#undergraduate — Public Fediverse posts

Alumnus commits $1M to Pitt Law for business, banking and financial programs | University Times

The Pitt School of Law has announced a $1 million commitment from alumnus Greg Jordan (Law ’84) and…
#UnitedStates #US #USA #america #business #college #graduate #learning #pitt #pittsburgh #research #Students #undergraduate #unitedstatesofamerica #university
https://www.europesays.com/2991852/

Publishing: ‘Ethics, Information, and Technology’ | University Times

NEW BOOKS “Ethics, Information, and Technology,” by James “Kip” Currier, assistant professor, School of Computing and Information (Bloomsbury,…
#UnitedStates #US #USA #america #college #graduate #learning #pitt #pittsburgh #research #science #Students #technology #undergraduate #unitedstatesofamerica #university
https://www.europesays.com/2991850/

Inaugural Mind-Body Science and Health lecture planned | University Times

The inaugural Distinguished Lectureship in Mind-Body Science and Health will be delivered by Wendy Berry Mendes, Yale University professor…
#UnitedStates #US #USA #america #college #Entertainment #graduate #health #learning #pitt #pittsburgh #research #sports #Students #undergraduate #unitedstatesofamerica #university
https://www.europesays.com/2991848/

NMSU professor wins national science award for sun research

Juie Shetye. an assistant professor at New Mexic…
#UnitedStates #US #USA #america #atmosphericgravitywave #earth #graduatestudent #history #juieshetye #juniorfacultymembersuccess #lastdecember #localresident #nationalscienceaward #nmsuprofessor #NMSUprofessorwinsnationalscienceawardforsunresearch #research #science #solarobservation #sunresearch #team #technology #undergraduate #unitedstatesofamerica
https://www.europesays.com/2966383/

Undergraduate Research Day, which runs after each term (S/F/W) at #Concordia in the Department of Chemistry and Biochemistry is such an awesome showcase of #undergraduate #research. I am especially happy for those students who saw me as the advisor when they were struggling in their program (and sometimes in their lives) and proudly presented their work on a poster or defended their Honours thesis in front of a committee. Kudos for your perseverance to overcome challenges not always under your control! #academia

Undergraduate Research Day, which runs after each term (S/F/W) at #Concordia in the Department of Chemistry and Biochemistry is such an awesome showcase of #undergraduate #research. I am especially happy for those students who saw me as the advisor when they were struggling in their program (and sometimes in their lives) and proudly presented their work on a poster or defended their Honours thesis in front of a committee. Kudos for your perseverance to overcome challenges not always under your control! #academia

Undergraduate Research Day, which runs after each term (S/F/W) at #Concordia in the Department of Chemistry and Biochemistry is such an awesome showcase of #undergraduate #research. I am especially happy for those students who saw me as the advisor when they were struggling in their program (and sometimes in their lives) and proudly presented their work on a poster or defended their Honours thesis in front of a committee. Kudos for your perseverance to overcome challenges not always under your control! #academia

Undergraduate Research Day, which runs after each term (S/F/W) at #Concordia in the Department of Chemistry and Biochemistry is such an awesome showcase of #undergraduate #research. I am especially happy for those students who saw me as the advisor when they were struggling in their program (and sometimes in their lives) and proudly presented their work on a poster or defended their Honours thesis in front of a committee. Kudos for your perseverance to overcome challenges not always under your control! #academia

Undergraduate Research Day, which runs after each term (S/F/W) at #Concordia in the Department of Chemistry and Biochemistry is such an awesome showcase of #undergraduate #research. I am especially happy for those students who saw me as the advisor when they were struggling in their program (and sometimes in their lives) and proudly presented their work on a poster or defended their Honours thesis in front of a committee. Kudos for your perseverance to overcome challenges not always under your control! #academia

Social media overuse and healthy cooking at home on tap for wellness workshops | University Times

The Office of Human Resources has two wellness workshops set for May. LifeSolutions Webinar: Tackling Social Media Overuse, 1 p.m.…
#dining #cooking #diet #food #Cooking #College #Graduate #learning #pitt #Pittsburgh #Research #students #Undergraduate #University
https://www.diningandcooking.com/2623687/social-media-overuse-and-healthy-cooking-at-home-on-tap-for-wellness-workshops-university-times/

Social media overuse and healthy cooking at home on tap for wellness workshops | University Times

The Office of Human Resources has two wellness workshops set for May. LifeSolutions Webinar: Tackling Social Media Overuse, 1 p.m.…
#dining #cooking #diet #food #Cooking #College #Graduate #learning #pitt #Pittsburgh #Research #students #Undergraduate #University
https://www.diningandcooking.com/2623687/social-media-overuse-and-healthy-cooking-at-home-on-tap-for-wellness-workshops-university-times/

