tomorrow’s professor december 1, 2004. section i setting the stage
TRANSCRIPT
Tomorrow’s Professor
December 1, 2004
Section I
Setting the Stage
The Academic Enterprise Unlike any other institution Carnegie Classification– Changed in
2000! Doctoral/Research Universities– Extensive Doctoral/Research Universities– Intensive Masters I & II Baccalaureate Colleges-- Liberal Arts Baccalaureate Colleges– General Baccalaureate/Associate’s Colleges
The Academic Enterprise Institutional Governance
Bottom-up governance structure The institution of tenure The “multiuniversity”
Challenges Facing Academia Budget cuts Demands for increased productivity Implications of University-Industry
collaboration
Key Points The academic institution is different
than other business institutions There are many different types of
academic institutions– the important thing is to know what kind of institution you are dealing with
Academia is currently going through a period of transition
Sci. and Eng. in Higher Education
Faculty are more loyal to their discipline than their department, and more loyal to their department than their university
There are many differences between departments, even in one institution
Interdisciplinary collaboration Scholarship across the disciplines
Key Points Many factors that academics are
affected by vary across departments and schools within a university
While most faculty are most loyal to their own discipline, interdisciplinary collaboration and scholarship continues to increase in importance
New Challenges to the Professoriate
Forces for change in teaching and research Increasing use of communications tools Increasing use of computational tools Increasing focus on interdisciplinary programs Prospects of decreased government funding Increasing costs of doing research Changing role of industry in academic
research
New Challenges to the Professoriate
Implications for Faculty Scholarship Balance between cooperation and
competition Balance between basic and applied
research Balance between high-risk and low-
risk behaviors
Key Points As mentioned before, academia is
facing plenty of new challenges This means that, as new faculty,
we must balance ourselves between extremes in several ways
Section II
Preparing for an Academic Career
Chapter 4 Your Professional Preparation
Strategy
Decisions, Decisions, Decisions…
Follow your passion Understand what you are getting into
Make a calculated decision. It’s a marathon, not a sprint.
Do not try to forecast supply and demand “Well, I’m going to get my PhD in so-and-
so cause that field is really ‘hot’ right now…”
Supply and Demand “The Myth”
Got PhD’s? 675,000 jobs!!! Where do I sign?
Reality Bites Somebody call William Sherden. Graduate Student Birth Control.
Three-Pronged Preparation Strategy
Breadth-on-Top-of-Depth Capital “T” approach. Drilling for oil.
Next-Stage Look Ahead.
Research, Proposal Writing, Publishing Multiple-Option
Concurrently prepare for academic and industry careers.
Chapter 5 Research as a Graduate
Student and Postdoc
Summary Choosing a Research Topic Choosing an Advisor Writing Research Proposals Publishing
Choosing a Research Topic
1. Can it be enthusiastically pursued?2. Can interest be sustained by it?3. Is the problem solvable?4. Is it worth doing?5. Will it lead to other research problems?6. Is it manageable in size?7. Can you make an original contribution to the literature?8. Will the results be reviewed well by scholars in the field?9. Are you, or will you become, competent to solve it?10. Will you have demonstrated independent skills in the
discipline?11. Will the research prepare you in an area of future demand or
promise?
Choosing an Advisor Considerations
Accomplishments in teaching and research Enthusiasm for advising students Experience in advising students Management and organization of his/her research group Reputation for setting high standards in a congenial atmosphere Compatible Personality
Types of Advisors (Smith’s classification) Collaborator Hands-Off Senior Scientist
Types of Advisors (Martin’s classification) Authoritarian Coach Laissez Faire
Writing Research Proposals
Next stage activity Begin by reviewing other’s proposals
and by contributing drafts of sections of other’s proposals
Show drafts to others Academics in your specialty area Academics outside your specialty area (but
in your field) Academics at other institutions
Publishing For co-authored papers, be able to give
a talk and answer questions at conferences on any paper for which you are listed as an author
Author checklist (abbreviated) Is the article complete? Is the article authoritative? Is the article singular (does it make a
contribution)?
