1. KEY IDEAS University of Illinois at Urbana-Champaign
CID History Convening - January 2004

2. Key Ideas First year research seminar Preliminary examinations
Global history minor field

3. 1. First Year Research Seminar
Opportunity for first-year students to conduct original research
Benefits
Students learn craft at early stage
Encourages creativity
Promotes consideration of dissertation topics

4. 2. Preliminary Examinations
How to improve the examination process
Concerns
Flexibility of exam schedule
Streamlining Ph.D. process
Course requirements

5. 3. Global History Minor Field
Provide training for global research and teaching
Factors
Graduate demand
Job market
Intellectual exchange within discipline

6. Location of Discussions
Department committees
Executive Committee
Graduate Committee
NEH faculty seminar on globalization
Graduate student organizations
History Graduate Student Organization
Women’s Caucus

7. Fruitful Questions / Key Issues
Future of the discipline
Training for future employment
Reducing time to research stage
Basic goals/obstacles

8. Doctoral Features Affirmed
Commitment to dialogue with other disciplines
Focus on research (without excluding teaching)
Commitment to useful training

9. Rejected Ideas
Necessity of long, intensive historiographical training before attempting any research
Year-long preliminary exam process