Social media overuse and healthy cooking at home on tap for wellness workshops | University Times

The Office of Human Resources has two wellness workshops set for May. LifeSolutions Webinar: Tackling Social Media Overuse, 1 p.m.…
#dining #cooking #diet #food #Cooking #College #Graduate #learning #pitt #Pittsburgh #Research #students #Undergraduate #University
https://www.diningandcooking.com/2623687/social-media-overuse-and-healthy-cooking-at-home-on-tap-for-wellness-workshops-university-times/

Social media overuse and healthy cooking at home on tap for wellness workshops | University Times

The Office of Human Resources has two wellness workshops set for May. LifeSolutions Webinar: Tackling Social Media Overuse, 1 p.m.…
#dining #cooking #diet #food #Cooking #College #Graduate #learning #pitt #Pittsburgh #Research #students #Undergraduate #University
https://www.diningandcooking.com/2623687/social-media-overuse-and-healthy-cooking-at-home-on-tap-for-wellness-workshops-university-times/

Social media overuse and healthy cooking at home on tap for wellness workshops | University Times https://www.diningandcooking.com/2623687/social-media-overuse-and-healthy-cooking-at-home-on-tap-for-wellness-workshops-university-times/ #College #Cooking #Graduate #learning #pitt #Pittsburgh #Research #students #Undergraduate #University

Social media overuse and healthy cooking at home on tap for wellness workshops | University Times https://www.diningandcooking.com/2623687/social-media-overuse-and-healthy-cooking-at-home-on-tap-for-wellness-workshops-university-times/ #College #Cooking #Graduate #learning #pitt #Pittsburgh #Research #students #Undergraduate #University

Social media overuse and healthy cooking at home on tap for wellness workshops | University Times https://www.diningandcooking.com/2623687/social-media-overuse-and-healthy-cooking-at-home-on-tap-for-wellness-workshops-university-times/ #College #Cooking #Graduate #learning #pitt #Pittsburgh #Research #students #Undergraduate #University

https://www.europesays.com/ch/36206/ Sustainability in Los Angeles and Zürich, Switzerland #undergraduate #Zürich

#Students are increasingly choosing #communitycollege or certificates over four-year degrees
Enrollments in undergraduate certificate and #associatedegree programs both grew by about 2% in fall 2025, while enrollment in bachelor's degree programs rose by less than 1%, the report found. Community #colleges now enroll 752,000 students in #undergraduate certificate programs -- a 28% jump from just four years ago.
https://www.cnbc.com/2026/01/15/four-year-college-loses-ground-community-college-gains-steam.html

#Students are increasingly choosing #communitycollege or certificates over four-year degrees
Enrollments in undergraduate certificate and #associatedegree programs both grew by about 2% in fall 2025, while enrollment in bachelor's degree programs rose by less than 1%, the report found. Community #colleges now enroll 752,000 students in #undergraduate certificate programs -- a 28% jump from just four years ago.
https://www.cnbc.com/2026/01/15/four-year-college-loses-ground-community-college-gains-steam.html

#Students are increasingly choosing #communitycollege or certificates over four-year degrees
Enrollments in undergraduate certificate and #associatedegree programs both grew by about 2% in fall 2025, while enrollment in bachelor's degree programs rose by less than 1%, the report found. Community #colleges now enroll 752,000 students in #undergraduate certificate programs -- a 28% jump from just four years ago.
https://www.cnbc.com/2026/01/15/four-year-college-loses-ground-community-college-gains-steam.html

#Students are increasingly choosing #communitycollege or certificates over four-year degrees
Enrollments in undergraduate certificate and #associatedegree programs both grew by about 2% in fall 2025, while enrollment in bachelor's degree programs rose by less than 1%, the report found. Community #colleges now enroll 752,000 students in #undergraduate certificate programs -- a 28% jump from just four years ago.
https://www.cnbc.com/2026/01/15/four-year-college-loses-ground-community-college-gains-steam.html

#Students are increasingly choosing #communitycollege or certificates over four-year degrees
Enrollments in undergraduate certificate and #associatedegree programs both grew by about 2% in fall 2025, while enrollment in bachelor's degree programs rose by less than 1%, the report found. Community #colleges now enroll 752,000 students in #undergraduate certificate programs -- a 28% jump from just four years ago.
https://www.cnbc.com/2026/01/15/four-year-college-loses-ground-community-college-gains-steam.html

This can be a great strategy to retool for your future--especially if you live in a state like New Mexico that takes educating a large proportion of #FirstGen college attendees as a serious priority, with in-state tuition almost A THIRD OF this article's stated average--which can often be reduced TO ZERO through state grants & financial assistance specifically aimed at helping these populations.