Key Points
Get involved in research early Choose research topics that are “narrowly
focused and carefully defined, but are important parts of a broad-ranging, complex problem”
Choose your advisor carefully Be involved in as many “next-stage” activities
as possible Writing research proposals Attending conferences Supervising other researchers Managing research projects and programs
Chapter 6 Teaching Experiences Prior to
Becoming a Professor
Why is it important to teach as a Graduate Student?
Confirm teaching is what one wants to do.
Help prepare for one’s first teaching assignment as a professor.
Makes one more marketable.
What can I do? Look and volunteer for teaching
experiences Remember that the time spent
teaching will generally be 3x the amount you expect
Create a teaching portfolio
What can I do NOW? (key points)
Stay aware of teaching opportunities around you
Start compiling your teaching portfolio now
Make it a habit to file samples of your work
Section III
Finding and Getting the Best Possible Academic Position
Chapter 7 Identifying the Possibilities
Deciding what you want Your type of institution
Research, Doctoral, Master’s & Baccalaureate Different Institution characteristics
Your type of appointment Full-time, Tenure-track Temporary, Part-time, Consulting , Adjunct etc.
Your setting Physical and cultural environment Personal preferences and family considerations Relationship between the institutions you are
considering and other local colleges and universities
Research what is out there Background reading
Guidebooks Program description College catalog Internet
Talking to others Using the contact database you constructed Do not make information querying into
position applying Visiting other institutions
Preparing for the search Consolidate the information
together and focus on a plan of the specific schools you want to apply
Nonacademic positions?
Chapter 8
Applying for Positions
Setting the Stage How New Positions are Established
Vice president for academic affairs Dean Department
What Departments Look for in New Faculty Teach Specialty Funding
Finding out What is available Advertisement Known to a few faculty Internet
Drawing on your Network
Preparing your Application Materials
The Cover letterThe Curriculum Vitae Letters of Recommendation
The Application Process Conferences
Talk about research / teaching Keep in touch with your faculty and students Follow-up
The Campus Visit Know the institution Seek info from the people you known in that institute Know more about the schedule Interview Other considerations
The Academic Job Talk What do they want to see Customization Practice
Chapter 9 Getting the Results You Want
Principles for responding to an offer
Make sure you have an offer Know what you want ,And what you don’t want Clearly communicate what you want – but only to
the right people Use your work quality/productivity to negotiate Make requests informally Negotiate hard on things that are ”out of bound” Learn about the Tenure process Start as High as you can in institutional prestige Be realistic about salary – but go as high as you
can Keep options open – don’t say yes right away Combine logic and emotion when deciding
Did not get the offer you want?
The Decision to Try Again Try again? Find out what you did wrong
Multiple-Option Staying Moving on to are temporary position Moving on to are permanent position
Section III
1. Deciding what you want2. Researching what is out here3. Setting the stage4. Preparing your application materials5. Applying for positions6. Negations7. If you do not get the job you want
Develop CVObtain letters of referenceObtain Employment packet
Talk to your advisorAttend conferencesApply for positions
Continue to apply for positionsPractice interviewsPrepare job talk
Continue to apply for positionsConsider interests and needsConsider negotiations strategiesConsider Multiple-Option
approach
August-October
September-December
November-February
March-August
!! Explore earlier !!
Section IV
Looking Ahead to your First Years on the Job – Advice from the field
Chapter 10 Insights on Time Management
Manage your time efficiently. Do the things right and do the right things
Doctoral
Student
If I can just find
a good problem
Assistant
Professor
If I can just find the
time
The Problem
The solution
Set Long-Term Goal
Establish Your Absence
Keep things on the burner
Key advices Be a “Quick Starter”, achieve balance.
Set limits on lecture preparation Find time to do scholarly writing very week Social networking
Involve in the campus community early on.
Manage tasks to take time for the long term important things.
