Welcome!

Informational meeting on the

Preparing Future FacultyGraduate Certificate Program

Dr. Margaret HansonAssociate Dean of the Graduate School and PFF Director

Karen WeberPFF Coordinator & Graduate Assistant

Dr. bruce mcclung Associate Professor, CCM

Dr. Bryan SmithAssistant Director, CET&L

Megan TischnerGraduate School Special Projects/Programs Coordinator

PFF Across the U.S.

• The Preparing Future Faculty (PFF) program is part of a national movement to transform the way aspiring faculty members are prepared for their careers.

• UC’s PFF program: one of the founding groups in 1993.

• Studies conducted in the early 2000s* have shown that PFF gives aspiring professors a competitive edge in the academic job market.

*(Wested and Abt, 2004; DeNeef, 2002) 

Benefits of PFF

• Explore and learn effective teaching tools, techniques and theories.

• Learn about the academic job market. Gain insights into assessing job openings, applying for jobs and interviewing effectively.

• Mentor under a current faculty member at UC, UC Blue Ash, Xavier, NKU, or Mount St. Joseph University.

• Receive credit on your transcript for the PFF certificate.

Program Requirements• 2 courses:

– The Academic Job Search (2 credits) taught by Dr. mcclung

– Effective Teaching (3 credits) taught by Dr. Smith

• Attend five PFF-approved workshops, ex.:• Assessing Student Learning in Your Class• Designing and Implementing the Flipped Classroom • Help! I'm Teaching Online for the First Time

• Participate in two reading groups and lead a third, ex.:• Creating Significant Learning Experiences• Inclusion and Diversity in Higher Ed• Teaching Strategies for Large Enrollment Classes 

• Complete a 40-hour mentoring experience

The ClassesThis Year, 2014-15• Job Search is offered in the spring (only) • Teaching Effectiveness is offered in the fall and

spring • Mentoring experience MUST follow the Teaching

Effectiveness colloquia course

15-MLTI-8042The Academic Job Search

Colloquium Overview &Learning Objectives

PFF Information Session10 November 2014

bruce mcclung, PhDAssociate Professor of Musicology

Learning Objectives1. To provide information and resources to help

you decide whether you wish to pursue an academic career

2. To help you assess options within higher education in the United States

3. To give you insights into the hiring process

4. To provide you with the tools for conducting a successful job search

5. To enable you to effectively negotiate a position

This Colloquium & PFF Curriculum

1. Interdisciplinary course

2. Opportunity to reflect and hone skills

3. Time to prepare search materials

4. Chance to explore different types positions and colleges and universities

5. Find the best fit between your career objectives and different institutional profiles

Colloquium Structure1. Decoding position announcements

2. Preparing curriculum vitæ and cover letter

3. Visiting different types of colleges and universities and meeting administrators/faculty members

4. Writing statement of “Teaching Philosophy” or “Research Interests”

5. Coaching elevator speech

6. Learning interview types & techniques

7. Negotiating an academic position

The Goal:Landing an Academic Position!

15-MLTI-8041Teaching Effectiveness

PFF Information Session10 November 2014

Bryan R. Smith, PhDAssistant Director, Center for the Enhancement of Teaching &

Learning

To complete this course, students are asked to:

• Design a learner-centered course and syllabus that demonstrates alignment between student learning outcomes, course activities, and assessment of student work

• Create and present a Teachable Activity that demonstrates the principles of scientific teaching

• Write a self-reflection statement • Identify, describe, and apply research-

based scholarship to your teaching

Teaching Effectiveness1. Interdisciplinary and accommodating of all levels

of teaching experience

2. Provides a strong foundation for further disciplinary-based study

3. Course relies heavily on engagement of students and the quality of peer feedback and instruction

4. Grants you the time to develop materials and articulate the pedagogical bases for your choices

5. Helps you create the backbone of a teaching portfolio for your job search

Structure1. Read and discuss major research and

scholarship on course design and teaching and learning

2. Prepare a course, syllabus, and course calendar according to relevant principles

3. Practice giving peer feedback to interdisciplinary partners

4. Put learning structures to work by designing and presenting a replicable unit/lesson according to research-based teaching practices

5. Write a self-reflection statement

The Mentoring Experience• Work with the program coordinator to find a mentor

• Standard mentorship includes shadowing your mentor, preparing for and teaching a class, discussing the various duties of a faculty member, etc.

• 40 hours

• At the end of the mentorship, you will submit a report on your experience and your mentor will file an evaluation.

• Non-standard mentorship available for those with significant teaching experience

Getting Started

Join the PFF Blackboard Organization, or

Apply:

1. Go to: grad.uc.edu/pff and click on Apply.

2. Complete the 2-part application process

1. Submit the Informational form

2. Fill out the electronic graduation application

There is an application fee of $20 ($25 for international students).

However, there is NO FEE charged to graduate.

For More Information …

• Visit the site: grad.uc.edu/pff

• Karen Weber, PFF program coordinator, gradpff@uc.edu

• Megan Tischner, Megan.Tischner@uc.edu

• Or call the Graduate School office, 513-556-4335