Applications for the 2026 Preparing Future Faculty Seminar are now closed. Please email [email protected] with any questions.

2026 Preparing Future Faculty Seminar


The Rackham School of Graduate Studies and the Center for Research on Learning and Teaching's (CRLT) "Preparing Future Faculty" seminar (PFF) is a nationally recognized program designed to help prepare doctoral candidates for the academic job search and success in their subsequent faculty positions. The 2026 seminar will meet every Tuesday and Thursday starting May 5, 2026 through June 4, 2026.

  • On Tuesdays, our sessions will be in-person from 9:00 am to 12:00 pm to form a learning community and focus on peer feedback and discussions. In addition, our final session on June 4 (Thursday) will be an in-person session to celebrate and conclude the PFF program. All in-person sessions will take place on the central campus. 
  • On the other four Thursdays, we will meet virtually from 10:00 am to 12:00 pm to explore topics on preparing for your future academic careers. 

Participants will have the opportunity to engage with a number of pedagogical topics, including course design and equity-focused teaching. Participants will also explore different types of academic institutions and positions through faculty panels and a virtual campus visit to a nearby institution. Participants will have the opportunity to apply what they learn in the seminar as they develop and provide peer feedback on a statement of teaching practice and a course syllabus they could use in the future. Participants will also have access to additional readings and resources throughout the program. The seminar is free of charge to accepted participants.

Seminar Objectives

  1. Design a syllabus for a specific course you could teach at U-M or another institution utilizing principles of backward design and elements of equity-focused teaching.
  2. Create a teaching statement that discusses your teaching practices, which is informed by your lived experiences, your social identities, and your beliefs about teaching.
  3. Reflect on equitable and effective teaching practices.
  4. Investigate a sampling of higher education institutions and roles through faculty panels and a virtual campus visit. You’ll learn about the academic job search, faculty work life, and the unique roles you might have as a college educator.

Eligibility

  • Participants must have achieved doctoral candidacy before the start of the seminar. Preference will be given to advanced-standing graduate students (i.e. anticipated graduation before Winter 2027).
  • Spring term enrollment is not required for participation in the PFF seminar.
  • Postdocs are not eligible to apply.
  • Participants must have GSI experience or other teaching experience before the start of the seminar.
  • Participants must be enrolled as a student at the University of Michigan.

Attendance Expectations

Consistent participation and engagement in this five-week program are crucial parts of the program. This is because every session's content builds off the prior ones, and we want to build a robust team-based learning environment for all participants. For these reasons:

  • We expect participants to attend at least 5 out of 6 in-person sessions and 3 out of 4 virtual sessions. (This is also a requirement to receive the Preparing Future Faculty Certificate)
  • If applicants expect that they cannot meet the attendance requirements for the certificate, we may ask them to reapply in a future session. 
  • Before submitting the applications, we highly recommend that you start reserving the weekly session times to fully engage in this program between May 5 and June 4, 2026 (Tuesdays, 9:00 AM–12:00 PM / Thursdays, 10:00 AM–12:00 PM).

Online Application Requirements

  • Online application form (now closed for 2026) including:
    • Contact information, program/department information, program eligibility
    • 1-paragraph professional bio
    • 1-paragraph overview of your teaching experience
    • 1-paragraph discussion of your interest in PFF
  • A current CV

Graduate Teacher Certificate

  • Successful completion of the Seminar will count towards the "B. Learning about teaching" requirement of the Graduate Teacher Certificate. 
  • To receive credit for the "E. Reflection on instructional practice" requirement of the Graduate Teacher Certificate, you still must submit your statement of teaching practice for a consultation with a CRLT graduate student instructor consultant. 

If you have any further questions about the application process, please email [email protected].
 

What Past Participants Have Said About the Seminar

“The concrete rubric for teaching statements was incredibly helpful in actually writing my statement, since all I had at the beginning of the program were random thoughts and experiences with teaching with little to no idea on how to put them together cohesively into a statement. I also didn't truly appreciate the difficulty of designing a course from scratch before, so the assignment for designing a course was a good perspective to get.”

- A participant from STEM


“I liked learning about different career options and learning different skills (course design, informal interviewing, etc.), working with my peers in my discipline and in different ones, and incorporating equity-focused teaching principles. I also felt unsure about the academic job market since I had little teaching experience, but I would feel comfortable starting in a job with teaching responsibilities after what I learned in this course.”

-A participant from the Social Sciences


“Something I'll take away from the seminar is that there is space to be authentic as a scholar and teacher. I think we often think about this work as a list of boxes to check off, and making sure we're saying the right thing, and while there is perhaps some truth to that, I've also learned about how I can use my values and experiences to meet those objectives. To be brief, I don't have to fundamentally change anything about myself or my work to have a career in academia.”

-A participant from the Humanities


“The PFF seminar offered a holistic perspective on what life as a faculty member would look like at a variety of institutions. Being at Michigan, doctoral students have an understanding of what an R1 can look like, but PFF was able to provide insight into R2 and teaching-centered institutions. I also gained valuable perspective from my cohort on what to consider during my job hunt and valuable questions to ask during my job search to ensure the department is a good fit.” 

-A participant from the Health Sciences