14 November 2023

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Student Matters

Applications for spring 2024 admission are being accepted with a due date of December 1, 2023. Admissions requirements and procedures can be reviewed here.

Spring 2024 courses are open for registration for current students. Non-degree registration opens on January 8th (see here for more information about registering as a guest student). Most Critical and Creative Thinking courses may be taken by guest students as space remains. [See full descriptions].

• CrCrTh 602, Creative Thinking; January 22-May 8, 2024; online only and mostly asynchronous, with limited meetings on some Wednesday evenings at 7:00pm ET (all students: register for class #12391)
• CrCrTh 612, Seminar in Creativity (Theme: Engaging the Inner Artist); January 22-May 8; online, meetings on Thursdays, 4:00-6:45pm ET starting January 25th (CRCRTH students: register for class #12462; students in other programs register for class #12463)
• CrCrTh 688, Reflective Practice; January 22-May 8; online, mostly asynchronous with limited meetings on some Monday evenings, times TBD (all students: register for class #12392)
• CrCrTh 693, Action Research for Educational, Professional, and Personal Change; January 22-May 8; join online or on campus, meetings on Tuesdays, 4:00-6:45pm ET starting January 23rd (CRCRTH students: register for class #12393; students in other programs register for class #12394)
• CrCrTh 694, Synthesis of Theory and Practice; January 22-May 8; online, meetings on Mondays, 4:00-6:45pm ET starting January 22nd (all students: register for class #12395; not open to non-degree students or students from other programs)

CCT Events

Fall 2023 Dialogue Series on Reflective Practice in a Changing World (online)

• Wed. Nov. 15th, 7:00-8:00pm ET: Reflective Practice for Restoring Wellness in Dysfunctional Spaces (RSVP to this session | more details on the theme)
• Thurs. Dec. 14th, 7:00-8:00pm ET: Reflective Practice for Embracing Creative Risk (RSVP to this session | more details on the theme)

Join any number of these dialogues, free and open to the public. RSVP to an individual event to receive Zoom login information and reminders for that event.
In this series of dialogues, 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 theme that represents a common challenge to the reflective practitioner. We use a structured dialogue process to support each participant to recall and make sense of their experiences and then envision how to direct their practices toward ongoing and future encounters with that challenge.

Alum, Student, and CCT Associates Notables

CCT graduate Laura White (’19) recently participated in National Novel Writer’s Month (“NaNoWriMo”), in which thousands of people register to write their novel of 50,000 words with the support of a close knit online community. The challenge begins the first of the month and concludes with opportunities to follow-up with contests, sharing work for peer review, and guidance for taking finished work to publishers. Within the Discourse community forum, expert leaders are guide novel writers through the entire process and are available for individual questions. Various discussion groups exchange ideas and accountability support through writing groups by location, genre, affiliations, and even a care package club in which writers send encouraging mail to a matched writer. The participation structure encourages future group leadership by awarding “badges” that signify practice within the community format and mastery of levels. Interested future writers are advised to visit the NaNoWriMo website to learn about the process and find preparation workshops for next year. Programs for children and teens are also available for community service. The month process is as intense and meaningful as writing a graduate thesis! See https://nanowrimo.org/national-novel-writing-month. Congratulations Laura!

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 here.

Events

Free webinar series on How to Do Research and Get Published by Sage:
How to Do Research and Get Published Series – How to Write a Literature Review (Nov 15, 2023, 11:00am ET)
How to Do Research and Get Published Series – How to create a research agenda and develop your personal academic brand (Dec 06, 2023, 11:00am ET)
To register, see the website.

Crisis as Catalyst: Meeting the Moment with Transformational Investments
Hosted by the UMass Boston Sustainable Solutions Lab
November 30, 2023, 9:00am-12:00pm ET
Location: online, and in-person at Nutter McClennen & Fish LLP, Louis D. Brandeis Conference Center, 155 Seaport Boulevard, Boston
In the wake of a crisis, be it an extreme weather event, a pandemic, or something else, political dynamics shift that catalyze innovation and usher in possibilities previously deemed unimaginable. Join the Climate Adaptation Forum on November 30th to learn about these critical junctures in history when opportunities to do the impossible became reality. We’ll explore these moments to glean lessons that will help us prepare for our current climate crisis. What conditions allowed these changes to take place? Did planning happen beforehand? What pitfalls should we watch out for? During this discussion, we’ll have the opportunity to learn from speakers exploring big infrastructure investments, safety innovations, and re-designing the urban landscape. This forum is in a hybrid format. Attendees will have the option of being in-person, networking at Nutter McClennen & Fish LLP, Louis D. Brandeis Conference Center (located by South Station), or tuning in virtually. The Climate Adaptation Forum is hosted by the Sustainable Solutions Lab and the Environmental Business Council of New England (EBC). See the website to register (small fee required) and for more information.