“Mellonizing” the Seminar: Applying the AHA's “5 Skills” to Graduate Education at the University of New Mexico
AHA Session 198
Saturday, January 7, 2017: 10:30 AM-12:00 PM
Mile High Ballroom 2B (Colorado Convention Center, Ballroom Level)
Chair:
Virginia Scharff, University of New Mexico and Autry Museum of the American West
Panel:
Melissa K. Bokovoy, University of New Mexico
Elena Friot, University of New Mexico
Jennifer McPherson, University of New Mexico
David Prior, University of New Mexico
Elena Friot, University of New Mexico
Jennifer McPherson, University of New Mexico
David Prior, University of New Mexico
Session Abstract
As one of four pilot institutions involved with the American Historical Association’s Career Diversity for Historians initiative, funded by the Andrew W. Mellon Foundation, the University of New Mexico has forged a new pathway to integrate the AHA’s “5 skills” into current and future graduate coursework. In August 2015, the UNM Career Diversity advisory board established the “Mellonizing” the Seminar committee to review current graduate history curriculum and develop ways in which the department could introduce the AHA career skills into graduate curriculum. From the onset, the committee realized that to better prepare graduate students for a broadening array of career opportunities and to maintain the integrity of historical thinking and the rigorous production of historical knowledge we needed to fold in the skills into existing courses rather than establish a separate, skill-building class. Along with the AHA, the UNM History Department recognizes and firmly believes that the skills needed to succeed beyond the academy—communication, collaboration, intellectual self-confidence, and quantitative and digital literacy—also makes one a better professor. As a result, the committee consulted with department faculty and graduate students and developed a “Best Practices” resource tool kit for instructors to reference when contemplating how best to incorporate one or more new skill sets into their graduate courses. This panel discussion brings together the five curriculum committee members to discuss the process of “Mellonizing” a history graduate seminar and members will discuss the challenges and successes with integrating career diversity skills and practices into graduate education. Dr. Virginia Scharff, AHA-Mellon Project Director at UNM, will moderate the discussion. The “Mellonizing” committee members strongly encourage audience participation and welcome comments and feedback on individual departmental efforts in relation to transforming graduate education for the next generation of scholars.
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