3 Before a Session
Information about your participants that may be helpful to gather beforehand:
It is good practice to share relevant access information with your participants in advance when hosting in-person sessions even if no participant explicitly asks for it. This can include building floor plans, ramp and stair information, the closest location of accessible washrooms, elevators, and parking spaces, and precise doorway dimensions.
- role/status
- joining online vs in person
- accessibility needs
- small group composition preferences
- experience supervising grad students if faculty/staff
Ensure that you are in regular contact with your participants before the start of the session. A reminder email the day before is important and should include clear instructions on joining the session and session etiquette and expectations. It can also be helpful to provide clear instructions on what to do if a participant has difficulties joining the session and a list of support resources.
Setting clear expectations for participation and the goals/intention of the session (see: point of session notes). Remind participants that they’ll be expected to turn on video and actively participate.
We have provided several supplementary resources for the project as a whole and for each individual scene. You’ll find the relevant resources at the end of each scene section, as well as a compiled list as an Appendix. These can be great background for facilitators to explore before a session. Organizers may also provide one or more to participants as pre-reading before the session or send one or more to participants following a session. Participants with less familiarity with issues related to graduate student supervisory relationships are more likely to benefit from reading these resources prior to a session.
