The Endurance Seminar Series progamming was developed to address common graduate student concerns as they transition from students to scholars. Leslie Blood, PhD, Director of Graduate Community and Program Development, provides this longitudinal multi-year accountability program that teaches students how to succeed in graduate school while providing important structures to support their newfound scholastic independence. Endurance Seminar Series is backed by best-practices curriculum and original research on habits and productivity. Registration for the 2023 summer seminar sessions will open soon.

Grad+ Endurance Intensive

The Endurance Intensive is a condensed overview of topics covered in the Endurance Seminar Series. You can use this retreat as a stand-alone, a seminar refresh or as a crash course to prepare you for any of the Endurance Seminar Series. The three-day Endurance Intensive is offered three times a year in August, January and May.

  • Day 1: Values & Priorities
  • Day 2: Your Tendency & Reflection
  • Day 3: Habits, Behaviors & Automation

 

Grad+ Introduction to Endurance Seminar Series

Welcome to the Introduction to Endurance Seminar Series. This year-long seminar will focus on time management skills, habits, your personal accountability style and how to build productivity blocks. This introductory seminar is for any graduate student who is new to the Grad+ Endurance programming. From choosing the perfect organizational system to testing accountability strategies, this introductory series will kick-start your graduate career in a positive direction. Once you have completed this the year-long Introduction to Endurance Seminar Series, you will have the foundation necessary to continue on to the Advanced Endurance Serminar Series. 

 

Grad+ Advanced Endurance Seminar Series

The Advanced Endurance Seminar Series is for intermediate and advanced seminar students who have completed the Introduction to Endurance Seminar Series. This series is offered in the fall and spring semesters each academic year. Topics will change every semester so that students continue to learn a variety skills and have opportunities to apply new research to their holistic development. Please see the list below for an example of current and future topics:

  • Drive, Small Changes and Changing Narratives
  • Productivity, Planning and Habits
  • Alignment: Values, Drive, Motivation and Accountability
  • Breaking and creating triggers for optimized performance
  • Energy Budget and Management  

 

Grad+ Endurance Summer Seminar Series

Endurance Summer Seminar Series is an 8-week planning session offered to all graduate students. Topics will change each summer. Below are the topics offered in summer 2022. updated topics for 2023 will be coming soon.

Resiliency & Habits 

Resiliency is a key predictor in long-term success. Resiliency is also a holistic developmental skill that transfers from personal to professional. Do you have the "bounce factor"?  Can you keep going when things do not go your way?  When Plan A crumbles, can you pivot?  What have you had to juggle in life to be where you are today?  Going through tough times is never easy, but it does help us discover a growth mindset and build resilience.  This seminar cannot teach you to be gritty... but will can teach you how to create an environment where you will learn how to pick yourself up, dust yourself off.  It can show you how to build a growth mindset and learned optimism.  This semester we will be working on our habits to help support us as we build trust in ourselves, self-awareness and resilience.

Wellness Deep Dive

This special summer seminar is an invitation to take a “deep dive” into your strengths, motivation, approach to tasks and relationships, and your personal hang ups. Our goal is to help you apply that knowledge towards holistic wellness. will facilitate a close examination of the Enneagram as we learn to use this model for self-understanding as well as help you overcome self-defeating patterns. Come join us on a journey towards meeting your needs, creating deeper connections with self and others, and pursuing a life aligned with your values.  

What is this group about?

Graduate students face unique challenges when it comes to balancing multiple projects in addition to research, publishing, and teaching obligations. The transition from student to scholar can be particularly isolating. The Endurance Seminar Series is an accountability program that helps graduate students working on their dissertations, thesis, and scholarly work to set goals, manage their time efficiently, and maintain good writing habits, while fostering relationships with peers across disciplines by utalizing small/breakout groups. 

The goal of the seminars is to improve work efficiency and productivity while keeping each other accountable on academic goals.

How often do I attend these seminars?

Participants attend one hour-long seminar every week either online via zoom or in-person (limited capacity). Consistent attendance is crucial for accountability: You have to show up and report to your peers on your progress. The goal is to create a consistent group that meets weekly, rather than irregular drop-in workshops. 

How do I get started? 

We recommend you participate in an Endurance Intensive, and then register for Introduction to Endurance Seminar Series first. After taking a year of the introduction series, you can move forward to the regular Endurance Seminar Series program. 

Please take the following assessments prior to your first Endurance session: