The Mavis Future Faculty Fellows (MF3) Program is a one-year program for senior PhD students (who have passed their qualifying exam) to facilitate the training of the next generation of engineering faculty in research, teaching, and mentoring.
Syllabus
View/download the 2021-2022 MF3 Program Syllabus (PDF)
Program Meeting Time and Registration Requirements
The MF3 Program meets every Friday from Noon to 12:50 pm during the fall and spring term. All Mavis Fellows must maintain a full-time status and register for ENG 591 MF3, which is a 1 credit hour course, for both semesters. Class attendance is required. Students are allowed one unexcused absence during each semester with no penalty. To earn a satisfactory grade, fellows must complete all assignments by the stipulated deadlines.
Assignments
Fellows will complete the following assignments throughout the course of the academic year:
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- Mentor a less-experienced graduate or undergraduate student for at least one semester. Provide a two-page summary of this mentoring experience, as well as the mentoring experience with the faculty member highlighting expectations set, projects completed, guidance given, etc.
- Give a formal research presentation that is open to the university community to prepare you for your research presentation that will be given in a faculty interview. A conference paper or an invited seminar at another institution also counts. This presentation needs to be at least 20-30 minutes long with a questions and answers portion. A poster session, Preliminary Exam, or Final Exam will not count towards this requirement.
- Develop a funding proposal for a basic or applied research project, from a white paper to a complete narrative.
- Prepare a CV and Research Statement that would be used in a faculty application.
- Work with your faculty mentor to complete a teaching development project:
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- Observation of an experienced instructor: Arrange to meet with and to observe an experienced instructor teaching an undergraduate class. The instructor should be a professor in your home department who is known for good teaching. Write an essay reflecting on the lesson.
- Observation of your teaching: Arrange to teach a class session or a mock lesson that is observed by a faculty member. Discuss the observation with the observer, and write an essay reflecting on the teaching experience and observer feedback.
- Exploration of literature on teaching: Read a book or several articles about teaching and/or learning, and write a reflective summary of them.
- Write a Teaching Statement that would be used in a faculty application.
Overview of Program Topics
Here is a sample of the topics that will be covered in the MF3 Academy during the academic year. For more details, see the Academy Syllabus (will be posted by August 1).
- How to be a Good Mentor and Mentee
- Life as a Faculty Member
- Learning how to Handle Difficult Situations
- Preparing Application Materials for a Faculty Position
- The Faculty Interview Process
- Giving Effective Research Presentations
- Grant Proposal Writing
- Tips to be Successful as a new Faculty Member
- Tenure Process
- Balancing Teaching, Research, and Service
Learning Objectives
As a result of participation in the MF3 Academy, a Mavis Fellow will:
- understand the different responsibilities of a faculty member – teaching, research, and service.
- understand how to be an effective mentor.
- understand how to become an effective teacher.
- understand how to become an effective researcher.
- become knowledgeable on activities that strengthen an application for an engineering faculty position.
- receive guidance on how to search and interview for academic positions.
- connect with Mavis Alumni and faculty within the The Grainger College of Engineering.