Preparing Future Faculty and Professionals at ASU. Presenters: Dieter Armbruster, Thomas Callarman, Deborah Losse.

Abstract: ASU has been one of the leaders of the Preparing Future Faculty project nationwide. Its success in introducing graduate students to professional issues of faculty life at all institutions of igher learning in the U.S. has recently lead to the formation of a similar program specifically for mathematicians. Emphasis is on the balancing of professional responsibilities in the faculty position. In addition, ASU has started a new program discussing professional issues for students that are not on an academic career path. All three programs will be introduced.

Listed below is the slide presentation by Dieter Armbruster, Director of Graduate Studies for the Department of Mathematics at ASU.

Grant awarded 8/1999, for 2 years.

Supported by NSF through AMS, Department of Mathematics, College of Liberal Arts at ASU.

Goals - See PFF. http://www.asu.edu/graduate/pff/

• ASU Department of Mathematics (60 tenure/tenure-track faculty)
• ASU West (upper division program, 2 math faculty)
• Grand Canyon University, Department of Mathematics (4 faculty)
• Scottsdale Community College, Department of Mathematics (approximately 8 permanent faculty, many part time faculty)
• Northern Arizona University, Research Experience for Undergraduates in Mathematics (REU, about 5 faculty involved)
• Institute for Strengthening Understanding of Mathematics and Sciences (SUMS, Joaquin Bustoz)

Exploratory Phase - See schedule for seminar meetings fall 1999. http://math.la.asu.edu/~grad/pff.html

Participatory Phase - Possible projects at different institutions:

• REU at NAU: participate for a week in the research and teaching activities related to the REU project.
• SCC: Articulation issues between low-level courses taught at ASU and SCC. Teach a low level class session (e.g. Arithmetic).
• Grand Canyon University: Give a workshop about application to graduate school and about life as a graduate student at the ASU mathematics department. Teach an upper division class session.
• ASU: Organize a graduate student seminar series.
• SUMS Institute: Support recruiting effort for the Institute. Follow up on the experience of alumni of the Institute.

• Ownership of program by the Department. In 1/2 semester of PFMF we have about as many math faculty involved as the University wide PFF program had in all of its 5 years of existence.
• Minority and gender issues are very different in Mathematics than in the Humanities. Very little content issues, much more structural and access issues.
• Surviving as a teacher in the first few semesters as a new faculty is not the main issue for future mathematics faculty.