At a time when improving the quality of teaching and learning has become an increasingly important priority at colleges and universities, more attention is being paid to teaching as one of several central components of the professional development of doctoral students. While expectations vary across disciplines, graduate students and new Ph.D.s will find that academic search committees are often seeking to hire new faculty who excel in both research and teaching. Applicants for such positions are often asked to submit documents that attest to their teaching expertise, such as a teaching philosophy statement, teaching evaluations, or a teaching portfolio. Even more often, they will be asked to demonstrate their teaching proficiency and preparation during the interviewing process.
The Teaching Center provides a number of online resources that can assist graduate students who are preparing for academic positions. These resources include the following:
Teaching-Development Timeline (pdf)
Details about The Teaching Citation Program
Writing a Teaching Philosophy Statement
Creating a Teaching Portfolio
In addition, graduate students who are preparing for academic positions should learn about other professional-development programs and services at The Teaching Center, including workshops and teaching consultations and evaluations.
For more information about these programs and services, contact Beth Fisher, associate director of The Teaching Center, either by email, or by phone at 935-5921.