Chapter 11 Insights on Teaching and
Learning
Teaching and Learning Styles
Teaching Styles
Concrete or
Conceptual
Visual or Verbal
Inductive or Deductive
Active or Passive
Step by Step or Global
Learning Styles
Sensory or Intuitive
Visual or Auditory
Inductive or
Deductive
Active or Reflective
Sequential or Global
Key Advice Motivate Learning
Provide a balance of concrete information and abstract
concepts
Provide explicit illustrations of intuitive patterns and sensing
patterns, and encourage all students to exercise both patterns.
Use pictures, schematics in verbal presentation. Show films.
Provide demonstrations, hands-on, if possible.
Use computer technologies in teaching.
Provide opportunities for students to do something active, like
brain storming.
Develop a teaching portfolio
The Teaching Portfolio: Capturing the Scholarship of
Teaching, by Russell Edgerton.
The process of preparing teaching portfolios may be
more valuable because: (1) someone was very
interested and concerned about their teaching, (2)the
portfolio captured evidence that looked like their
teaching, and (3) selecting evidence and writing
captions and reflections had impelled their to clarify
their intentions and beliefs about teaching and
students.
Chapter 12 Insights on Research
New Priorities
Doctoral Student
Problem solving
Conduct research
Find projects
w/funding
Assistant
Professor
Problem finding
Direct research
Obtain funding
Sources of Funding Gift or grant in aid - $10-50k, no
oversight Grant – substantial but you are accountable Coop agreement – with government
agencies (e.g., USDA, EPA) that are hands on Contract – timelines and deliverables Fellowships and Scholarships–
provide support for graduate students IRIS (Illinois Research Information System)
provides info on sponsors, programs and deadlines
Preparing Research Proposal
Do your homework before making contact. Build long term relationship with the funding
agency. Or you can start your research with under the
tutelage of an experienced faculty member who has funding.
Try to find help on searching funding from colleagues or universities.
Elements of Found in Most Successful Proposals. See Appendix F.
Key Advice
Connect with experts in adjacent areas Seek out colleagues within institution Attend and present at conferences Publishing “gains acceptance for your
ideas while telling world the results of your hard work”
Peer reviewed journals are best
Chapter 13 Insights on Professional
Responsibility
Areas of Professional Responsibility
Service to department and profession
Ethics in teaching and research
Authorship and scholarly reviews
Consulting and other industry
relationships
Ethically Problematic Behaviors1) Falsifying data2) Fabricating experiments3) Misrepresenting funding requests4) Giving undue or no authorship credit5) Misleading research competitors6) Failure to secure informed consent7) Failure to ensure fair play in lab8) Plagiarism9) Demeaning competitors work10) Using findings in harmful way11) Publishing in Least Publishable Units12) Failure to “blow the whistle”13) Failure to carefully review paper when referee14) Biased reviews of funding requests15) Gaining financial advantage by biasing others research
Key Advice Do not over commit, especially in your
pre-tenure period. Focus on departmental committees.
Review papers for journals Develop working relations with industry Be aware of impact of behavior on
reputation of self, school, and field Ask older colleagues for advice in ethical
gray areas
Conclusion
Engage in activities having value in themselves, but that also contribute to your primary mission of teaching and other forms of scholarship.
Chapter 14 Insights on Tenure
Paths toward-and away from-tenure
1. The traditional path2. The accelerated path3. The delayed entry path4. The late practitioner path5. The late career child-bearing path6. The from-one-school-to-another-school
path7. The fail to get tenure – try again path8. The fail to get tenure – other career path9. The walk-away-from-tenure path10. The never-try-for-tenure path
Key Advice
It is important to understand the tenure process and requirements for your university.
Establish a strategy to meet the requirements.
Consulting your tenured colleagues. ASK HELP!
Contribute to departmental service but avoid university-wide commitments until after attaining tenure
Chapter 15 Insights on Academia: Needed
Changes
Conclusion: Help Us!
Help graduate students and postdocs prepare for academic careers
Help graduate students and postdocs find academic positions
Help beginning faculty succeed
Tomorrow's professor!It is your turn!