Current and Future Endeavors

The organization is currently planning a conference/workshop, circulating a monthly newsletter, planning to establish dissertation, thesis and essay writing groups, working to produce a t-shirt with a logo to brand our efforts and planning social events at Circa and elsewhere.

Under the leadership of our Co-Vice Presidents of Education, Amy Holtman French and Maria Spence Wendeln, the organization is planning a conference/workshop titled, "Industry: Local and Global," specifically geared toward graduate students in history programs. This title aside, we will consider papers that do not fit within this subject. The conference will allow graduate students at Wayne and elsewhere to present papers in a familiar and collegial environment. With the assistance of Wayne's history professors, who we hope will encourage their students to write course papers with the conference in mind, and through the thoughtful and hard work of Amy Holtman French and Maria Wendeln, we are enthusiastic about the prospects for this endeavor. The proposed workshops for the event comprise a particularly attractive element of the effort. We hope to enlist Wayne State University history professors to provide insights to the attendees as to proven job hunting and professional development techniques. As each academic field has its own protocols, these workshops will allow students to learn the ins and outs of the interview process, including issues relating to resumes and cover letters, the distinctions between writing papers for courses as opposed to those written for conferences, the types of jobs available to graduates of graduate programs in history and how to tailor course work and dissertation topics in order to qualify for those positions. In addition to gleaning insights from professors whose experiences stand as examples of what to consider when preparing for a career, we hope that this particular opportunity will enhance mentoring relationships between students and professors within the department.

ADVICE

These goals and objectives cover a wide and diverse range of activities. As a result, we encourage the organization's officers and other active members to refrain from taking on more organizational work than they can handle. Wayne State University, after all, is a commuter university whose students often hold down full-time jobs, families and are often unable to be as involved in student organizations as those in more traditional colleges.

Before the fall 2008 semester began, the officers had a conference call and instead of meeting at a predetermined place, we scheduled this meeting by using the services of freeconferencecall.com, which is a simple, easy-to-use service. With schedules and the price of gas being the way they are these days, a conference call was a good way to meet without expending more time and resources than we could afford.

We also advise that students see their work within the organization as something that will actually help them get through the program and pave the way to employment as opposed to taking away from time they need to spend elsewhere. The dissertation writing groups are examples of an effort that can actually help doctoral students complete their program. The proposed conference, likewise, can simultaneously provide students with an opportunity to present their research while imparting to those same students insights about planning for a career in the field.

Louis Jones, President

Amy Holtman French, Co-Vice President of Education

Maria Spencer Wendeln, Co-Vice President of Education

Richard Fry, Co-Vice President for Social Affairs

Caitlyn Perry, Co-Vice President for Social Affairs

Michael Murphy, Recording Secretary