IUPUI : Graduate Office : Current Students : Preparing Future Faculty (PFF)

Preparing Future Faculty and Professionals (PFFP)

The Preparing Future Faculty and Professionals program offered at IUPUI is designed to introduce advanced graduate students and postdoctoral fellows to the full range of professional responsibilities in research, teaching, and service that will be encountered in the academy. As part of a larger effort to expand professional development in graduate education, the PFFP program objectives are to:

Supplement the academic credentials of our graduate students.
Enhance marketability of PFFP participants.
Support schools and/or departments in producing more effective and knowledgeable future faculty.
Provide the best possible preparation for future faculty in collaboration with each individual's school and/or department.

The PFFP program offered through IUPUI enhances departmental programs and provides of interest to graduate students and postdocs across all disciplines seeking careers in higher education.
The national Preparing Future Faculty and Professionals (PFFP) program was established by the Association of American Colleges and Universities and the Council of Graduate Schools to address a need to prepare graduate students for a future faculty career. Typically, doctoral programs are research focused and not designed to provide guidance for those interested in faculty careers. The PFFP program is intended to help potential faculty by offering opportunities to gain knowledge and experience in teaching and service as well as in research. Universities and colleges are increasingly interested in hiring new faculty who are fully prepared to excel in all areas of endeavor. Since these changing expectations may not be addressed in all doctoral programs, the national PFF movement came to be.

Preparing for the Academy

IUPUI Preparing Future Faculty and Professionals Fall Symposium

Prospective PFFP Participants | Current PFFP Scholars | PFFP Blog | Resources

Prospective PFFP Participants

Eligibility | Requirements | Application | What PFFP Alums Have to Say

Eligibility

Current IUPUI graduate students and postdoctoral fellows/scholars may enroll in the PFFP program. IU School of Medicine PhD students cannot begin the PFFP program until they have selected a permanent PhD program and joined the laboratory of a permanent faculty mentor, typically in the second year.

Requirements

PFFP Scholars choose from a wide variety of university workshops, activities, seminars, courses, and events to improve their knowledge of faculty life and roles. These opportunities are updated each semester and outlined in the Program Plan.

PFFP Scholar Profile To earn a letter of participation and certificate of completion, PFFP Scholars satisfactorily completing a variety of unit-based activities that must include a minimum of:

Six units in teaching related topics
Five units in research, service, or organizational and business/professional development related topics
One unit in a capstone experience

Organizational and business/professional development topics may also include those that are related to career advancement approaches, e.g., mock interviews, job search strategies, and portfolio preparation.

The capstone experience is chosen by the scholar. This could include, participating in the mentoring portion of this program, developing a portfolio, developing a grant proposal, serving on an academic committee, etc. PFFP Scholars will be expected to submit a reflective essay on their experience with the program, as part of the capstone experience.

Application Process

All applicants must attend a group orientation session or schedule an individual orientation session with Assistant Dean NaShara Mitchell, IUPUI Graduate Office.

The application consists of:

Applicant information
Brief statement of interest describing why you wish to participate
Brief summary of your current career goals and interests
Current curriculum vita, resume or biosketch
Letter of recommendation from your program advisor

Mail or deliver the completed application to:

Preparing Future Faculty and Professionals Program
IUPUI Graduate Office
University Library 1170
755 W. Michigan Street
Indianapolis, IN 46202

The next PFFP Orientation Session is TBD.

Current PFFP Scholars

Current Program Plan | PFFP Mentor Program | PFFP OnCourse Site | PFFP Blog
PFFP Alumni Share Their PFFP Experiences

Preparing Future Faculty and Professionals Mentoring Program

The mentoring program was developed to further enhance the overall IUPUI PFFP program. Through this mentoring program, PFFP Scholars are paired with a faculty member from one of the partner institutions and given the opportunity to participate in a series of activities that provide more in-depth and first-hand knowledge of faculty life from a diverse range of experiences and perspectives.

The program is open to all current PFFP Scholars at IUPUI. Those interested in being paired with a mentor should complete the PFFP Scholar Profile Form and forward it to the IUPUI Graduate Office. The information provided will be entered into a database and the process to find a match will begin. Once a potential match has been made, the PFFP office will facilitate an initial meeting between the mentor and scholar to establish a plan for accomplishing mentoring goals and activities that will help him or her achieve specific skills and competencies needed to achieve success in the professoriate. In addition, a mentoring agreement will be signed by the scholar and mentor at this point. Once the plan has been established, the scholar will begin visits (a minimum of four) with the mentor at his or her institution. It is strongly encouraged that the scholar's academic advisor participates in the initial planning meeting to ensure a proper balance of activities is achieved.

Program Expectations

Throughout the course of this mentorship experience, PFFP Scholars have the opportunity to observe and take part in a variety of faculty related activities. These activities may include but are not limited to working with the faculty member and his or her colleagues on pedagogical development; under the direction and support of the mentor teaching a class or portion of a class at the partner institution; attending faculty, departmental, and administrative meetings; consulting with the mentor regarding faculty obligations at that institution; and discussing how the mentor balances the demands of teaching, research, and service. The Activity Planning Guide for Mentors and PFFP Scholars document will be used to formulate and direct the activities.

The scholar is required to submit to the PFFP director an analytical essay on his or her mentoring experience, not only describing the activities undertaken, but also reflecting analytically on them, considering how they contributed to his or her professional growth. Scholars will also be expected to share this experience with others at the PFFP capstone event. It should be noted that the reflective piece required for the mentoring program is different from the one required at the end of the overall PFFP experience.

While there is a minimum of only four visits with the mentor, Scholars are encouraged to spend more time, if possible, at the host institution, to allow for both sustained interaction with the mentor and a sufficient range of experiences over the course of the six-month or year-long period. With this in mind, Scholars should be at a stage in their graduate program that allows them the most flexibility to spend as much time as possible with the mentor on-site.

Scholars choosing to participate in the mentoring program may use this experience in lieu of four of the required units in research, teaching, service, or any combination of the three areas, depending on the type of activity.

To Participate

PFF Scholars interested in the PFFP Mentoring Program should submit a completed PFFP Scholar Profile Form to the IUPUI Graduate Office. This will aid in establishing the appropriate mentor match.

Faculty interested in becoming a mentor for the IUPUI PFFP Mentor Program should complete the Faculty Mentor Profile Form and forward it to IUPUI Graduate Office.