Summary of Results for the Preparing Future Faculty Survey
In September, we distributed a survey to the teaching assistants who have advanced into their fourth year of graduate school. This survey presents a variety of questions dealing with the teaching assistants' preparedness to become faculty members. The main results of this survey are outlined here, followed by a brief discussion about how our program has addressed our teaching assistants' concerns.
First, all of the 14 respondents indicated that they are interested in academic work. A few would also like to look at possibilities in industry, but 10 mentioned only an interest in academic jobs.
After evaluating the 14 responses to the survey, it is not difficult to pick out the areas that the respondents feel they would like to know more about. To begin, 13 of the 14 respondents indicated that they feel ill-prepared to conduct research projects with undergraduates.
The teaching assistants also would like to learn more about balancing teaching and research responsibilities as new faculty members. Among 6 different aspects of becoming a faculty member, 8 of 14 respondents indicated that this ability to balance teaching and research concerned them most.
Using technology in the classroom and dealing with service responsibilities as a faculty member were also major concerns for the teaching assistants. Of the 14 respondents, 8 indicated that they did not have adequate knowledge or experience in these areas.
For the most part, respondents did feel prepared to teach students from widely varying academic backgrounds. Ten of fourteen answered that they have learned about this while at SUNY-Binghamton. The teaching assistants also feel comfortable with the idea of advising students as faculty members. Ten of the fourteen respondents indicated that they have obtained knowledge and experience concerning this while at SUNY-Binghamton.
Our program involves activities concerning each of the areas where the teaching assistants felt that they lacked preparation. Several graduate students are getting experience in working with undergraduates on research projects through an Undergraduate Algebra Seminar. Six undergraduate students have registered for Math 480, the Undergraduate Algebra Seminar at SUNY-Binghamton. Each of those students is assigned a paper to present for the seminar. The undergraduates are then paired with a graduate student who helps them understand the paper and organize a presentation. These graduate students are then in some way advising undergraduates about how to approach research.
There have also been two three hour workshops scheduled which address the use of technology in the classroom. The first concerned the use of MATLAB and Maple in Linear Algebra, and was conducted by Constant Goutziers from SUNY at Oneonta on March 4. The second will be held on April 29. Tony Berard and Denise Reboli of King's College will discuss the use of DERIVE in Calculus.
Concerns about service responsibilities of faculty members are addressed in several ways. First, there is always the opportunity for discussions with faculty members during our visits to partner institutions. Furthermore, there are also professional seminars designed to inform graduate students about service responsibilities. For example, one of the deans at SUNY-Binghamton will talk about serving on the academic honesty committee.
In addition to our own program, on April 13, the Seaway Section of the MAA will hold a NEXT/PFF meeting. Here, new faculty members involved in Project Next, as well as graduate students involved in Preparing Future Faculty Programs, will have the opportunity to learn more about issues facing new faculty members. At this meeting, Professor Luise-Charlotte Kappe will make a presentation about how new faculty members can make find time to do research. Several of our PFF fellows will participate.
In early May, we will present teaching assistants with a new survey where they will have the opportunity to comment on the effectiveness of the activities in the program. For more information about activities, consult the web at http://www.math.binghamton.edu/pff.