At these states' flagship institutions--like The University of New Mexico--the realities the article mentions of juggling work ,school, and home life are mitigated through widespread availability of classes online--but still taught by the same faculty you'd have on campus--and timed to fit your schedule. And through a campus culture and a faculty that honors the struggles you make, to make a better future.

Whether you're a new aspiring #undergraduate or an experienced professional with ANY technical degree contemplating a return to #GradSchool--like countless Soldiers I've mentored in the four decades since my OWN military career began--accredited programs like UNM Organization, Information & Learning Sciences (OILS), with degree & certificates from the bachelors to the Ph.D., can equip you with the evidence-based tools & methods at the intersection of recruiting, training, HR, and analytics, to design, lead, and evaluate the workforce readiness programs for your current organization, or charting an entirely new path.

What are you waiting for...?

https://www.linkedin.com/news/story/40-somethings-go-back-to-school-amid-workplace-woes-6827332/

This can be a great strategy to retool for your future--especially if you live in a state like New Mexico that takes educating a large proportion of #FirstGen college attendees as a serious priority, with in-state tuition almost A THIRD OF this article's stated average--which can often be reduced TO ZERO through state grants & financial assistance specifically aimed at helping these populations.

At these states' flagship institutions--like The University of New Mexico--the realities the article mentions of juggling work ,school, and home life are mitigated through widespread availability of classes online--but still taught by the same faculty you'd have on campus--and timed to fit your schedule. And through a campus culture and a faculty that honors the struggles you make, to make a better future.

Whether you're a new aspiring #undergraduate or an experienced professional with ANY technical degree contemplating a return to #GradSchool--like countless Soldiers I've mentored in the four decades since my OWN military career began--accredited programs like UNM Organization, Information & Learning Sciences (OILS), with degree & certificates from the bachelors to the Ph.D., can equip you with the evidence-based tools & methods at the intersection of recruiting, training, HR, and analytics, to design, lead, and evaluate the workforce readiness programs for your current organization, or charting an entirely new path.

What are you waiting for...?

https://www.linkedin.com/news/story/40-somethings-go-back-to-school-amid-workplace-woes-6827332/

This can be a great strategy to retool for your future--especially if you live in a state like New Mexico that takes educating a large proportion of #FirstGen college attendees as a serious priority, with in-state tuition almost A THIRD OF this article's stated average--which can often be reduced TO ZERO through state grants & financial assistance specifically aimed at helping these populations.

At these states' flagship institutions--like The University of New Mexico--the realities the article mentions of juggling work ,school, and home life are mitigated through widespread availability of classes online--but still taught by the same faculty you'd have on campus--and timed to fit your schedule. And through a campus culture and a faculty that honors the struggles you make, to make a better future.

Whether you're a new aspiring #undergraduate or an experienced professional with ANY technical degree contemplating a return to #GradSchool--like countless Soldiers I've mentored in the four decades since my OWN military career began--accredited programs like UNM Organization, Information & Learning Sciences (OILS), with degree & certificates from the bachelors to the Ph.D., can equip you with the evidence-based tools & methods at the intersection of recruiting, training, HR, and analytics, to design, lead, and evaluate the workforce readiness programs for your current organization, or charting an entirely new path.

What are you waiting for...?

https://www.linkedin.com/news/story/40-somethings-go-back-to-school-amid-workplace-woes-6827332/

This can be a great strategy to retool for your future--especially if you live in a state like New Mexico that takes educating a large proportion of #FirstGen college attendees as a serious priority, with in-state tuition almost A THIRD OF this article's stated average--which can often be reduced TO ZERO through state grants & financial assistance specifically aimed at helping these populations.

At these states' flagship institutions--like The University of New Mexico--the realities the article mentions of juggling work ,school, and home life are mitigated through widespread availability of classes online--but still taught by the same faculty you'd have on campus--and timed to fit your schedule. And through a campus culture and a faculty that honors the struggles you make, to make a better future.

Whether you're a new aspiring #undergraduate or an experienced professional with ANY technical degree contemplating a return to #GradSchool--like countless Soldiers I've mentored in the four decades since my OWN military career began--accredited programs like UNM Organization, Information & Learning Sciences (OILS), with degree & certificates from the bachelors to the Ph.D., can equip you with the evidence-based tools & methods at the intersection of recruiting, training, HR, and analytics, to design, lead, and evaluate the workforce readiness programs for your current organization, or charting an entirely new path.

