CRLT is accepting applications through Monday, February 22, for the May Preparing Future Faculty (PFF) Seminar. Interested graduate students can learn more about the program here. In this guest post, past participant Katy Peplin (Ph.D. candidate in Screen Arts and Cultures) shares reflections from 2015 seminar participants:
After participating in the Preparing Future Faculty Seminar in May 2014, I was lucky to be able to work with the team that facilitated the seminar in 2015. I loved the chance to contribute to a program that was so deeply useful for me, and I loved seeing how valuable the program was for others even more. You’re welcome to read my own thoughts on why I found the PFF experience so valuable, but here are reflections from some of the May 2015 Seminar participants:
“PFF gave me exposure to what faculty life really looks like (in terms of family, work/life balance, tenure expectations, teaching loads) - at U of M but also at different types of institutions. I had the opportunity to ask questions of U of M faculty that I might not be comfortable asking my advisors, and it was immensely valuable to see what faculty life looked like at other types of institutions.”
“The PFF seminar was an invaluable experience! It demystified much about professional academic life including the workings of the tenure process, dimensions of faculty work-life balance, and differences between institution settings. And it helped me enormously to clarify and crystallize my own pedagogical values and approach. I would highly recommend it to others.”
“PFF broadened my horizons, showing the real challenges of the job market but also equipping us to confront them.”
“As a STEM person with little-to-no teaching experience, just having an awareness of much of the teaching related methods and pedagogies was very helpful. It was a true experience of an inclusive teaching environment and I really appreciated that experience.”
“Wonderful! I found the panels, roundtable discussions and campus visits very helpful, and teaching demonstrations and information on inclusive practices to be helpful as well. I really feel like I have a better understanding of potential careers, job searches and being a more inclusive teacher!”
So as you are thinking about the next steps in your career, I encourage you to apply for the PFF Seminar. The conversations are candid and useful, the skills you learn invaluable, and you’ll feel even more empowered to make choices about your career and productively work toward those goals.
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