I'll be staying in Paris (arr. 1) in February 2014 and traveling each day to a conference at The University of Paris-Ouest Nanterre la Défense. Can anyone advise me on how to get from one place to the other via public transportation (bus, train, etc.)? Many thanks!
According to the university's official site, take the RER A (direction: Saint-Germain-en-Laye) to Nanterre-Universite. For a zoomable map of the Metro & RER system, go here: http://tinyurl.com/6xmvms4
Note that an ordinary Paris central zone Metro/RER ticket will not get you out as far as Nanterre, so you'll need to get a specific ticket. I don't know if the Paris system offers a weekly point-to-point season, but it might be worth enquiring at the station depending on the length of your conference.
All Paris commuting questions, schedules, maps, itinerary planners, tourism info: http://www.ratp.fr/en/
One more thing: You'll see on the map that the RER A line divides on the west side of Paris. Be sure to get on a train whose final stop is Saint-Germain-en-Laye.
And remember when traveling on the RER to keep your ticket handy, because you have to run it through the turnstile again to exit!
Thank you everyone for your advice and help! I really appreciate it.