Tomorrow’s Professor

Tomorrow’s Professor Ximing Yu – 11/30/2009

Outline • Setting the Stage • Preparing for an Academic Career • Finding and Getting the Best Possible Academic Position • Advice from the Field • Conclusion

Setting the Stage Section 1

The Academic Enterprise • The academic institution is different than other business institutions. • There are many different types of academic institutions (Figure 1) – the important thing is to know what kind of institution you are dealing with.

The Academic Enterprise Figure 1. Percentage distribution of higher education institution by 2000 Carnegie Classification

The Academic Enterprise • Academia is currently going through a period of transition. • Challenges facing academia: • Budget cuts • Demands for increased productivity • Implications of University-Industry collaboration

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 • Prospect 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: • Faculty member needs to find an appropriate balance among: • Cooperation and competition • Basic and applied research • High-risk and low-risk behavior

Preparing for an Academic Career Section 2

Your Professional Preparation Strategy • The key to decision: • Follow your passion • Understand what you are getting into • Make a calculated decision. • It is a marathon, not a sprint. • Do not try to forecast supply and demand • Preparation strategy

Three-Pronged Preparation Strategy • Breadth-on-Top-of-Depth • Place your expertise in a broad context • Next-Stage • Think ahead, look ahead, act ahead • Multiple-Option • Concurrently prepare for academic, government and industry careers

Research as a Graduate Student and Postdoc • Choosing a Research Topic • Choosing an Advisor • Writing Research Proposals • Publishing

Three-part Preparation Strategy • Choosing a graduate school or postdoc institution • Choosing a research topic • Choosing a dissertation advisor/postdoc supervisor • Writing you own research proposals • Carrying out your research • Publishing • Attending conferences and other professional meetings • Giving talks on your research • Supervising other researchers • Managing research projects and programs

Choosing a Research Topic • Can it be enthusiastically pursued? • Can interest be sustained by it? • Is the problem solvable? • Is it worth doing? • Will it lead to other research problems? • Is it manageable in size? • Can you make an original contribution to the literature? • Will the results be reviewed well by scholars in the field? • Are you, or will you become, competent to solve it? • Will you have demonstrated independent skills in the discipline? • 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

Choosing an Advisor • 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

Carrying Out Research • Can be mundane • Can be exciting • Just do it

Publishing • A permanent record • Make sure it is high quality • 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)?

Why Teach as a Graduate Student? • Confirm teaching is what we really want to do • Help prepare for our first teaching assignment as a professor • Makes us more marketable

Ways to Prepare • Look and volunteer for teaching experiences • Remember that the time spent teaching will generally be three times the amount you expect • Create a teaching portfolio • Vitae • Background Information • Work samples, professional development

Finding and Getting the Best Position Section 3

Deciding what you want • Your type of institution • Research, Doctoral, Master’s, etc • Different Institution characteristics • Your type of appointment • Full-time, Tenure-track • Temporary, Part-time, Consulting • Your setting • Physical and cultural environment • Personal preferences • Family considerations • Existing Relationships

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

Applying for Positions • What Departments Look for in New Faculty • Teaching • Research Specialty • Compatibility • Funding • Finding out What is available • Advertisement • Known to a few faculty • Internet • Drawing on your Network

Preparing your Application Materials • The Cover letter • The 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

Looking Ahead to Your First Years on the Job – Advice from the Field Section 4

Insights on Time Management • Establish Your Absence • Set Long-Term Goals • Keep Something on the Burner

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 Teaching and Learning Styles

Doctoral Student Problem solving Conduct research Find projects w/funding Assistant Professor Problem finding Direct research Obtain funding Insights on Research

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)

Areas of Professional Responsibility • Service to department and profession • Ethics in teaching and research • Authorship and scholarly reviews • Consulting and other industry relationships

Getting Tenure • Understand the tenure process and requirements for your university • Establish a strategy to meet the requirements • Consult your tenured colleagues • Contribute to departmental service but avoid university-wide commitments

Conclusion Section 5

Tomorrow’s Professor