What are you waiting for...?

https://www.linkedin.com/news/story/40-somethings-go-back-to-school-amid-workplace-woes-6827332/

This can be a great strategy to retool for your future--especially if you live in a state like New Mexico that takes educating a large proportion of #FirstGen college attendees as a serious priority, with in-state tuition almost A THIRD OF this article's stated average--which can often be reduced TO ZERO through state grants & financial assistance specifically aimed at helping these populations.

At these states' flagship institutions--like The University of New Mexico--the realities the article mentions of juggling work ,school, and home life are mitigated through widespread availability of classes online--but still taught by the same faculty you'd have on campus--and timed to fit your schedule. And through a campus culture and a faculty that honors the struggles you make, to make a better future.

Whether you're a new aspiring #undergraduate or an experienced professional with ANY technical degree contemplating a return to #GradSchool--like countless Soldiers I've mentored in the four decades since my OWN military career began--accredited programs like UNM Organization, Information & Learning Sciences (OILS), with degree & certificates from the bachelors to the Ph.D., can equip you with the evidence-based tools & methods at the intersection of recruiting, training, HR, and analytics, to design, lead, and evaluate the workforce readiness programs for your current organization, or charting an entirely new path.

What are you waiting for...?

https://www.linkedin.com/news/story/40-somethings-go-back-to-school-amid-workplace-woes-6827332/

Military science, aerospace studies minors add new dimension to Pitt’s ROTC programs | University Times

By SHANNON O. WELLS If building innovative approaches to ROTC programs and military studies are any measure, Pitt…
#UnitedStates #US #USA #america #college #graduate #learning #pitt #pittsburgh #research #science #Students #technology #undergraduate #unitedstatesofamerica #university
https://www.europesays.com/2552964/

Alongside coordinating and lecturing in Intermediate Logic this semester, I have the fun task of teaching one of the tutorial groups, together with our enthusiastic and capable graduate student tutors. My Tuesday morning cohort is a microcosm of the student body at St Andrews.

Of the 13 students, we have two each from England, China, and the USA, and we have one each from Botswana, Denmark, France, Greece, Hong Kong, Scotland and Spain. That’s a diverse bunch.

In addition, six of the 13 are Philosophy majors, six are Mathematics majors, five major in International Relations, and we have one each from French, Computer Science and Psychology. (I haven’t miscounted: some of our students complete double majors.)

Finally, this cohort consists of eight women and five men.

I’m looking forward to spending time with these students through the semester.

https://consequently.org/news/2025/the-shape-of-an-intermediate-logic-class/

#logic #philosophy #undergraduate #standrews

Alongside coordinating and lecturing in Intermediate Logic this semester, I have the fun task of teaching one of the tutorial groups, together with our enthusiastic and capable graduate student tutors. My Tuesday morning cohort is a microcosm of the student body at St Andrews.

Of the 13 students, we have two each from England, China, and the USA, and we have one each from Botswana, Denmark, France, Greece, Hong Kong, Scotland and Spain. That’s a diverse bunch.

In addition, six of the 13 are Philosophy majors, six are Mathematics majors, five major in International Relations, and we have one each from French, Computer Science and Psychology. (I haven’t miscounted: some of our students complete double majors.)

Finally, this cohort consists of eight women and five men.

I’m looking forward to spending time with these students through the semester.

https://consequently.org/news/2025/the-shape-of-an-intermediate-logic-class/

#logic #philosophy #undergraduate #standrews

Alongside coordinating and lecturing in Intermediate Logic this semester, I have the fun task of teaching one of the tutorial groups, together with our enthusiastic and capable graduate student tutors. My Tuesday morning cohort is a microcosm of the student body at St Andrews.

Of the 13 students, we have two each from England, China, and the USA, and we have one each from Botswana, Denmark, France, Greece, Hong Kong, Scotland and Spain. That’s a diverse bunch.

In addition, six of the 13 are Philosophy majors, six are Mathematics majors, five major in International Relations, and we have one each from French, Computer Science and Psychology. (I haven’t miscounted: some of our students complete double majors.)

Finally, this cohort consists of eight women and five men.

I’m looking forward to spending time with these students through the semester.

https://consequently.org/news/2025/the-shape-of-an-intermediate-logic-class/

#logic #philosophy #undergraduate #standrews

Alongside coordinating and lecturing in Intermediate Logic this semester, I have the fun task of teaching one of the tutorial groups, together with our enthusiastic and capable graduate student tutors. My Tuesday morning cohort is a microcosm of the student body at St Andrews.

Of the 13 students, we have two each from England, China, and the USA, and we have one each from Botswana, Denmark, France, Greece, Hong Kong, Scotland and Spain. That’s a diverse bunch.

