A SENIOR SEMINAR TO PREPARE UNDERGRADUATE STUDENTS FOR PROFESSIONAL GEOSCIENCE CAREERS AND GRADUATE SCHOOL

At Whitman College, our single-semester senior seminar has three goals: to introduce graduating seniors to the work of professional geoscientists from a variety of fields, to engage in professional development via discussion, and to provide formative feedback for each student’s capstone oral presentation. All geoscience faculty members participate in this 1 to 1.5 hour-long, weekly seminar. The coordinator invites ~3 speakers, scheduled throughout the spring, who review their daily work responsibilities and what training led to the opportunities and decision points in their careers. Additional yearly topics include discussion of professional geology licensing after students take the ASBOG practice test, and some years, of ethical situations related to us by private-sector colleagues. In addition to the 15 minute presentations by each student, each professor discusses their graduate school experience in ~15 minutes; interestingly these differ widely and professors target some remarks toward how to choose a graduate program, mentoring, imposter syndrome, success strategies for graduate school, and navigating difficult conversations.

Recent specific innovations have sought to increase the participation of and support the transitions of students who are first in their families to acquire a college degree and/or who are otherwise underrepresented in geosciences. Speaker backgrounds are intentionally more diverse. All students are invited to share refreshments with the speaker after their presentation, a technique that has bolstered conversational participation among the quietest students. One discussion is now structured around short readings from McKinsey & Company that convey the advantages of inclusivity in the private sector and that specifically introduce the concept of sponsorship. Students, though familiar with mentors, are unfamiliar with the role of professional sponsors. All students are asked to consider how they can serve as sponsors during their careers.