Monday Minutes

Here are your Monday Minutes for August 3-7, 2020

From the Department Head 

Dear Students, 

One week from today, Montana State University will be abuzz with activity! We will welcome you back into campus housing, offer Welcome Week activities, and prepare for what is sure to be a memorable semester. Over the past five months, we have seen a fundamental change in how we teach and learn in a virtual space, conduct research, and provide outreach to our communities. 

This summer I have spent a lot of time thinking about tolerance for ambiguity. Dr. Bill Crawford shares that our brain’s limbic system interprets ambiguity as danger and the “fight, flight, or freeze” response kicks in, causing stress, frustration, and anxiety. We are all dealing with significant ambiguity right now, and sometimes the only thing you can do is hold on. However, if we recognize that ambiguity is part of life, we can deal with the situation by retraining our brain to stop seeing ambiguity as a threat. The next time you feel stressed due to ambiguity, you can ask yourself: 

• Have I chosen this way of reacting on purpose?
• Is it working well for me?
• Do I want to be defined this way (as someone who reacts to ambiguity with ____)?
• Would I teach this reaction to someone I loved? 

So, let’s get comfortable with ambiguity. Together, we can support each other through this difficult time and have a great school year, even if the future is uncertain.

Take good care,

Ann Ewbank

News and Announcements

• Did you know that D2L email can be forwarded to your personal email? Please see this tutorial, created by Dr. Nigel Waterton.
• The University Graduate Council (UGC) seeks a new graduate student representative for the 2020-2021 academic year. The graduate student provides a student voice to policy discussions by serving as an ex-officio non-voting member. If you are an MSU Graduate Student and interested, please submit a UGC Student Representative Application. Applications are due August 14^th. Submit applications and questions to [email protected]. 
• All Monday Minutes are archived and available for your reference. 
• Make sure to check the MSU COVID-19 webpage frequently as university and system-wide updates are available all in one place.

Micki's Desk 

Fall Semester dates have been changed – please make note that your classes will begin on Monday, August 17^th and the semester will end Wednesday, November 25^th. 

Many of you have already registered for classes for fall semester but if you haven’t yet, it’s time to so.  

• If you need your registration pin let me know.  Some have their registration pin deleted from the system and a new one needs to be issued.  If you don’t have your pin, please send me an email at [email protected] .  In your email please list what courses you would like to register for.  I’ll either get your registration pin or register you myself. 
• Some of you need to submit a form to register, such as EDCI 592 Independent Study, EDCI 598 Internship or EDU 690 Dissertation.  Complete the form and send it to me and I’ll gather signatures and register you.  These forms can be found at https://www.montana.edu/education/grad/forms.html
• Some need to be enrolled in restricted / consent of instructor courses such as EDCI 575 and EDU 600.  Send an email and I will get permissions and register you. 
• Please reach out to me at [email protected] if you need assistance with registering.  I just need the course number and name of the course.

Many are submitting their Program of Study form.  Please send the completed form to me rather than the Graduate School as I need to gather signatures before sending it over.  We are using DocuSign to gather signatures from individuals.  If you need signatures on a form whether it is your own signature or others, I will place your document in the system and route it around via email.  Moving to this MSU system has been extremely easy in this time of isolation.

Extra! Extra! Read all about it!

• Congratulations to Dr. Sarah Pennington who recently published her first poem in Dove Tales: A Writing for Peace Literary Journal of the Arts!
• Let’s congratulate ourselves for our amazing work on grant funded projects! Department of Education Grant-Funded Projects (as of 8/3/2020)
  • 25 active grants totaling $19,010,032
  • 9 pending grants totaling $5,741,234
  • 16 Education Faculty/Staff are Principal or co-Principal Investigators

Please send accomplishments and kudos to [email protected]. I am specifically looking for accomplishments in scholarship to pass on to MSU News Service.

Professional Development & Engagement Opportunities

• As we move toward greater reliance on distance learning online, please keep in mind that there are many locations in Montana, even in the Gallatin Valley, that do not have reliable high-speed internet.  Please see this resource on “low-bandwidth” distance teaching to ensure that your file sizes are as small as possible.
• The Journal of Information and Learning Sciences recently published an open-access special issue on Evidence-based and Pragmatic Online Teaching and Learning Approaches, including case studies in PK-12 and higher education.
• AERA Division K is hosting a webinar on Monday, August 10 at noon titled From PhD to Professor. [Link no longer valid.] Graduate students with a career goal to be a postsecondary faculty member are encouraged to register.

Equity, Diversity, and Inclusion Resources 

• Some of you may have participated in this summer’s EDI book club which discussed Stamped: Racism, Anti-Racism and You by Jason Reynolds and Ibram X. Kendi. If you are interested in co-facilitating a book club or suggesting books, please contact [email protected]. 

• Check out this JSTOR syllabus on institutional racism.

Micki MacGregor, Grad Program Coordinator and Data Research Analyst
Office of Graduate Programs, Department of Education, Reid Hall Rm 215
Montana State University, PO Box 172880, Bozeman, MT 59717-2880
[email protected]  [email protected]
phone: 406-994-6786  fax: 406-994-1854