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29 September 2025

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Student Matters

Prospective students: applications for the spring 2026 term are due by December 1, 2025. Please see the UMass Boston Graduate Admissions page or contact cct@umb.edu for more information. Critical and Creative Thinking information sessions are open to prospective students and others interested in learning more about program. The following fall sessions are scheduled:

  • Wednesday, October 1, 2025, 5:00-7:00pm ET: Graduate Studies Open House (on campus) for learning about graduate programs across UMass Boston. For more information, see the event page and visit the CCT table.
  • Monday, October 6th, 2025, 5:00-5:30pm ET: Virtual information session for Critical and Creative Thinking (join in Zoom here)
  • Thursday, November 6th, 2025, 7:00-7:30pm ET: Virtual information session for Critical and Creative Thinking (join in Zoom here)

Continuing students are invited to join Q&A sessions for the Reflective Practice Portfolio requirement. The following sessions are remaining for this fall – RSVP below to receive the Zoom link:

CCT Events

The CCT Dialogue Series on Reflective Practice in a Changing World (virtual) continues in fall 2025 with a series of virtual events designed around bringing critical and creative thinking to our practices in work and life. In this series of sessions, we consider the role of reflective practice for thinking critically and creatively about work and life. Reflective Practice is relevant to any field and refers to how we make connections between our past experience and future actions. For each engaging hour-long session, we focus on one reflective process that builds our capacity to confront change, uncertainty, and complexity. All sessions are free and open to all.

  • Thursday, October 9th, 2025: 7:00pm ET: Dialogue Process (RSVP here to receive login details).
  • Monday, November 3rd, 2025, 7:00pm ET: Open Space Technology (RSVP here to receive login details).
  • Monday, December 8, 2025, 7:00pm ET: Focused Conversation (RSVP here to receive login details).

Alum, Student, and CCT Associates Notables

CCT 2025-26 Alum Studio: Peer Coaching as Reflective Practice
In this virtual series, we will use a dialogue-based peer coaching model to explore ways that mutual support can become a basis for reflective practice, as we as CCT alums continue to address the needs of our workplaces and lives. All CCT graduates are invited to participate in any number of fall sessions, but RSVP here is required to receive virtual meeting details.
Fall 2025:
–Friday, October 3, 2025, 12:00-1:00pm ET
–Thursday, October 23, 2025, 12:00-1:00pm ET
–Friday, November 14, 2025, 12:00-1:00pm ET
–Thursday, December 4, 2025, 12:00-1:00pm ET
Spring 2026:
–Dates TBD

CCT former faculty and graduate Bob Schoenberg recently completed an article on “The Problem with Artificial Intelligence and the Dangers It Presents to Critical Thinking”. You may download the article here.

CCT graduate Kaylea, PhD, recently started in the position of Assistant Professor, Computing & Software Systems, at the University of Washington Bothell.

CCT students, alums, and associates are encouraged to send items about accomplishments, new publications, or offerings to the Critical and Creative Thinking community to be included in future newsletters. Please submit items of interest to cct@umb.edu.

Events

Save the Date: Black Lives Matter Day event at UMass Boston, Monday, November 3rd, 2025 in the UMB Campus Center Ballroom, 10:00am-3:00pm ET. This year’s theme is “Still We Rise… Black Cultural Resilience in Challenging Times.” See upcoming university announcements for full details and registration information.

Florida Creativity Conference
March 11-14, 2026, Sarasota, FL at Ringling College of Art + Design; Sponsored by the Creative Education Foundation
The Florida Creativity Conference isn’t about painting, crafting, or traditional notions of creativity—it’s about thinking differently. Whether you’re a professional, educator, business leader, consultant, or simply someone curious about problem-solving, this conference offers an accepting and collaborative environment to explore innovative ways to tackle challenges. At the heart of our event are two immersive core workshops: Foundations of Creative Problem Solving (CPS) and Tools for Creative Problem Solving. For more information about registration and submitted proposals, please see the website.

Opportunities and Resources

UMass Boston Office of Graduate Studies (UMB-UR-BEST) virtual workshops for graduate students – fall 2025 series. For more information about each session, see the registration links below.
Addressing Procrastination: Monday, October 20, 2025, 5:00–6:00pm ET. Register here (requires UMB login credentials): https://forms.gle/HJ6bvznJEYiNhMZ46
Stress-Management and Self-Care: Monday, November 17, 2025, 5:00–6:00pm ET. Register here (requires UMB login credentials): https://forms.gle/GFymxg8pSQ4bJFAZ7
Exploring Social Identities/Marginalization, Privilege, and Coping: Monday, December 8, 2025. 5:00-6:00pm ET. Register here (requires UMB login credentials): https://forms.gle/P67rrqJAdLHDxhtS6

The UMB Graduate Student Government offers multiple grants for graduate students in support of conference attendance and research work. Please see the grant descriptions and application requirements here.

Sage’s 2025 virtual Critical Thinking Bootcamp (held August 2025) is now available to view. See the official page for the video recording as well as several free resources.

Joanna Macy, founder of the Work that Reconnects Network, which was dedicated to bringing change and healing by drawing on systems thinking, ecology, and spirituality, passed away in July 2025. For more information about this work and access to resources, please see the website.

The Educating to be Human Podcast, hosted by Lisa Petrides and the Institute for the Study of Knowledge Management in Education (ISKME), is available here. The podcast explores what it means to be human in today’s evolving cultural and societal landscape.

Food for Thought