Program Expectations
Participation in a doctoral program is not synonymous with participation in doctoral course work. A program is greater than the sum of its course work. It includes, among other things, participation in a scholarly community and collaboration with peers. In addition, a program carries with it an implicit understanding that its graduates will have both a broad and a deep understanding of the canon of knowledge and practices that make up our field.
As such, there is also a set of non-course expectations for completion of our program. They are: Book Club, the Mathematics Education Doctoral Students Conference (MEDS-C), and informal Student Gatherings.
The pre-assigned books are chosen in a manner that best reflects the canon of knowledge that spans our fields. The discussion of these books will be part of every doctoral students’ gathering.
The annual one-day Mathematics Education Doctoral Students Conference (MEDS-C) is held every Fall term. First year students are expected to attend the conference. Second year students must attend, submit proposals, review proposals, and make presentations. Third and fourth (and up) year students are required to attend, submit proposals, review proposals, and make presentations, as well as take on the shared responsibility of organizing the conference and producing the proceedings.
These doctoral student gatherings help foster the building of a scholarly community and to integrate students from different cohorts. Gatherings occur four times a year. The dates for each gathering are set one year in advance and do not change. The only changes in these gatherings that will occur will be the designation of venue.