Information on the 2008-09 Symon's Series 

Thomas H.B. Symons Seminar Series

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This event is intended to maintain an on-going series of seminars in which Graduate Students at Trent University will give an account of their research efforts at a level understandable by the entire academic community and the public. The series is named in honour of the founding president of Trent, Professor Thomas H.B. Symons, F.R.S.C., and organized by the Trent University Graduate Students’ Association. The following outlines the incentives for this initiative, describes the structure.

BACKGROUND

There is a growing number of part- and full-time Graduate Students enrolled at Trent University, encompassing an array of programs across the humanities and social and natural sciences. Our modest student population, incorporating extensive academic interests, affords unique opportunities in small group and community settings for sharing research and ideas over a broad spectrum. Students are encouraged to think about their research in a broader societal context, helping to provide a glimpse at the ‘bigger picture’.

Trent University Graduate Students’ Association (GSA) has fostered these interactions through a monthly Speaker Series. These events, held at Catharine Parr Traill College, were composed of two invited student speakers (one from each of the arts and humanities and the sciences) who gave twenty to thirty minute presentations on their research projects. Questions and discussion followed each speaker as well as an intermission for refreshments and socializing. The GSA Speaker Series continued to grow in popularity and became one of the main venues for Graduate Students, from all disciplines, to gather in an academic and social setting. It became a vital contribution to the academic community.

PURPOSE

To ensure the continuation and growth of this valuable program the GSA instituted the Thomas H.B. Symons Seminar Series on Graduate Student Research at Trent University. Professor Symons was an obvious choice to represent this series. His dedication to higher education, student development and the realization of societal responsibility, as well as his keen interest in graduate students and their research aspirations, epitomized the ideal of the Speaker Series to bring graduate students from across the disciplines together for interaction and growth.

By formalizing the Speaker Series, providing speakers the opportunity to speak at a prestigious event and receive a modest stipend, we believed that the interest and involvement from all graduate students would be amplified. In turn, we encourage more involvement from the University community and potentially the greater Peterborough community. Furthermore, we anticipate this series becoming one of the premier annual events for graduate students at Trent and for the University as a whole.

STRUCTURE

The Symons Seminar Series is composed of seven monthly events held from September to March. This provides the opportunity for fourteen speakers, seven from the arts and humanities and seven from the sciences. Interested students submit abstracts for review by the Symons Seminar Series sub-committee of the GSA. Abstracts are to be solicited twice during the academic year (August and December) resulting in speaker designation for each respective academic term. The entire series for each term is to be widely publicized both inside and outside the University.

Each monthly event is to incorporate a modest reception. Each speaker is to be awarded a Symons Seminar Series certificate and a stipend. These are to be awarded at the Symons Seminar Series Gala to be held in April. From the seven monthly events, a panel comprising student leaders are to select one of the speakers, based on their research, presentation and ability to communicate to a broader audience, as the Symons Gala Student Lecturer. This student is invited to present their paper at the Gala, along with a lecture from Professor Symons, and/or an invited guest of his choice. As further incentive, the Symons Gala Student Lecturer receives the Symons Award of Excellence, including a framed certificate and a sizeable monetary stipend.

On behalf of the Symons Seminar Series committee and the Graduate Students’ Association, I would like to invite you all to attend the seminar series.

Sincerely,

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Thomas Hossie
Communication Co-ordinator
Symons Seminar Series 2008

Thank you to the following people and groups for their support.

Dr. Thomas Miller and Barbara Chisholm
Professor Thomas Symons
Ness and Don Mackay
Dr. and Mrs. Leonard Conolly
Symons Trust Fund for Canadian Studies
Mr. Daryl Bennett
Watershed Ecosystems Graduate Program
Frost Centre for Canadian Studies and Native Studies
Alumni Association
Lady Eaton College
Mr. and Mrs. P. Whitfield
Office of Research
Theory, Culture and Politics Graduate Program
T.E.W. Nind Fund
Margaret Jane Turner
Kathleen Ramsay
John Wadland
Media Services

Thank you for your generous donation!

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