280 likes | 482 Views
Preparing Future Faculty (PFF): a national professional development program. Daniel Denecke Director, Best Practices Council of Graduate Schools. The Council of Graduate Schools. Advocacy and Government Relations Research Member Services Best Practices Preparing Future Faculty
E N D
Preparing Future Faculty (PFF): a national professional development program Daniel Denecke Director, Best Practices Council of Graduate Schools
The Council of Graduate Schools • Advocacy and Government Relations • Research • Member Services • Best Practices • Preparing Future Faculty • Ph.D. Completion and Attrition • Professional Master’s Programs (PSM and PMA) • Responsible Conduct of Research (RCR)
Web Resources • www.sciencemasters.com (PSM) • www.preparing-faculty.org (PFF) • www.phdcompletion.org • www.cgsnet.org (CGS) • Books: including Preparing Future Faculty in the Sciences and Mathematics: A Guide for Change
What was wrong with doctoral education? • Inadequate supply to meet future demand • Quality of undergraduate education compromised by: • Prestige system that rewards research, not teaching • Increasing burden on graduate TA’s to cover undergraduate courses • Mismatch between graduate degree experience and career opportunities
Calls for Change • Scholarship Reconsidered, E.Boyer • COSEPUP reports [Committee on Science Engineering and Public Policy], ’95, ‘00 • At Cross Purposes, C. Golde & T. Dore • Leaving the Ivory Tower, B. Lovitts • “Profscam,” et al.
Responding to the Call: Graduate Reform Initiatives • Re-envisioning the Ph.D. (Univ. of Washington) • Responsive Ph.D. (Woodrow Wilson Foundation) • Carnegie Initiative on the Doctorate • Preparing Future Faculty (CGS and AAC&U) • Ph.D. Completion Project (CGS)
Academic Professionalism: How it is Developed In the Absence of Programs: • Sporadically • Dyadically • Imitation • Unevenly As a Result of Programs: • Structured Experience • Collectively • Curricular Enhancement • Evenly – Accessible to all
Preparing Future Faculty (PFF): Assumptions • Faculty roles and responsibilities are various and demanding in any context • Ph.D.s pursue academic careers at a variety of types of institutions • Different types of institutions define “academic practice” differently, and thus require different competencies, skills, and sensitivities • Collaboration and Partnership are the best vehicle for change
Cluster Model Community Colleges Teaching Service Anchor(Doctoral) University Research Research Liberal Arts Colleges Teaching Service Teaching Research Service
A Decade of PFF: Four Grant Phases 1993 ‑1996 PFF 1 — Develop model programs * 17 clusters with 85 partners Pew Charitable Trusts 1997 ‑2001 PFF 2 — Institutionalize & spread programs * 15 clusters with 110 partners Pew Charitable Trusts 1998 - 2001 PFF 3 — Preparing Science & Mathematics Faculty * 19 clusters with 83 partners in 5 disciplines National Science Foundation 1999 - 2002 PFF 4 — Preparing Social Science & Humanities Faculty * 25 clusters with 95 partners in 6 disciplines Atlantic Philanthropies
Disciplinary Societies PFF Three • American Association of Physics Teachers • American Chemical Society • American Mathematical Society & Mathematical Association of America • Special Interest Group on Computer Science Education / ACM PFF Four • American Historical Association • American Political Science Association • American Psychological Association • American Sociological Association • National Communication Association • National Council for Teachers of English
Enhancing Academic Practice • Research • Grant Writing and Grants Management • Lab Management • Research Ethics/Responsible Conduct of Research • Institutional Review Boards • Teaching • Pedagogy in the Discipline • Pedagogy for Different Populations • Syllabus and Curriculum Development • Scholarship of Teaching and Learning; Assessment • Service • Civic Duties of a “Public Intellectual” • Communicating One’s Research Beyond One’s Discipline • Academic Leadership and Administration
DemystifyingAcademic Practice • Publications and Conferences • Job Interviews and Job Talks • Department Politics • How a University Works • Navigating the Road to Tenure
PFF Program Structure(composite) • A Certificate Program (44%) • Workshops and Seminars • Guest Lecture Series • Credit Courses • Supervised Internship (multiple mentors) • Institutional and Departmentally-supported Informal Networking Opportunities (alumni, guest lectures, faculty, peer mentors, etc.) • Incentives for Partner Faculty • Graduate Student Administrative Assistance • New Faculty Line (“Professor of the Practice”)
PFF Curricular Content (composite) • PFF Orientation • Classroom Management • Curricular Design • Pedagogy in the Discipline • Learning Outcome Assessment/STL (e.g. University of Michigan chemistry w/ School of Education) • Technology in the Classroom • Teaching in a Diverse Environment
PFF Curricular Content (Composite, continued) • Preparing a Teaching and Research Portfolio: • CV’s, statements of teaching philosophy, etc. • Preparing for Job Interviews and Job Talks • Research Ethics and Institutional Review Boards • Grants Writing and Management • Lab Management • Department Politics • How a University Works • Navigating the Road to Tenure • Academic Leadership • Mentorship and Advising
Most Common Challenges and Effective Solutions Challenges: • Faculty Buy-In • Time-to-Degree/“distraction” concerns Solutions: • More Research Emphasis and Activities • A Researcher-Champion • Flexible and/or Developmental Scheduling • PFF Woven into the Fabric of Program (e.g. through certificate or credit courses)
Lessons Learned from PFF(external evaluators’ conclusions) Essential Program Elements • National Leadership and Recognition • Exposure to Teaching, Service and Enhanced Research • Formalized “Anticipatory Socialization” to the Profession • Formal Structure for Interaction
Lessons Learned from PFF (continued) Program Elements of Value • Cluster of Partnering Institutions • Required Courses and Concepts • Certificates • Academic Internships • Multiple (T, S, and R) Mentors • Steering Committee • Campus Teaching and Learning Center Involvement
Lessons Learned from PFF (continued) Things to Avoid • Setting up faculty for “burnout” or endangering “at risk” faculty • Being labeled as a teaching-only program • Taking advantage of partner institutions and faculty • Insufficient and insecure funding
Lessons Learned from PFF (continued) Leadership and Infrastructure • Should exist at both institutional and department levels • Must have campus champions among both senior administrators and senior research faculty • Must have institutional resources dedicated to program
Evaluator Recommendations Diffusion, Transfer and Adoption • Fund institutions to leverage existing funding that will provide: • “Seed money” for new programs • Support for growth and diffusion of existing programs • Fund a national leadership structure to provide: • Technical assistance • Information and Dissemination • Conference and Event Organization • Innovation and Evaluation
National Scope of PFF • 41 of 44 Anchor universities are “Research Extensive” – • They represent 27% of all such universities in the US, including 9 of the top 20 Ph.D. producers in U.S. • They awarded 28% of research doctorates in 2001 • Over 300 partner institutions participated, including: • Comprehensive (master’s-focused) Universities • Four-year Liberal Arts Colleges • Associate/Community Colleges • Minority Serving Institutions • 16 HBCU’s; 23 HSI’s; 4 Tribal colleges; and 10 women’s colleges
New Directions • Expanded PFF constituency: • Post-doctorates • Master’s Students • New (Junior) Faculty • “PFP” (clusters = academic hubs and non-academic partners) • PFF/PFP as a Pipeline Strategy for Underrepresented Groups