GCC Workshops

All GCC workshops occur from 5-6 pm in IDEATE Studio A in the Hunt Library and offer FREE PIZZA. GCC workshops are free and appropriate for students at all levels of study, in the sciences and humanities. 

Communicating Data to Non-Experts
Thursday, September 21 5-6 Register here
In your professional life, you often have to present technical data to non-expert audiences such as managers, clients, or members of the general public. This workshop teaches you principles for creating graphs and tables that non-experts can understand. You will learn to transform your data into a story (with minimal distractions) that will capture the audience's attention.

Team Communication I: The Fundamentals of Managing Team Projects
Thursday, September 28 5-6 Register here
Teamwork is central to professional life, but most students don't know how to manage a team project so it flows smoothly. This workshop will teach you how to create a team infrastructure that will help you avoid the most common team problems. You will learn strategies for structuring your collaboration and talking with your teammates when problems do occur.

Team Communication II: Handling Difficult People and Situations
Wednesday, October 4 5-6 Register Here
This workshop teaches you to confront challenging team situations in a way that is most likely to give you positive results.  You will learn strategies for confronting dismissive or aggressive teammates, responding to teammates who produce poor quality work, and advocating for a particular project role. We will cover what to say and what not to say in tense situations.

Writing the "Related Work" or "Literature Review" Section of your Research Paper 
Wednesday, October 11 5-6 Register Here
It is easy for your related work section to become a “data dump” that overwhelms your reader with information. This workshop will give you strategies to connect research into trends and put studies in conversation with each other. We will look at strong and weak examples and focus on the language they use. This workshop is applies to writing journal articles, theses, and more.

Writing a Graduate School Application Essay
Wednesday, October 18 5-6 Register Here
The statement of purpose requires you to pitch your candidacy to a small number of faculty members who read hundreds of other essays. This workshop will provide writing strategies on how to craft an effective application essay. You will learn how to show your busy readers that you are a good fit for the program and can contribute meaningfully to the their department.

Making the Case for Your Research
Wednesday, October 25 5-6 Register Here
This workshop will teach you four steps that make the case for why your research is an essential contribution to the field. You will turn your research into a compelling narrative and highlight the innovation of your work, especially for non-specialist audiences. These moves can help you structure the abstract and introduction of your paper, and can be applied to conference presentations, application materials, grant proposals, and more.

Improving the “Flow” of Your Writing
Thursday, November 2 5-6 REGISTRATION TBA
If you have ever been told that your writing is “choppy” or does not have any “flow,” this workshop is for you. We will teach you a simple – but effective – principle for improving the logical flow between sentences and paragraphs, called the Known/New Contract. This crucial rhetorical principle will help an audience follow the progression of your ideas and arguments. 

For more information on our workshops, please contact gcc-cmu@andrew.cmu.edu
A complete list of our workshop topics can be found here.
Find recordings of previous workshops here.