In addition, six of the 13 are Philosophy majors, six are Mathematics majors, five major in International Relations, and we have one each from French, Computer Science and Psychology. (I haven’t miscounted: some of our students complete double majors.)

Finally, this cohort consists of eight women and five men.

I’m looking forward to spending time with these students through the semester.

https://consequently.org/news/2025/the-shape-of-an-intermediate-logic-class/

#logic #philosophy #undergraduate #standrews

Alongside coordinating and lecturing in Intermediate Logic this semester, I have the fun task of teaching one of the tutorial groups, together with our enthusiastic and capable graduate student tutors. My Tuesday morning cohort is a microcosm of the student body at St Andrews.

Of the 13 students, we have two each from England, China, and the USA, and we have one each from Botswana, Denmark, France, Greece, Hong Kong, Scotland and Spain. That’s a diverse bunch.

In addition, six of the 13 are Philosophy majors, six are Mathematics majors, five major in International Relations, and we have one each from French, Computer Science and Psychology. (I haven’t miscounted: some of our students complete double majors.)

Finally, this cohort consists of eight women and five men.

I’m looking forward to spending time with these students through the semester.

https://consequently.org/news/2025/the-shape-of-an-intermediate-logic-class/

#logic #philosophy #undergraduate #standrews

The common learning modes of #EE and #CS #undergraduate #students I have taught or mentored:

• The one who cannot master any concept, and soon drops out of the programme, after the first semester—this type often ends up switching into Econ or Bio
• The one who chooses to learn only those concepts he deems are of immediate value to him—this type inevitably becomes an #IT practitioner
• The one who learns everything with alacrity, but never bothering to investigate the deeper meaning thereof—this type almost always gets an MBA and becomes an IT executive
• The one who learns deeply everything on the curriculum, then pursues connected or related concepts that are beyond the curriculum—this type usually pursues a PhD and often becomes an academic researcher and, less often, a patentee or a tech company founder

The common learning modes of #EE and #CS #undergraduate #students I have taught or mentored:

• The one who cannot master any concept, and soon drops out of the programme, after the first semester—this type often ends up switching into Econ or Bio
• The one who chooses to learn only those concepts he deems are of immediate value to him—this type inevitably becomes an #IT practitioner
• The one who learns everything with alacrity, but never bothering to investigate the deeper meaning thereof—this type almost always gets an MBA and becomes an IT executive
• The one who learns deeply everything on the curriculum, then pursues connected or related concepts that are beyond the curriculum—this type usually pursues a PhD and often becomes an academic researcher and, less often, a patentee or a tech company founder

The common learning modes of #EE and #CS #undergraduate #students I have taught or mentored:

• The one who cannot master any concept, and soon drops out of the programme, after the first semester—this type often ends up switching into Econ or Bio
• The one who chooses to learn only those concepts he deems are of immediate value to him—this type inevitably becomes an #IT practitioner
• The one who learns everything with alacrity, but never bothering to investigate the deeper meaning thereof—this type almost always gets an MBA and becomes an IT executive
• The one who learns deeply everything on the curriculum, then pursues connected or related concepts that are beyond the curriculum—this type usually pursues a PhD and often becomes an academic researcher and, less often, a patentee or a tech company founder

The common learning modes of #EE and #CS #undergraduate #students I have taught or mentored:

• The one who cannot master any concept, and soon drops out of the programme, after the first semester—this type often ends up switching into Econ or Bio
• The one who chooses to learn only those concepts he deems are of immediate value to him—this type inevitably becomes an #IT practitioner
• The one who learns everything with alacrity, but never bothering to investigate the deeper meaning thereof—this type almost always gets an MBA and becomes an IT executive
• The one who learns deeply everything on the curriculum, then pursues connected or related concepts that are beyond the curriculum—this type usually pursues a PhD and often becomes an academic researcher and, less often, a patentee or a tech company founder

The common learning modes of #EE and #CS #undergraduate #students I have taught or mentored:

• The one who cannot master any concept, and soon drops out of the programme, after the first semester—this type often ends up switching into Econ or Bio
• The one who chooses to learn only those concepts he deems are of immediate value to him—this type inevitably becomes an #IT practitioner
• The one who learns everything with alacrity, but never bothering to investigate the deeper meaning thereof—this type almost always gets an MBA and becomes an IT executive
• The one who learns deeply everything on the curriculum, then pursues connected or related concepts that are beyond the curriculum—this type usually pursues a PhD and often becomes an academic researcher and, less often, a patentee or a tech company founder

