Description of the Program

Preparing Future Faculty (PFF) is a program coordinated by the Graduate College for doctoral students who are seeking careers in the professoriate. A national initiative under the Council of Graduate Schools and the Association of American Colleges and Universities, PFF encourages fresh thinking and planning in faculty preparation, identifies strategies to improve the quality of teaching and learning, and orients doctoral students to faculty roles and responsibilities in different types of higher education institutions. ASU was one of the founding institutions for PFF, beginning in 1994-95 with funding from The Pew Charitable Trusts.

The program is comprised of two phases: The first-year Exploratory Phase and the second-year Participatory Phase (participation in both years is not required). During the Exploratory Phase, students participate in a series of seminars, workshops, and reading groups, as well as work on cross-disciplinary committees to coordinate the PFF Guest Lecture Series. These activities provide students with the opportunity to interact with faculty, administrators, and other graduate students from a wide variety of academic disciplines and address relevant topics.

Students who complete the Exploratory Phase may then apply for participation in the Participatory Phase of the program. During this phase, students actively engage in teaching, research, and service projects with faculty mentors at ASU Main, ASU East, ASU West, and our partner institutions—Grand Canyon University and the Maricopa Community Colleges. In these multiple settings, students observe and interact with faculty members, exchange ideas, and collaborate on projects. Students who participate in the Exploratory Phase of the program also enjoy additional benefits, including opportunities to apply for travel support to professional meetings, forgivable loans, and fellowships. The typical time investment for registered PFF participants in 5-8 hours per month.

Outcomes of the Program

1) What STEM graduate students have participated in your program? For example, numbers per year, disciplines and stages of graduate career.

Since 1994, 505 students have participated in PFF and 100 of those students have pursued STEM programs of study. Students typically participate in PFF during the 2nd or 3rd year of their doctoral studies. Among the STEM academic disciplines represented are: Environmental Science (3), Interdisciplinary Science and Engineering (1), Bioengineering (9), Biology (8), Chemical and Mechanical Engineering (4), Chemistry and Biochemistry (6), Civil and Environmental Engineering (5), Computer Science (5), Electrical Engineering (9), Geological Sciences (6), Industrial Engineering (10), Mathematics (9), Mechanical Engineering (4), Microbiology (2), Physics and Astronomy (1), Plant Biology (5), Zoology (12), Molecular and Cellular Biology (1).

2) What have been the impacts of your program on the participants?

PFF participants learn about faculty careers at the various types of institutions, gain confidence in their career decisions and develop strategies for a successful career in academe. PFF provides the participants with an environment that is conducive for exploring the various opportunities at different types of institutions. They realize the importance of defining their personal career goals and prepare accordingly to meet the complex and challenging faculty responsibilities. In the words of our students:

“Participating in PFF has deeply enriched my graduate school experience here at ASU. I have learned so much from so many people I wouldn’t have met otherwise. PFF has broadened my horizons and helped me feel more a part of the greater ASU community. I believe I am a better teacher and a more thoughtful scholar because of it.”
Felicia Morgan, PFF participant 2001 - 2003, PhD student, Marketing

“PFF has given me a valuable behind-the scenes look at academic life, providing the necessary tools to shape my own professional development. I now see myself as faculty-in-training….as a researcher, a teacher and a colleague, and I actively seek opportunities to accomplish my career goals. The inside information provided by PFF helps me to develop a strategy, giving me confidence that I will be prepared.”
Jill Welter, PFF participant, PhD student, Biology

“Because I participated in the program, I felt better prepared to teach effectively, develop my research agenda, participate in community service, and most importantly, balance expectations in teaching, research, and service. I feel like I know what I need to do to succeed in higher education, and I give much credit to the PFF program for helping me develop the necessary skills.”
Lynda Ransdell, PFF graduate, PhD ASU, Curriculum and Instruction – Department of Exercise Science and Physical Education, 1996.
Assistant Professor, Kinesiology and Health Promotion, University of Kentucky

3) What have been the impacts of the program on your institution?

The PFF program at Arizona State University includes over 100 students annually from more than 30 doctoral and MFA programs. This diverse group of students from various fields of study participating in PFF encourages collaboration among the students, faculty and administrators across the campus as well as other campuses. This collaborative work with the other institutions highlights the importance of teaching and community service along with research, and opens dialogues on the significance of various teaching methodologies which are too often not emphasized at research institutions. A steering committee, consisting of faculty and administrators from various academic departments at ASU and partner campuses, orchestrates the advancement and improvement of the PFF program. The PFF program at ASU works in partnership with other campuses and local institutions including ASU East, ASU West, Grand Canyon University and the Maricopa Community College District. This popular program is often used as a recruitment tool by academic units, and the PFF guest lecture series organized by students contributes to the intellectual climate across campus.

Pre- and post-program evaluations as well as journal entries and evaluations following seminar sessions form the primary evaluation tools during the first year of the program. The capstone fair and portfolio, in addition to an on-line evaluation form, provide the primary evaluation tools for students participating in the second year’s participatory phase.

Implementation of the Program

The key factors for colleagues at other universities to consider include but are not limited to the following: Resources, support and commitment to excellence and continuous improvement.

Resources include administrative and financial. To properly operate and administer the PFF program at ASU there is a staff of 4, which includes an associate dean responsible for overseeing the general operation and financial needs of PFF, 2 half-time graduate Teaching Associates who coordinate the two phases of the program, and 1 full-time professional development staff member who assists with planning and executing the PFF seminars. Financial support is needed to defray both start-up and continuing costs of the PFF program. These costs include: van transportation for 3 field trips to local partner campuses, travel grants and partial tuition awards for second year (participatory phase) fellows, refreshments for PFF seminars and steering committee meetings; and expenses associated with the PFF guest lecture series.

Support from faculty and administrators is critical to the success of the PFF program. Faculty members encourage and support their students’ participation in PFF. Faculty members also provide valuable information and serve as presenters in several PFF seminars and workshops. Faculty and administrators at ASU and partner campuses are important mentors to PFF participants, and their continued support and active participation is an essential component to the PFF program.

Commitment to excellence and continuous improvement is a necessary and ongoing component of the PFF program. The steering committee meets four times each year to discuss program changes designed to continuously improve PFF, as well as evaluation tools to assess these new elements and further advance the program. The committee consists of approximately 25 people including faculty, administrators, and PFF student representatives. The typical time investment for committee members is approximately 10 hours per year. Coordinators at our partner institutions invest another 20-30 hours per year to help pair PFF participants with mentors and programs at their institutions.