Greenberg Building Future Faculty Program
“Three ideas underlie the Greenberg Seminar. First, teaching is both an art and a science that can be learned through experiential study and practice. There is more to teaching than talking or listening for fifty minutes. Second, teaching should be prized as highly as research. There is no inherent conflict in being both a scholar and a teacher and dedicating time and energy to their enhancement. Third, college and university teaching represents more than expertise in a scholarly discipline. It means that you are privileged to be part of an extended community that constitutes one of the most important professions in the world.”
Milton Greenberg, 2002
What is the Greenberg Building Future Faculty Program?
The Greenberg Building Future Faculty (GBFF) Program provides hands-on, practical preparation for all graduate students (MA, MS, PhD, JD, MFA, etc.) and post-doctoral associates interested in strengthening their teaching in pursuit of academic careers. Participants in the program will have the opportunity to engage in teaching- and job market-related professional development including convening with fellow GBFF participants and faculty mentors several times each year, developing job market-related materials (e.g., teaching statement, sample syllabi) and participating in CTRL’s August/May Faculty Workshops and January Ann Ferren Conference.
Who is eligible for the Greenberg Building Future Faculty Program?
All current graduate students (MA, MS, PhD, JD, MFA, etc.) are eligible to participate.
What are the benefits to participating in the Greenberg Building Future Faculty Program?
Through their academic departments, graduate students gain a variety of key skills in discipline-based research, professional communication, and academic writing. However, less attention is paid toward developing trainees’ teaching skills, and the GBFF program seeks to fill this gap. Through the Greenberg Program, participants will be able to:
- Gain practical and applicable knowledge about inclusive and equitable teaching and learning
- Engage with American University faculty on topics surrounding the current academic job market
- Develop mentor-reviewed job-market related artifacts (teaching statement, sample syllabi, etc.)
- Cultivate a community of scholars who are invested in equitable teaching & learning
- Signal to current and future employers their commitment to teaching and professional development
- Participate in mock job interviews to practice articulating their developing expertise in and commitment to teaching
What are the requirements for completing the Greenberg Building Future Faculty Program?
The GBFF program has four main components: teaching professional development, job market professional development, development of job market artifacts, and reflection on the program. The program is designed to be flexible and provide participants with choice in their professional development, based on their interests and future goals. Participants should plan for the program to take at minimum 1 year to complete, with a suggested timeline of 2-3 years.
To complete the GBFF program, participants must:
- Attend and develop reflections on 6 Teaching & Learning workshops sponsored by CTRL. All participants must complete a required 2-part workshop introducing them to equitable teaching, which will count for 2 of the required 6 workshops. Participants may choose any other workshops to fulfill the 6-workshop requirement. A list of upcoming workshops can be found here. If you are unsure if a workshop counts towards the requirement, please reach out to the GBFF Program coordinator, Mac Crite (mcrite@american.eachdu).
- Be observed teaching and develop a short reflection on the experience. Students in PhD or other terminal degree programs should be observed teaching. Master’s students can choose between being observed teaching or observing others teaching (as not all Master’s students teach). Students who are not currently teaching may choose to participate in a Micro-teaching Workshop in lieu of being observed.
- Participate in 2 professional development workshops focused on the job market, facilitated and organized by the Greenberg Faculty Fellows.
- Develop 2 job market-related artifacts and receive feedback on those materials from Greenberg faculty. Participants may choose which artifacts to write, based on their future goals. We strongly suggest writing a teaching statement, and more information about writing the statement can be found here. Additional suggested artifacts include, but are not limited to, a sample syllabus, diversity statement, or cover letter.
- Develop a short reflection (~500 words; ~5 minutes if video/audio format) on your experience with the Greenberg Program. These reflections are flexible in form and content; however, participants may find it useful to respond to the following questions: What did you learn about yourself and your approach to teaching and learning over the last year? What aspects of the Greenberg Program have been most influential on your current feelings and ideas about teaching and learning?
- Participate in short surveys or exit interviews with CTRL staff about their experience in the program, what they learned through the program, and what they think should be adjusted for future participants.
Additional, but not required, opportunities include the ability to:
- Attend and participate in mock job interviews.
- Network with the Greenberg community by attending networking and community building sessions
- Join the Greenberg LinkedIn community.
- Receive direct mentorship from Greenberg-associated faculty.
Upon successful completion of the requirements for the Greenberg program, graduate students will receive a certificate of completion. You can track your progress towards completion of the program here (note: this is a Google doc link that will ask you to make a copy of an editable checklist).
Reach out to the Greenberg Program coordinator, Mac Crite (mcrite@american.edu) with any questions.
