Benefits of Participating in PFF

Former and participating students and mentors have responded favorably when asked about the benefits of PFF. Some of the most significant benefits include:

For graduate students

• Learning about faculty roles and activities
• Understanding the variety of institutions in which graduates may work and the expectations those institutions have of their faculty
• Being mentored by a faculty member at a partner institution
• Developing a network of professional colleagues and more resources
• Increasing your sense of self-confidence as academic professionals
• Empowering you for the job-market
• Clarifying your career choices
• Developing expertise as a teacher, articulating a teaching philosophy, and using different approaches to engage diverse students
• Getting off to a better start as a new faculty member

For graduate faculty

• A deeper understanding of the roles and responsibilities of faculty members at various institutions
• A better understanding of the job market for new faculty and learning how to give better advice to current students
• The opportunity to get to know some students quite well; to share ideas about teaching and academic careers, and to learn from them
• A better understanding of and communication with participating students, which also can help departments identify areas of their graduate programs that needed attention
• The opportunity to become acquainted with interesting colleagues at other institutions
• An appreciation for their students' increasingly sophisticated understanding of faculty roles and responsibilities

For partner faculty

Most partner faculty had no previous occasion to work with advanced and energetic doctoral students, and they appreciated this opportunity. Other specific benefits frequently mentioned by partner faculty include:

• Ideas for improving their teaching, scholarship, and community service
• Opportunities for undergraduate students to learn from PFF graduate students about topics not typically included in the curriculum
• Advice from PFF graduate students given to undergraduates about applying to and succeeding in graduate programs
• Contact and development of strong ties with faculty peers from other institutions
• The potential for PFF graduate students to serve as additional faculty resources for the department, in capacities such as adjunct faculty or sabbatical replacements
• Satisfaction taken in helping to prepare future members of the professorate
• Opportunities to give PFF graduate students the mentoring experiences that they themselves did not have
• Insight into the ever-changing needs of the discipline. Both graduate and partner faculty report that they are energized and revitalized by working with PFF students and reconnecting with the roots of their own interests in an academic career.

These benefits are probably why surveys of PFF participants have found that nearly everyone queried has said they would recommend their PFF program to others. For more information about Preparing Future Faculty, visit the National PFF web site.

Adapted from a handout provided at the Learning To Change Conference, American Association for Higher Education, March 14-17, 2003.