Professional Development Workshop for Teaching-Track Faculty

2019 SIGCSE Pre‐Symposium Event
Wednesday, February 27, 2019
8:30 AM- 4:00 PM

Computer Science departments have experienced significant course enrollment increases and many Ph.D. granting departments have introduced or increased the number of academic teaching faculty positions that have academic rank. The one-day workshop will focus on the professional development of teaching track faculty (professor of practice, instructor, clinical faculty, lecturer, etc.) in Ph.D. granting departments. The workshop fills a crucial need as many departments have limited experience on how to mentor, evaluate, and promote this new type of faculty. The sessions will focus on how teaching faculty can strategize their involvement in departmental as well as research activities, different forms of scholarship and leadership activities to pursue, and best practices for success, promotion, and advancement. Academic leaders involved in supervising and evaluating teaching track faculty will provide their perspective and insights.

The number of workshop participants is limited. A limited amount of financial support is available. Only participants applying before the January 4 deadline will be considered for financial support. Applicants will be notified of a decision by January 15, 2019.

Workshop Agenda

[Download PDF]

• 8:00 AM – 8:30 AM: Breakfast (provided at the event)
• 8:30 AM – 8:45 AM: Welcome and Introductions
  Chair: Lori Pollock (U of Delaware)
  [slides]
• 8:45 AM – 10:00 AM: SESSION 1 – The Importance and Role of Teaching Track Faculty in PhD Granting Institutions (Panel Discussion w/ Q&A)
  [slides]
  Panelists provide an overview about the current needs, roles, and different models of teaching track faculty across PhD granting CS departments. Includes highlighting common teaching positions departments have, responsibilities and expectations, and strategic views from department level planning.
  Speakers:  Tracy Camp (Chair, Colorado School of Mines),  Gopal Gupta (Head, UT Dallas), Mats Heimdahl (Head, U of Minnesota)
  Chair: Barbara Ryder (Virginia Tech)
• 10:00 AM – 10:30 AM: Break
• 10:30 AM – 11:50 AM: SESSION 2 – Building a Successful Teaching Track Faculty Career (Panel Discussion w/ Q&A)
  [slides]
  Panelists discuss successes in teaching faculty careers, highlight different opportunities for engagement in the department and how to best capitalize on arising opportunities. Also address common challenges to overcome.
  Speakers:  Margaret Ellis  (Virginia Tech), Michael Hilton (CMU),  Tiffani Williams (Northeastern Charlotte)
  Chair: Christine Alvarado (UC San Diego)
• 11:50 AM – 12:50 PM: Lunch (provided at the event)
• 12:50 PM – 2:00 PM: SESSION 3 – Performance Evaluation, Promotion, and Advancement (Panel Discussion followed by Leader-led Table Discussion)
  [slides]
  Panelists discuss and contrast common evaluation and promotion policies and practices and how to best prepare for a successful promotion. Panel discussion followed by small table feedback on individual achievements and advice.
  Speakers:  Christine Alvarado (UC San Diego), Michelle Craig (U Toronto), Monica Sweat (Georgia Tech), Luther Tychonievich  (U of Virginia)
  Chair: Mark Sherriff (U of Virginia)
• 2:00 PM – 2:30 PM: Break
• 2:30 PM – 3:45 PM: SESSION 4 – Breakout Session on Participant-inspired Topics
  [slides] 
  Breakout session topics collected during the day are grouped and ranked. 4-5 breakout sessions with subsequent report outs. Participants will be asked to serve as leaders and scribes.
  Chair: Christine Alvarado (UC San Diego)
• 3:45 PM – 4:00 PM: Wrap-up and next steps

Organizers

• • • Christine Alvarado, UC San Diego, cjalvarado@eng.ucsd.edu
    • Lori Pollock, University of Delaware, pollock@udel.edu
    • Barbara Ryder, Virginia Tech, ryder@cs.vt.edu
    • Mark Sherriff, University of Virginia,  sherriff@virginia.edu

Funding for the workshop is generously provided by Google.

FAQ

• • Q: How is this event different that other similar SIGCSE events?
    A: The proposed event complements existing SIGCSE events targeted at teaching faculty and instructors. More specifically,
    • The New Educators Workshop (offered at SIGCSE 18) focuses on academic-oriented graduate students, postdocs, and pre-tenure faculty in exploring questions about teaching and teaching careers.
    • The Managing the Early Academic Career for Women Graduate Students Pursuing Faculty Positions in Undergraduate Computing Programs workshop (offered at SIGCSE 19) focuses mentoring information and advice for women graduate students (in their final year) who are interested in an academic career in an education track.
    • The Professional Development for Teaching Faculty Workshop (this event) is targeted at teaching-track faculty on Ph.D. granting departments. The focus is on faculty teaching large enrollment undergraduate courses and who are relatively new to the teaching profession. The workshop does not cover   teaching and classroom management  practices .  Graduate students and post-docs will be considered as space allows.
  • Q: Is there a limit on the number of workshop participants? 
    A: Yes. The maximum number of participants is about 45. Should the number of applications exceed this number, the number of applications accepted from one department will likely be limited.