English Graduate Orientation 2026

Tuesday, September 8 (In Person)

10:00-11:00

Mandatory teaching workshop for incoming students: Introduction to LEARN; Office Showcase

• Dr. Bruce Dadey
• Room: HH 232

University-wide Grad Ready orientation events  

(Full afternoon schedule of options here) 

Friday, September 11 (In Person)

8:45-9:00

Morning Coffee (HH 334) 

9:00-9:10

Welcome remarks 

• Dr. Jay Dolmage (Director, SCCH), Dr. John Savarese (Graduate Officer), Deb Hergott (Graduate Advisor and Coordinator), Tom Harding (Liaison Librarian)

• Room: HH 334 

9:10-9:30

SAGE intros 

• SAGE executive officers 

• Room: HH 334 

9:30-10:30

Meet the faculty & Overview of Grad Courses  

• Faculty members in English 

• Room: HH 334 

Program Overview / General Q&A

• Dr. John Savarese 

• Room: HH 334 

11:00-12:00

Mandatory teaching workshop for incoming students: Grading and Commenting on Papers 

• Dr. Bruce Dadey 

• Room: HH 334 

12:00-1:00

Lunch Break (HH 334) 

1:00-1:30

Incoming PhD student session (MA student break) 

• Dr. John Savarese and Deb Hergott 

• Room: HH 334 

Returning students teaching workshop, “Teaching Creative Writing” 

• Dr. Lamees Al Ethari  and Dr. Bruce Dadey 

• Room: HH 138 

1:30-2:00

Incoming MA student session (PhD student break) 

• Dr. John Savarese and Deb Hergott 

• Room: HH 334 

2:00-3:00

Mandatory teaching workshop for incoming students: Effective Online Teaching 

• Dr. Bruce Dadey 

• HH 334 

Returning Students Catchup; Q&A about Teaching Assignments and Sessional Positions 

• Dr. Heather Love and Dr. John Savarese  

• HH 138 

3:30-5:30 

SAGE Session

• 3:30-4:00, Panel 1: "Policies and Institutions: Student Rights, Degree Options, and Thinking about the Future” (Panelists: Juliana Stacey, Stefania Stachura, Blaze Welling)

• 4:00-4:30, Panel 2: "The Reality of Being a TA” (Panelists: Michael Veenstra, Rency Luan)

• 4:30-5:00, Panel 3: Finding the Balance: Mental Health, Accessibility, and Imposter Syndrome” (Panelists: Sarah Casey, Michael Veenstra, Julie Veitch)

• 5:00-5:30, General Q&A

• Hosted by the Student Association for Graduates in English

• All panels in HH 334

6:30

SAGE Post-Orientation Social (Grad House)