Preparing Future Faculty

In Fall 2023, the Graduate School, the Office of Postdoctoral Affairs and the Center for Teaching Excellence will offer a Preparing Future Faculty program for graduate students and postdocs. 

 

The Preparing Future Faculty program is open to graduate students and postdocs from all departments at the University of Florida. The goal of the program is to help prepare participants for academic careers in a variety of settings. The focus is on learning about faculty life at different types of institutions, honing evidence-based teaching skills, and expanding your mentoring network. This program will not address preparing job application or interview materials for faculty positions. If you are interested in the job search process, a self-paced course is available through Beyond the Professoriate

The Fall 2023 program will be offered in person at the main Gainesville campus. In Spring 2024, the program will be offered online. We will meet on Fridays from 9 am -11 am. 

Participants will be selected on a competitive basis. Submission of an application does not guarantee acceptance into the program. If accepted, candidates will need to request approval from their advisor to participate in the program. Accepted participants will be notified by early August. 

Applications for Fall 2023 are now closed. An announcement for Spring 2024 will be out by late Fall.   

Questions? Please email Kimone Simmons at ksimmons2@ufl.edu

As a result of participating in this program, participants will be able to:

  • Develop a toolbox of evidence-based teaching/learning practices and strategies
  • Expand your mentoring team and learn best practices for mentees and mentors
  • Describe the important aspects of being a successful faculty member, and prepare accordingly during their training at UF
  • Identify key elements of being a faculty member at different types of institutions
Course Component Week Weekly Topic
  08/25/2023

Introductions 

Interaction and Motivation

Teaching 09/01/2023
 

Introduction to Teaching and Diversity Statements

  09/08/2023
 

Active Learning 

  09/15/2023
 

Helpful Feedback

Group Mentoring Discussion

  09/22/2023
 

Authentic and Useful Assessment

  09/29/2023  Inclusive Learning Environments 
  10/13/2023 

Tenure and Promotion

  10/20/2023 

Transparent Teaching

Faculty Life   10/27/2023  Panel Discussion: Faculty Life at Research Intensive Institutions
  11/03/2023  Panel Discussion: Faculty Life at Primarily Undergraduate Institutions 
  11/17/2023  Panel Discussion: Interviewing and Hiring
  12/01/2023  Peer Review Session 1: Diversity Statements
  12/08/2023  Peer Review Session 2: Teaching Statements

*schedule may change

Attendance Requirement

Participants must attend each weekly meeting. Participants who have not missed more than three sessions may request a certificate of completion at the end of the program.

Mentoring Requirement

Participants must identify a faculty mentor (someone other than immediate advisor) for this program. Participants will be required to meet with their mentors twice monthly for the duration of the program. The program will provide participants and mentors with a list of topics to be discussed (if desired), along with activities that could enhance the quality of the interactions and the outcome of the experience.

The Preparing Future Faculty program is open to graduate students and postdocs from any department at UF. Participants will be selected on a competitive basis. 

Application components:

1. Statement of interest in the program (250 words). This statement will allow program staff to see if what you expect to gain from the program corresponds to the learning objectives. This program is not designed with the focus to help with writing the documents for your job application package. Rather, it is a designed for you to understand faculty life in a variety of settings, and to gain valuable teaching skills. 

2. Summary of teaching accomplishments (250 words)

3. Summary of research/scholarship accomplishments (250 words)

4. Summary of service/outreach activities (250 words)

5. Current CV