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FPP Alumni Surveys
The following page describes the assessment of our 1-year and 7-year alumni.
Overview
Part of the success of Syracuse University's Future Professoriate Project is the effort to assess graduate students' perceptions of the project after they have graduated. Additionally, former teaching associates' different experiences in and the impact of the project, if any, on their careers are measured through alumni phone interviews. As of May 2002, there have been 236 participants in the Future Professoriate Project who have received a degree in their field (70% of these students are doctoral recipients). To date, 200 (or 85% of the alumni) have been interviewed.
One-year out FPP survey
"I think that my experiences and ability to talk about the Future Professoriate Project were instrumental in securing my job..." - FPP Alumni Participant
Example Interview Questions
- How was your Teaching Associateship organized?
- Please describe the mentoring relationship that was part of your Teaching Associate assignment.
- What other professional development activities did you engage in?
- Please describe the teaching experiences that were part of your Teaching Associate position.
- Please describe your Teaching Portfolio.
- Wh ate?
- Please describe the impact that you think having been a Teaching Associate will have on your career.
- Please describe any other comments or suggestions that you have about being a Teaching Associate or about the Future Professoriate Project.
General Findings
These findings are separated into five different general areas: Mentoring; Motivation; Professional Development; Impact; and Program Suggestions.
Mentoring
"I met weekly with my mentor. We talked through my writing project and drifted into other professional issues such as where I would go professionally and what mechanisms would get me there, getting the kind of feedback that wasn't available in graduate courses."
We found that participants had both formal and informal relationships with their mentors and that these relationships covered meetings, classroom observations, and videotape critiques. Deemed as extremely helpful by most participants, the mentoring relationship covered areas such as teaching, research, and career and portfolio development.
Motivation
The survey was designed to establish why people choose to be involved in the Future Professoriate Project. Both intrinsic and extrinsic factors have supported participation. Receiving a Certificate in University Teaching upon graduation and a stipend for professional development were named and extrinsic motivators. Also mentioned were less tangible things such as faculty position preparation. This advanced preparation for faculty life leads into the intrinsic motivations for participation in the program, more experience and professional development.
Professional Development
The Future Professoriate Program offers many opportunities for professional development throughout the year. Mentoring, departmental seminars, and professional conference presentations provide a foundation for the program's participants to build upon while university-wide events and possibilities of collaborative publications (i.e., handbooks, texts) have widened the base of preparation of our graduate students. The prospects for professional development culminate in the creation of a professional portfolio for many participants. The survey reveals that 50% of former participants used this portfolio when applying for jobs, both academic and non-academic. Participants mention the process of reflection as being the most important part of the portfolio process.
"Constructing a portfolio helps to organize thinking and helps one speak coherently about accomplishments."
Impact
Participants were asked how their participation influenced what they were doing now. In this survey of participants one year after they have graduated, we must first understand where they are.
FPP Alumni Job Placement:
"I feel more confident about my teaching abilities and my capacity to describe those abilities."
Although this quotation specifically mentions teaching, the same general tone radiated throughout the responses.
Program Suggestions
When asked for suggestions for improving our Future Professoriate Program, past participants mentioned that individualistic programming, clearer guidelines for mentors and teaching associates, and more faculty involvement would enhance the experience.
Seven-year out FPP surveys
In addition to these alumni interviews of participants one-year after they have graduated, we also now are capable of re-interviewing people seven years after graduation. This becomes extremely important as it coincides with the tenure process for those in academe.
The questions differ slightly and are divided into four general areas: Career Path; Field of Work; Reflections of FPP, and a Wrap up of their thoughts.
Sample Questions
- Describe your career path since graduating from SU.
- How does your career experience match with your career aspirations when you
completed your degree?
- Describe your experiences with the tenure process.
- Describe any involvement you have had with the development of future professionals in your field.
- What has surprised you most about the field in which you are working now?
- How are people with different backgrounds or personal characteristics treated in your field?
- How did your FPP experiences and your graduate preparation prepare you for work in your field?
- What were the most salient aspects of your FPP experience?
- What advice would you give to current FPP participants in your field?
- What has been the influence of your participation in FPP on your career?
- Are you in touch with your mentor? Dissertation advisor?
- Have you used your portfolio in your professional career?
General Findings
Where our alumni are seven years out:
Of the people interviewed seven years after graduation, we found that all interviewed were in academic fields. Participants informed us that preparation programs should account for institutional variance and consider all aspects of faculty life. Also, our participants used their portfolios on the job hunt and in tenure processes. They also mentioned that new job applicants to their fields are coming with some sort of future faculty preparation and they thought that their FPP experiences made them competitive on the job market.
As this was the first year of data collection, we look forward to interviewing more alumni this year and adding to our knowledge base.
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