ODU's Langlais Hosts Annual Meeting of Conference of Southern Graduate Schools
Old Dominion University administrator Philip Langlais will deliver the presidential welcome and opening address at the 38th annual meeting of the Conference of Southern Graduate Schools (CSGS), which begins Feb. 26 at the Norfolk Waterside Marriott.
Langlais (pictured), the vice provost for graduate studies and research at ODU, is serving as the 2008-09 president of the CSGS and was instrumental in bringing the annual meeting to Norfolk. The meeting's theme is "Advancing an Action Agenda for Graduate Education."
His presidential address will review transformative goals for graduate education that have been adopted by the CSGS. The goals include promoting graduate programs and facilities that help graduates meet the challenges of our society; updating the culture and direction of graduate programs; becoming advocates for social responsibility and accountability; and working together to create, test and share solutions and best practices.
Langlais also is one of the organizers of a plenary session, "The Evolving Need for Collaboration Between Graduate Education and Workforce Development," and the speaker for another session titled "Engaging Faculty and Industry in Dialogue and Partnerships: Corporate and Academic Mindsets."
The annual meeting will feature graduate students at CSGS schools serving as panelists to give administrators and faculty participants commentary "from the frontlines," Langlais said. An ODU doctoral student in health services research, Mohammad Alzahrani, will participate in the program "Graduate Student Panel-Meeting the Needs of an Increasingly Diverse Student Population."
A reception at the Chrysler Museum of Art during the four-day meeting will include music by ODU's Diehn Chorale and the John Toomey Jazz Quartet.
More than 200 universities in 15 states are members of the CSGS. Around 170 graduate school deans, vice provosts and other participants are expected at the annual meeting.
A psychologist and neuroscientist, Langlais has become known within the CSGS and several national and international organizations for his work on ethics training, especially for graduate students and graduate-program faculties. He has headed an ODU steering committee on ethics, professional standards and responsible conduct.