The Week Ahead

Another weekend is almost over so, after spending most of this afternoon in the garden, I’ve retreated indoors to look at my calendar for the forthcoming week. I find a plethora of Examination Board meetings, one (tomorrow) for our Masters students who did their presentations on Friday and two for undergraduates who took repeat examinations in August (one for Mathematical Physics and one for Engineering, as I happen to have been teaching Engineering Mathematics this year). The two undergraduate boards are both on Thursday. All three of these should be relatively brief, but you never know…

There is another meeting tomorrow, Monday, about organizing our computational physics teaching for the new academic year. The merger of theoretical and experimental physics has given us the chance to coordinate the different computational modules offered by the two previous departments, but we need to make sure the teaching rooms are big enough and the computers have the correct software, etc. Fortunately I’m not actually teaching Computational Physics again until Semester 2 but we have to get it sorted in time for other modules happening in Semester 1.

In between Monday and Thursday I have two whole days with no meetings and no grading to do. I might be able to get on with some research, or at least with writing up some research I’ve already done.

Friday is a big day for the Irish higher education system, in that it’s the day students get their Leaving Certificate results. This year the grade inflation introduced during the pandemic is supposed to begin to unwind, but none of us outside the examination system knows how this will be achieved or what the results will be. If I had to bet I’d say that the CAO points needed for most courses at Maynooth will go down substantially, partly because of the deflation mentioned previously but also because The Management has decided that the University has to recruit more and more students and will drop entry standards as low as it needs to in order to meet its targets.

I don’t know how many students we will end up with for Academic Year 2025/6 but I do know that I will have retired before most of them complete their course. I used to find it a bit scary thinking about retirement, but not any more.

#ComputationalPhyscs #LeavingCertificate #MaynoothUniversity #Physics #postgraduate #undergraduate

The Week Ahead

Another weekend is almost over so, after spending most of this afternoon in the garden, I’ve retreated indoors to look at my calendar for the forthcoming week. I find a plethora of Examination Board meetings, one (tomorrow) for our Masters students who did their presentations on Friday and two for undergraduates who took repeat examinations in August (one for Mathematical Physics and one for Engineering, as I happen to have been teaching Engineering Mathematics this year). The two undergraduate boards are both on Thursday. All three of these should be relatively brief, but you never know…

There is another meeting tomorrow, Monday, about organizing our computational physics teaching for the new academic year. The merger of theoretical and experimental physics has given us the chance to coordinate the different computational modules offered by the two previous departments, but we need to make sure the teaching rooms are big enough and the computers have the correct software, etc. Fortunately I’m not actually teaching Computational Physics again until Semester 2 but we have to get it sorted in time for other modules happening in Semester 1.

In between Monday and Thursday I have two whole days with no meetings and no grading to do. I might be able to get on with some research, or at least with writing up some research I’ve already done.

Friday is a big day for the Irish higher education system, in that it’s the day students get their Leaving Certificate results. This year the grade inflation introduced during the pandemic is supposed to begin to unwind, but none of us outside the examination system knows how this will be achieved or what the results will be. If I had to bet I’d say that the CAO points needed for most courses at Maynooth will go down substantially, partly because of the deflation mentioned previously but also because The Management has decided that the University has to recruit more and more students and will drop entry standards as low as it needs to in order to meet its targets.

I don’t know how many students we will end up with for Academic Year 2025/6 but I do know that I will have retired before most of them complete their course. I used to find it a bit scary thinking about retirement, but not any more.

#ComputationalPhyscs #LeavingCertificate #MaynoothUniversity #Physics #postgraduate #undergraduate

The Week Ahead

Another weekend is almost over so, after spending most of this afternoon in the garden, I’ve retreated indoors to look at my calendar for the forthcoming week. I find a plethora of Examination Board meetings, one (tomorrow) for our Masters students who did their presentations on Friday and two for undergraduates who took repeat examinations in August (one for Mathematical Physics and one for Engineering, as I happen to have been teaching Engineering Mathematics this year). The two undergraduate boards are both on Thursday. All three of these should be relatively brief, but you never know…

There is another meeting tomorrow, Monday, about organizing our computational physics teaching for the new academic year. The merger of theoretical and experimental physics has given us the chance to coordinate the different computational modules offered by the two previous departments, but we need to make sure the teaching rooms are big enough and the computers have the correct software, etc. Fortunately I’m not actually teaching Computational Physics again until Semester 2 but we have to get it sorted in time for other modules happening in Semester 1.

In between Monday and Thursday I have two whole days with no meetings and no grading to do. I might be able to get on with some research, or at least with writing up some research I’ve already done.

