Don't Cancel that Class Initiative

Are you expecting to miss one or more of your classes this semester due to a professional or personal reason? Instead of canceling class, consider offering a workshop through the Don't Cancel That Class Initiative.

Campus units offer workshops on a range of topics (each listed below). We invite you to review the workshop offerings and fill out the respective office’s workshop request form. Someone from that office will contact you to make final arrangements for the presentation. Please note that we appreciate advanced notice; we may not be able to staff requests with short notice.

Workshop Offerings

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Workshop Offerings

Academic Success Strategies

How to Read APAS & Draft a Graduation Plan

It’s never too early to begin drafting a graduation plan! In this workshop, we’ll provide an overview of how to read one’s APAS report and demonstrate how to draft a graduation plan. Students will have time to begin drafting their own graduation plans and prepare for meetings with their academic advisors. 

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Peer-Assisted Learning and Tutoring Overview

We offer course-based learning support for over 80 unique courses in any given semester. In this workshop, we will provide an overview of the different types of learning assistance that we have available (for free!) and demonstrate how to schedule appointments using the Penji app.

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Preparing for an Exam

An exam is a time for students to demonstrate their knowledge. Every reading, assignment, and class discussion are opportunities to practice and prepare for the exam. This workshop will discuss strategies and resources to help students be more effective in exam practice and time management leading up to the exam. 

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Reading and Note-Taking

Whether students are taking notes on an assigned reading or in class, active reading and note-taking are foundational aspects of the learning process. The focus of this workshop will allow students to analyze their current strategies and engage with further strategies that promote active reading and note-taking.

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Reflection Strategies

Actively reflecting on readings, notes, classes, and course feedback are crucial aspects of engaged learning. This workshop will demonstrate strategies to help students become more active and connected with their learning. 

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Setting Goals and Overcoming Procrastination

Many students discuss procrastination as a barrier to achieving their goals in any given class. In this workshop, we will discuss factors that make up good goals, whether they are focused on personal, academic, or involvement areas, and analyze specific strategies to curb procrastination.

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Time Management

An essential piece of being an active learner is balancing the time between the tasks that need to get done and the things students want to do. This workshop will focus on organizing time, prioritizing tasks, and finding an overall balance in regard to time.

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Career & Graduate School

Articulating Skills

 How do students articulate the value of their Morris degree? One of the primary answers to this question lies in the student’s preparedness to identify and then articulate the skills they developed during their time on campus. From data analysis to communication, Morris’ students develop a wide repertoire of demonstrable skills through their coursework, programming, internships, and/or other campus experiences. When thinking about how to help students prepare for their next steps, ensuring that they can articulate what they can do, and how they can prove it is an invaluable investment in their career preparedness. The focus of this workshop is exactly that. In this presentation, we discuss what skills are, strategies on how one can articulate them, and we finish with a role play providing the chance to practice sharing and evaluating skills.

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Considering Graduate School?

This workshop demystifies graduate school, what it is, who its for, and why one should consider this opportunity,  along with where programs like McNair can help.

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Getting Ready for Launch

As students contemplate the answer to “what’s next”, this workshop provides insights into knowing what they want and what they will need to be ready and successful at it.

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Identifying Values

How can we work to make sure that we have our wants and needs met in our next steps? Values. By investing time and energy in exploring what motivates and grounds us, we can be more effective in making sure we get our wants and needs met. For your students, this can be an incredibly important process that is easily overlooked within their jam-packed lives. By facilitating an opportunity for your students to take a step back and think about their values, you can help them to think critically not only about the “what”, but the “why” as they continue to move through Morris and beyond. This presentation is designed to help your students reflect on what matters to them most through an interactive activity, alongside making a case for intentionally factoring their values into all that they do.

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Resumes

Are you looking to create an opportunity for your students to develop or enhance their resumes? This workshop outlines what resumes are (purpose and structure), and then works with students to help them create a bullet point that they can include on their own. The presentation also showcases several examples of resumes with different structures that have each been associated with successfully acquiring a job. This workshop is structured as an introduction to resumes but would offer value for folks at all levels of experience.

