If you’ve been to other workshops or professional development, what were norms or expectations you felt were helpful?�
• What makes you feel like your ideas were heard or listened to?�
• If you make a mistake or say something “wrong,” how would you want someone to let you know that?�
• What stays “in the space?” What “leaves the space?”

Other shared expectations to add?

• ​

Identity (& why we’re talking about it)

• At the beginning here, we want to center in our experiences and share who we are.�
• Ways to think about identity:
• How do you fill in the blank for “I am (a) _____?” (student, mom, baker, aunt, etc.)
• What feels “essential” for someone to know about you?�
• Find 5 - 8 pictures that describe who you are (your identity).
• The number doesn’t really matter…find at least a few pictures
• Could be from your camera roll, online, memes, etc.
• Chit chat is totally fine! (Not a silent activity!) �
• If you feel comfortable sharing, share a few pictures with those at your table & how those pictures describe your identity.

Identity (& why we’re talking about it)

• What did you notice about doing this activity? What stood out to you?

Identity (& why we’re talking about it)

• Things to notice:
• No one just has one answer for “I am _____”
• It was probably difficult to narrow & describe who you were
• Overlap in pictures - parts of our identities are not distinct from one another
• Similarities with photos that other folks had as well
• Might have had parts of you that you didn’t share (hard to capture in a photo, you were unsure of how it might be received, etc.)

Identity (& why we’re talking about it)

• We’re going to talk this week about one particular aspect of identity heavily (disability), BUT it’s important to remember:
• Disability is only one aspect of people’s identities
• All experiences are intersectional - it’s difficult (or impossible!) to disentangle aspects of identity
• Disability is not a monolith - even sharing the same diagnosis doesn’t mean that peoples’ experiences are the same.
• There may be aspects that people don’t want to share
• Everyone is a whole and complex human!

Block 1 - Wrap Up

• Up next:
• 30 min break
• Overview of prep materials�
• If you have any questions, please let us know.�
• If you haven’t filled out a W-9 form yet, please come grab one!