The Department of Mathematical Sciences at the State University of New
York at Binghamton has recently established a Preparing Future Faculty
(PFF) program in order to help graduate students prepare for careers in
academia. Currently, the program is sponsored by the American Association
of Colleges and Universities and the Council of Graduate Schools, and funded
by a grant from the National Science Foundation. The American Mathematical
Society and Mathematical Association of America oversee this program in
mathematics. Each of the authors served as graduate student coordinator
for such a program at SUNY-Binghamton. As a result, we probably received
more "P" for "FF" than anyone. Here we will limit our discussion to the
benefits that any graduate student conscientiously participating in PFF
(such graduate students are called PFF fellows) should be able to reap.
The Binghamton program has four major components: mentoring, undergraduate
talks, seminars and workshops, and attendance at professional meetings.
The mentoring component provides an opportunity for frank discussions
about teaching with an experienced professor. Each fellow is paired with
a faculty member from SUNY-Binghamton. The mentor attends a few of the
PFF fellow's classes, and then they discuss the fellow's strengths and
weaknesses in teaching. They may also talk about a variety of issues that
arise in the classroom. After these discussions, the PFF fellow finds it
easier to write the philosophy of teaching statement needed for job applications.
The mentor may also be in a position to write a letter of recommendation
for the fellow that addresses teaching. After obtaining a job, the mentoring
experience prepares the fellow for performance reviews by the chair and
dean.
Visits to partner institutions are some of the most enjoyable PFF events.
Broome Community College, Ithaca College, King's College, and SUNY-Oneonta
join SUNY-Binghamton as partners in the PFF program. Each semester, every
partner institution invites a PFF fellow to give a talk for undergraduates.
This gives the fellow experience developing and fine-tuning a talk at the
undergraduate level, and this talk may later be used during the interviewing
process. The visit also provides an excellent opportunity to learn about
the culture of other departments. Discussion with the partner school faculty
allows the student to learn of the expectations of new faculty at different
types of institutions. Often these visits give PFF fellows a better idea
of the type of school in which they would like to work.
Of course, being a faculty member involves more than teaching. Seminars
and workshops, which are often presented by faculty from partner institutions,
attempt to address issues that are faced both in and out of the classroom.
Weekly issues seminars give new graduate students advice on day-to-day
teaching matters. On the other hand, professional seminars provide insight
into the concerns of faculty members. We have had presentations concerning
expectations of research, service responsibilities, and the tenure process.
Additionally, workshops provide hands-on experience. For example, last
Spring, two three-hour Saturday morning workshops explored the use of technology
in the classroom.
Attendance at professional meetings is another major component of the
program. Obviously, this provides an opportunity for PFF fellows to network
with active members of a profession that they wish to join, and this is
beneficial in the job search. Even more, professional meetings usually
come with a variety of talks and presentations that address issues facing
faculty members. When PFF fellows reach the promised land of a new job,
they may very well be immediately faced with new course preparations. At
professional meetings, fellows might attend presentations that provide
ideas about how to approach these courses, making it easier to positively
adjust to the new job. Such experiences would hopefully continue throughout
the fellows' careers.
The Preparing Future Faculty program allows fellows to establish their
careers while they are graduate students. First, they can improve their
teaching and presentation skills during graduate school. Additionally,
there is obviously a pragmatic advantage when it is time to look for a
job. Yet PFF is perhaps most important because it enables a young faculty
member to almost immediately make a positive contribution to the profession.
For more information about the program, consult http://math.binghamton.edu/pff.
Submitted by:
Joseph Evan, King's College
Friedrich Kluempen, SUNY at Binghamton
Denise Reboli, King's College