Friday is a big day for the Irish higher education system, in that it’s the day students get their Leaving Certificate results. This year the grade inflation introduced during the pandemic is supposed to begin to unwind, but none of us outside the examination system knows how this will be achieved or what the results will be. If I had to bet I’d say that the CAO points needed for most courses at Maynooth will go down substantially, partly because of the deflation mentioned previously but also because The Management has decided that the University has to recruit more and more students and will drop entry standards as low as it needs to in order to meet its targets.

I don’t know how many students we will end up with for Academic Year 2025/6 but I do know that I will have retired before most of them complete their course. I used to find it a bit scary thinking about retirement, but not any more.

#ComputationalPhyscs #LeavingCertificate #MaynoothUniversity #Physics #postgraduate #undergraduate

The Week Ahead

Another weekend is almost over so, after spending most of this afternoon in the garden, I’ve retreated indoors to look at my calendar for the forthcoming week. I find a plethora of Examination Board meetings, one (tomorrow) for our Masters students who did their presentations on Friday and two for undergraduates who took repeat examinations in August (one for Mathematical Physics and one for Engineering, as I happen to have been teaching Engineering Mathematics this year). The two undergraduate boards are both on Thursday. All three of these should be relatively brief, but you never know…

There is another meeting tomorrow, Monday, about organizing our computational physics teaching for the new academic year. The merger of theoretical and experimental physics has given us the chance to coordinate the different computational modules offered by the two previous departments, but we need to make sure the teaching rooms are big enough and the computers have the correct software, etc. Fortunately I’m not actually teaching Computational Physics again until Semester 2 but we have to get it sorted in time for other modules happening in Semester 1.

In between Monday and Thursday I have two whole days with no meetings and no grading to do. I might be able to get on with some research, or at least with writing up some research I’ve already done.

Friday is a big day for the Irish higher education system, in that it’s the day students get their Leaving Certificate results. This year the grade inflation introduced during the pandemic is supposed to begin to unwind, but none of us outside the examination system knows how this will be achieved or what the results will be. If I had to bet I’d say that the CAO points needed for most courses at Maynooth will go down substantially, partly because of the deflation mentioned previously but also because The Management has decided that the University has to recruit more and more students and will drop entry standards as low as it needs to in order to meet its targets.

I don’t know how many students we will end up with for Academic Year 2025/6 but I do know that I will have retired before most of them complete their course. I used to find it a bit scary thinking about retirement, but not any more.

#ComputationalPhyscs #LeavingCertificate #MaynoothUniversity #Physics #postgraduate #undergraduate

The Week Ahead

Another weekend is almost over so, after spending most of this afternoon in the garden, I’ve retreated indoors to look at my calendar for the forthcoming week. I find a plethora of Examination Board meetings, one (tomorrow) for our Masters students who did their presentations on Friday and two for undergraduates who took repeat examinations in August (one for Mathematical Physics and one for Engineering, as I happen to have been teaching Engineering Mathematics this year). The two undergraduate boards are both on Thursday. All three of these should be relatively brief, but you never know…

There is another meeting tomorrow, Monday, about organizing our computational physics teaching for the new academic year. The merger of theoretical and experimental physics has given us the chance to coordinate the different computational modules offered by the two previous departments, but we need to make sure the teaching rooms are big enough and the computers have the correct software, etc. Fortunately I’m not actually teaching Computational Physics again until Semester 2 but we have to get it sorted in time for other modules happening in Semester 1.

In between Monday and Thursday I have two whole days with no meetings and no grading to do. I might be able to get on with some research, or at least with writing up some research I’ve already done.

Friday is a big day for the Irish higher education system, in that it’s the day students get their Leaving Certificate results. This year the grade inflation introduced during the pandemic is supposed to begin to unwind, but none of us outside the examination system knows how this will be achieved or what the results will be. If I had to bet I’d say that the CAO points needed for most courses at Maynooth will go down substantially, partly because of the deflation mentioned previously but also because The Management has decided that the University has to recruit more and more students and will drop entry standards as low as it needs to in order to meet its targets.

I don’t know how many students we will end up with for Academic Year 2025/6 but I do know that I will have retired before most of them complete their course. I used to find it a bit scary thinking about retirement, but not any more.

#ComputationalPhyscs #LeavingCertificate #MaynoothUniversity #Physics #postgraduate #undergraduate

Loose Ends of the Academic Year…

I know most people outside academia thing university staff are on a long holiday between June and September, but that’s not the case. This week we have been trying to sort out some of the loose ends of Academic Year 2024/5 before we start on planning for 2025/6. The matters to be dealt with include undergraduate, taught postgraduate, and research posgraduate.

