Professional Communication

Instructor-directed workshops

• Conference Boot Camp

  Conferences celebrate cutting-edge research and help graduate students develop scholarly and intellectual support networks. During this hands-on, interactive workshop, you will learn conference hard skills (standards of poster and talk format, content) and soft skills (conference etiquette, networking, dealing with presentation anxiety).

  Learning outcomes:

  • Identify the various skills and techniques for effective conference presentations.
  • Review one of your posters and/or conference talks.
  • Practice your presentation and networking techniques with your peers.
• Graduate Writing Boot Camp

  Over three consecutive days, Graduate Writing Boot Camp will give you a productive, distraction-free work environment and space to make significant progress on your thesis writing. We will also provide you with the opportunity for at least one individual session with a writing specialist.

  Learning outcomes:

  • Develop strategies to become a more skilful writer.
  • Receive input on your writing.
  • Hone your writing techniques to help motivate you to continue with your writing.
• Making Presentations that Make Sense

  A clear and concise presenter, a visual presentation and engaging content are some of the keys to keeping your audience’s attention in a presentation. In this workshop, you will learn what makes a great presentation and what you can work on to develop your skills.

   Learning outcomes:

  • Learn techniques to engage audiences.
  • Develop active listening skills.
  • Use visual aids for stronger impact.
  • Develop an authentic presentation style.
  • Describe your research to a layperson audience.
• Public Speaking 101

  It is difficult to avoid public speaking during your graduate studies and once you enter the work world. It is an asset to be able to effectively speak to groups in an informative, persuasive and engaging way. This workshop will cover some of the challenges, best practices and tips to building your confidence and conveying your messages more effectively.

  Learning outcomes:

  • Gain a basic understanding of public speaking fundamentals.
  • Acquire some public speaking techniques.
  • Manage public speaking anxiety.
  • Develop your public speaking confidence.
• Simplifying and Summarizing Your Research

  It is a useful skill to be able to simplify your complex research, whether explaining it verbally to someone outside of your field, or summarizing it in writing for an application or news article. This workshop will help you identify the most important, interesting and relevant parts of your research and make complex content easy for others to understand.

  Learning outcomes:

  • Communicate your research in a variety of setting and contexts.
  • Practice translating academic language to industry language.
  • Write a talk in your discipline aimed at a general audience.
• Successful Intercultural Communication for Graduate Students and TAs, Part A

  Students’ expectations about what is appropriate and inappropriate in a classroom vary greatly from culture to culture. These expectations are based on learned sets of beliefs, values and norms, which influence how students and instructors think, behave and communicate in class. For example, in some cultures it is disrespectful to disagree with the professor. In others, professors encourage and expect debate and disagreement as a part of active learning. A clear understanding of what the expectations are in Canadian classrooms is necessary for international students to be successful in Canada.

  Learning outcomes:

  • Explore differences in communication styles.
  • Discuss which elements of communication are crucial in Canadian academia.
  • Learn some strategies to discuss cultural differences effectively.
• Successful Intercultural Communication for Graduate Students and TAs, Part B

  Patterns of delivering feedback and communicating during difficult conversations vary greatly from culture to culture. For example, in some cultures, negative feedback delivered directly can constitute an insult. In others, the expectation is that negative feedback will be delivered very clearly and directly. Being able to recognize different approaches to conflict and incorporate feedback as it was intended is an essential skill for successful interactions with students and instructors/supervisors.

  Learning outcomes:

  • Develop strategies for delivering feedback.
  • Learn about reframing moments of conflict.
  • Learn strategies to increase the likelihood of successful relationships between students and instructors/supervisors.
• Thesis Writing: Focus on Structure

  This workshop provides an interactive opportunity for the development of graduate-level writing skills including general thesis components, introductions and conclusions, rhetorical modes, paragraphing, incorporating sources and paraphrasing.

  Learning outcomes:

  • Gain an understanding of some of the structural requirements of graduate-level writing in Canada.
  • Gain a working knowledge of how to put these skills into practice in your own writing.
• Thesis Writing: Focus on Style

  This interactive workshop provides an opportunity for students to develop writing skills at the graduate level, incorporating citation style recommendations; sentence variety: types and length; active/passive voice; lexical choice; parallel structure; punctuation for meaning; and wordiness, repetition and redundancy.

  Learning outcomes:

  • Gain practical competence in effective written communication, including the ability to correctly use syntax and grammar.
  • Develop practical competence in effective verbal communication including the ability to communicate ideas and information clearly, concisely and coherently.