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Diversity

Black, Indigenous, and People of Color (BIPOC)

BIPOC communities have a long history at UMN Morris. The communities significantly contribute in many aspects of UMN Morris. This workshop introduces students to the diverse experiences of BIPOC communities, current challenges and successes, and ways to be allies.

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International Students and International Education

International students bring a global perspective to the campus, which positively impacts everyone preparing them for a more global society. This workshop introduces students to the diverse experiences of international students, role of international education, current challenges and successes, and ways to be allies.

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Native American and Indigenous People and Cultures

There is great diversity within the Native American and Indigenous people. Additionally, UMN Morris has an important history as a Boarding School, which makes us accountable to continued advocacy and education today. Specific attention will be to the MN tribes in this region. This workshop introduces students to the University’s history, cultural traditions and spirituality, current challenges and successes, and ways to be allies.

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“Nothing About Us Without Us” – Understanding Disabled Students Experiences, Identity, and Culture

There is great diversity within the Native American and Indigenous people. Additionally, UMN Morris has an important history as a Boarding School, which makes us accountable to continued advocacy and education today. Specific attention will be to the MN tribes in this region. This workshop introduces students to the University’s history, cultural traditions and spirituality, current challenges and successes, and ways to be allies.

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Reflecting on Our Intersecting Identities

This workshop is an introductory level workshop to have students think about their many intersecting identities in a safe and structured way. The workshop is interactive and aims for students to reflect on themselves so they can interact with others in a more community-minded way.

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The Diverse LGBTQIA2S+ Communities

Even in the last few years, a lot has changed for the lesbian, gay, bisexual, transgender queer, intersex, asexual, and Two-Spirit communities. This workshop introduces students to the diverse LGBTQIA2S+ students in the context of higher education. We’ll focus on LGBTQIA2S+ college students, current challenges and successes, and ways to be allies.

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Financial Wellness

Financial Wellness Today for a Better Tomorrow

This workshop will provide students with an overview of financial wellness as it pertains to college and life after. Students will be given an introduction to student loans, mindful borrowing, and student employment. The workshop will also explain the importance of creating a four-year plan and the basics of creating a budget. Additional financial wellness topics can be added to the workshop upon request.

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Mental Health

Healthy Relationships 101

Healthy Relationships will help students identify the dynamics of healthy versus unhealthy relationships, and explore the best ways to communicate, appropriate boundaries and support as they navigate the difficulty of new or ongoing relationships as a college student. It will also explore how to navigate the ending of relationships.

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Mindfulness 101

Mindfulness 101 will review mindfulness as a concept and skill, and several mindfulness practices will be practiced in the class session. Mindfulness is defined as: paying attention, on purpose, in the moment, nonjudgmentally. Mindfulness can help individuals manage stress, gain perspective, experience emotions versus avoiding them, and relate to the world more effectively.

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Strategies for Everyday Wellness

Strategies for Everyday Wellness will introduce students to several concepts and skills to address wellness from a holistic view. The class will start by reviewing stress and the stress response, have discussions around this and then complete a self-care plan for that week. They will also learn and practice breathing exercises, chair yoga and review a brief introduction to positive psychology and practice 3 good things. Can be adjusted/modified as requested.

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Stress Management 101

This session will focus on what stress is, how to recognize both negative and positive stress, and how pinpointing symptoms of stress will give you an opportunity to manage it better. Participants will leave the workshop with practical strategies to utilize in managing stress levels. Learn and practice strategies to reduce stress and anxiety through breathing and visualization. This program is designed to give the participant simple techniques to use in short amounts of time.

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The Imposter Phenomenon

Working through the Imposter Phenomenon can be tricky. This workshop breaks down what the Imposter Phenomenon is, why you might feel like an imposter, and how to overcome it.

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Prepare with McNair (Introducing the McNair Scholars Program)

What is the McNair Scholars Program? What does it do? This workshop breaks down the nuts and bolts of the program, its story, and how to join.

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Research

Research Help with a Briggs Librarian

A Briggs instruction librarian can visit with your class and share how to search effectively, evaluate sources, find full text, request interlibrary loan items as well as create annotated bibliographies or literature reviews. Choose between a quick 15-minute lightning session, a 50-minute deep dive or something in-between.

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