National Institute for Science Education
(NISE)
Graduate Forum, June 29-30, 1998
An NSF-sponsored, National Institute for Science Education (NISE)
Graduate Forum, was held June 29-30 at the Key Bridge Marriott Hotel
in Arlington VA. This forum featured promising practices in
graduate education in the United States and alternative strategies for
successfully implementing such practices. It is one of a number of
NSF supported initiatives intended to improve data and information
about science and engineering graduate education in the United States.
Dr. Bordogna (Deputy Director, NSF) was one of the opening speakers at the
event, presenting an NSF overview as well as Dr. Eamon Kelly, new Chair of
the National Science Board.
The Forum was organized by the University of Wisconsin Madison
Graduate School and NISE (an NSF-funded Institute). The NISE
committee that worked on the planning and execution of the Forum
was assisted not only by faculty and staff on the Madison campus,
but also by individuals from NSF, the Council of Graduate Schools, the
American Association of Universities, the National Research Council,
and a number of faculty from around the country.
The Forum was organized around two sets of conversations. The
first set featured practices for strengthening graduate education
in science and engineering at the individual, departmental,
institutional, and interinstitutional levels. The second set focused
on
strategies for initiating and implementing changes and innovations.
Participants were invited to compare and contrast models of change and to
describe alternate strategies for serving educational infrastructures,
businesses/industries, students, and society. NSF program officers were
intended to be both a primary audience and a primary set of participants.
Participants in these ongoing dialogues were invited to address two or
more of the following themes: promoting inclusiveness and diversity,
enhancing student and faculty teaching and learning, strengthening research,
and optimizing the use of resources. The materials produced for and during
the meeting will be used to create a synthesis document that will integrate
the structured conversations engendered by this conference.
For further information, you may contact Dr. Alan Rapoport, Division of Science
Resources Studies, Executive Secretary, Interdirectorate Graduate Education
Group, National Science Foundation.
News of special interest to
educators is featured on the Faculty Interests
page. For further information related to science and engineering
education, see
the education program
area page, the Student Interests
page, the home page for the Directorate
for Education and Human Resources, or search the NSF Online
Document System.