Treffer: Designing Programs to Prepare Future Faculty for Academic Careers: Insights from a Longitudinal Case Study of a Multidisciplinary Cohort-Based Program Model for Doctoral Students

Many universities offer some version of centrally offered professional development opportunities for graduate students seeking academic careers. Less is known about what impact these programs have on student career preparation and success and which design elements are most beneficial to each learner (Diggs et al., 2017; Schram et al., 2017). This article reports on a mixed methods decadal review (2011-2021) of one large, research-intensive institution's multidisciplinary cohort-based year-long program, Preparing for Academic Careers, for graduate students near the end of their doctoral or master's of fine arts (MFA) degree. Results from a systematic employment status search using publicly available records (Google and LinkedIn) indicate that a higher percentage of participants are employed in academic positions than national trends. Results from the analyses of closed and open-ended questions from an alumni survey suggest a range of perceived benefits: an increased sense of belonging in the academy, comfort talking to others about their work, confidence as an instructor, and interest in cross-disciplinary work. These findings will inform others seeking to design and implement academic career preparation programs that aim to provide student-level support in an inclusive and multidisciplinary environment.

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