To start with I’ve had to mark my undergraduate repeat (resit) examinations. The grades need to be checked and uploaded before the appropriate examination board meeting next week. That will resolve a number of progression issues, as well as hopefully allowing some students to retrieve credit from their final year and thus be allowed to graduate.

Another set of tasks related to our taught MSc students. They submitted their dissertations on Monday which now need to be read and graded before another examination board (next Monday). They also have to do their presentations, which take place this Friday (15th August).

The following week, the School leaving certificate results come out, at which point we’ll start to get some idea of how many students we will have entering the first year in September.

Today I heard that my PhD student Aoibhinn, who passed her viva voce examination way back in May, has had her thesis corrections formally approved. She now has to submit a bound copy of the thesis along with an electronic version thereof by September 6th at the latest. Then her degree has to be approved by the Faculty of Science & Engineering (on September 16th) followed by Academic Council on (29th September). Assuming those formalities are observed, she can receive her doctorate at one of the conferring ceremonies at the end of October.

Another thing I heard today is that Aoibhinn has been awarded a prestigious research fellowship from the Alexander von Humboldt Foundation but she needs her degree certificate before she can start. That’s a stricter policy than elsewhere, but it is Germany. It’s a bit frustrating, but that particular loose end will definitely be tied soon enough, after which Aoibhinn will be off to Germany for two years. Fortunately the start date of the fellowship is flexible. Congratulations to Aoibhinn!

#AcademicYear #AlexanderVonHumboldtFoundation #AlexanderVonHumboldtStiftung #AoibhinnGallagher #BSc #MaynoothUniversity #MSc #researchPostgraduate #taughtPostgraduate #undergraduate

Loose Ends of the Academic Year…

I know most people outside academia thing university staff are on a long holiday between June and September, but that’s not the case. This week we have been trying to sort out some of the loose ends of Academic Year 2024/5 before we start on planning for 2025/6. The matters to be dealt with include undergraduate, taught postgraduate, and research posgraduate.

To start with I’ve had to mark my undergraduate repeat (resit) examinations. The grades need to be checked and uploaded before the appropriate examination board meeting next week. That will resolve a number of progression issues, as well as hopefully allowing some students to retrieve credit from their final year and thus be allowed to graduate.

Another set of tasks related to our taught MSc students. They submitted their dissertations on Monday which now need to be read and graded before another examination board (next Monday). They also have to do their presentations, which take place this Friday (15th August).

The following week, the School leaving certificate results come out, at which point we’ll start to get some idea of how many students we will have entering the first year in September.

Today I heard that my PhD student Aoibhinn, who passed her viva voce examination way back in May, has had her thesis corrections formally approved. She now has to submit a bound copy of the thesis along with an electronic version thereof by September 6th at the latest. Then her degree has to be approved by the Faculty of Science & Engineering (on September 16th) followed by Academic Council on (29th September). Assuming those formalities are observed, she can receive her doctorate at one of the conferring ceremonies at the end of October.

Another thing I heard today is that Aoibhinn has been awarded a prestigious research fellowship from the Alexander von Humboldt Foundation but she needs her degree certificate before she can start. That’s a stricter policy than elsewhere, but it is Germany. It’s a bit frustrating, but that particular loose end will definitely be tied soon enough, after which Aoibhinn will be off to Germany for two years. Fortunately the start date of the fellowship is flexible. Congratulations to Aoibhinn!

#AcademicYear #AlexanderVonHumboldtFoundation #AlexanderVonHumboldtStiftung #AoibhinnGallagher #BSc #MaynoothUniversity #MSc #researchPostgraduate #taughtPostgraduate #undergraduate

China’s young workers face job woes as the economy impacts elite graduates’ prospects

Yet Crystal’s stellar CV left her with just one realistic postgrad option…
#NewsBeep #News #US #USA #UnitedStates #UnitedStatesOfAmerica #Jobs #as #Business #chinas #conglomerates #Crystal #Economy #elite #face #finance #graduates #impacts #job #knew #most #peking #prestigious #prospects #Tech #the #undergraduate #universities #university #wanted #woes #workers #working #young
https://www.newsbeep.com/us/8621/

China’s young workers face job woes as the economy impacts elite graduates’ prospects

Yet Crystal’s stellar CV left her with just one realistic postgrad option…
#NewsBeep #News #US #USA #UnitedStates #UnitedStatesOfAmerica #Jobs #as #Business #chinas #conglomerates #Crystal #Economy #elite #face #finance #graduates #impacts #job #knew #most #peking #prestigious #prospects #Tech #the #undergraduate #universities #university #wanted #woes #workers #working #young
https://www.newsbeep.com/us/8621/