About PFF
What PFF Fellows have said about the program:
"I enjoyed meeting with my mentor very much. He spent a lot of time discussing the tenure process and also sabbaticals. He strongly recommended that I try to get on a P&T committee if they have untenured members on the committee, as he did this and found the experience invaluable towards getting tenure. I enjoyed learning about how the budget works for a small liberal arts college and also how teaching loads are distributed amongst a small number of faculty members. I learned about the composition of the upper administration. Now, I have a much better idea of the roles of the university administrators."
"The faculty meeting was a valuable experience. It was helpful to see the inner workings of a department that is less than half the size of ours at UNL. Witnessing the recruitment process in action was also beneficial since it differs greatly from UNL."
"I now feel more confident in my job search and in what to expect when I begin my career. My main goal was to become more prepared to face the job search process. I am now confident that I will have decent cover letters, a teaching philosophy, and a research statement. I also feel better prepared to interview and obtain a job that will be a good fit for me."
The Preparing Future Faculty (PFF) program at UNL is a professional development opportunity for postdocs and advanced doctoral students interested in pursuing a faculty position.
Through PFF, participants learn about faculty roles and responsibilities (research/scholarship, teaching, service) and gain direct knowledge of the diversity of higher education institutions (large public research, liberal arts, comprehensive, private religious, etc.) through a structured mentoring experience with partner institution mentors. Those who complete the PFF program are better prepared for the academic job search and are more successful in their first faculty position.
PFF fellows are postdocs or advanced doctoral students selected by procedures internal to each participating department. Once selected, Fellows are enrolled in GRDC 900A, 900B, and 900D (for a total of 3 credit hours), earning 2 credits for participation in the summer seminar, which meets during the second five-week summer session. During the fall semester, each Fellow engages in structured mentoring activities at a partner campus with a faculty member in the Fellow's own discipline. The additional one credit is awarded at the end of the fall semester, after completion of the mentoring experience. Fellows may opt for a spring mentoring activity at a second campus.
PFF Fellows and their faculty mentors find the mentorship experience to be the most helpful and rewarding aspect of the program, and often they maintain lasting professional relationships with their PFF mentors.
Contact your department chair to express your interest in the PFF program.
For more information about PFF, contact:
Assistant Dean
Office of Graduate Studies
1100 Seaton Hall
402-472-9764
