Preparing Future Faculty (PFF) is a program for graduate students designed to introduce and prepare them to be faculty members in various types of educational institutions. The current program is sponsored by the American Association of Colleges and Universities and the Council of Graduate Schools, funded by a grant from the National Science Foundation. The American Mathematical Society and Mathematical Association of America oversee this program in mathematics. In general, each graduate program has four other institutions that serve as partner institutions. Usually these partner schools are chosen to give the graduate students an opportunity to explore other types of institutions - comprehensive, liberal arts, community college, private, etc. The research school and the other institutions are equal partners in this endeavor. While every program is different, each tries to prepare its students to be contributing faculty members wherever they teach.
The partner institutions play a crucial role in this program. The graduate students involved in these programs may be teaching in the future at 2- and 4- year colleges or research institutions. Through contact with faculty at other schools they can explore the other types of institutions they might apply to for a job. Interacting with the undergraduates often gives them the opportunity to work with different types of students. Working with other institutions also gives all involved the chance to network and develop working relationships with mathematicians outside their own department.
Since this program is centered around the graduate students, what can the faculty and students of the partner institutions get from the program? Quite a bit! There can be numerous benefits for your students, depending on how much you involve them. At King's we felt that was one of our main reasons for getting involved. One of our group's main activities has been the speaker program. During each semester, one of the graduate students presents an hour talk on some facet of mathematics, often in an area that is not covered in a traditional curriculum. This graduate student is accompanied by several others from the research institution for the trip. We have asked our mathematics club to be hosts for the talk itself. They begin by choosing which graduate student they would like to invite by examining the abstracts of the talks offered. The request is forwarded to the graduate school where it is accommodated, if possible. The club also provides refreshments and helps to recruit other students to listen to the talk. After the talk our students have a chance to intermingle with the graduate students and faculty. This informal gathering gives the graduate students a chance to talk to our students about life at a liberal arts college and the courses they are taking. The undergraduates have an opportunity to explore options of graduate school and talk to people who are living that experience. Afterwards, the faculty of the partner institution joins the visitors for a meal where we discuss what it means to be a faculty member at our institution.
These discussions are important to me as a member of the faculty at a partner school because I have been able to stay in touch with the trends in graduate education. This has given me additional background that I can use when I advise my students who are considering graduate school. Some of these conversations provide an opportunity to meet graduate students who will be colleagues, possibly in my own department, in the near future. Understanding what being a faculty member entails in terms of not only teaching and research, but also service, helps the graduate students know what will be expected of them when they start a full-time position. The presentations have also allowed me to enrich some of my classes. Often the topics presented have coincided with ideas that I have developed or will be developing in class. Seeing other applications of these ideas has given my students a better perception of why they are important.
The program also allows for professional development for the partner faculty. Our cluster includes many opportunities to participate in some way in PFF. The partner faculty have been speakers at the professional seminars and workshops for the graduate students. The workshops are designed by faculty from the partner institutions to highlight innovations in our classrooms and to allow the graduate students to have experiences that are not part of their current experiences in graduate school. The topic we used for the first year was technology in the classroom. SUNY-Binghamton currently does not have the capabilities to give the undergraduates an opportunity to use computers for their math classes. They also do not use graphing calculators. Thus, those graduate students who only teach there generally do not have any background in implementing computer projects in their classes. The workshops this past year introduced the graduate students and faculty to different packages and gave them some idea of how they can be used effectively in the classroom.
The professional seminars have dealt with issues that the graduate students will deal with in the near future. These seminars give the partner faculty a chance to share with the graduate students their own experiences and knowledge of a career in mathematics. Topics have ranged from the job search, using the Employment Center, and on-campus interviews to academic honesty, developmental mathematics, and advice to young faculty. There are additional opportunities to discuss topics such as service, advising, and the great juggling act. Being a part of the program also puts you in contact with other mathematicians at neighboring schools. This allows each department to learn about the other department's curricula. It has also given us the opportunity to connect with researchers in our own field, something we may not have at our own institution.
The Preparing Future Faculty Project benefits everyone involved. The experience is clearly constructed for the benefit of the graduate students, however the undergraduates involved have seen some new applications of mathematics and have started to think of their own careers in the field. Perhaps the most valuable piece of the program for all involved is to be part of a group who are concerned with the future of the teaching profession. More information on our cluster's activities can be found on the web: http://www.math.binghamton.edu//pff/index.html
Denise M. Reboli, Ph.D.
Department of Mathematics
King's College
Wilkes-Barre, PA 18711
(570)208-5900 x5498
dmreboli@kings.edu