Individual Development Planworksheet

Individual Development PlanWorksheet

Thisworksheetisintendedtofacilitate anannualconversationbetweenafaculty advisoranddoctoraladvisee, focusingonthestudent’sprogresstodegreeandcareerplans.Thisconversationisintendedto supplement

otherregularmeetingswherethefaculty advisorandstudenttalkaboutthestudent’sresearchanddissertation. Theworksheetisintendedto structureaconversation,inordertoelicit apictureofthestudent’sgoalsandthe contextinwhichthoseaspirationsexist. Itcanbeusedtohelpthestudentandthefaculty advisor:

1) Takestockofthestudent’saccomplishmentsinthepastyear,

2) Discussnear-andlong-termplans,and

3) Developastrategyforrealizingthoseplans.

Aconversationbasedoneachsectionofthisworksheetwouldallowthefaculty advisortogiveadviceandthe studenttodevelopspecific,achievablegoalsforthenextyear.

TotheFacultyMember:Pleasesendthisworksheettothestudentwell inadvanceofthemeeting(past experienceindicatesatwo-weeklead-timeworkswell).Sincethegoalistofacilitate anopenconversationthat isfocusedonthestudent’sfuture,ratherthana“performancereview,”it isrecommendedthatthecompleted

documentnotberetainedafterthemeeting.Additionalsuggestionsforstructuringthemeetingandconversation areonpage4.

TotheStudent:PleasecompleteParts1-4andreturnit alongwithyourcurrentCVtoyourfaculty advisorat leasttwodayspriortothescheduledmeeting.Youcantypeasmuchasneededineachsection,butplease respondinbrief,bulletedformat.Thisisnottobea completereport,butasummarytoguidediscussion.Itis notintendedthatthisbecomepartofyourpermanentrecord.

StudentName: MeetingDate:

Datebegan graduatestudiesat UO: Anticipateddateofdegreecompletion:

Part1.ProgressintheLastTwelveMonths

Please attach a copy of your current Curriculum Vitae (CV).

List anyprogramrequirementsthat youcompletedthisyear.Forexample,coursework,requirementsfor advancementtocandidacy,examinations,andteaching:

ListmembersofyourDissertationReading/ThesisCommittee:

Givea briefoverviewofyouroverallprogressonyourresearchproject(s)anddissertationinthepastyear.

Describeanyresearchactivities inwhichyouhaveexperiencedorareexperiencingdifficulties.Whatfactors causedorcontributedtothesedifficulties?Whatassistance,resources,or mentoringmighthelpyouaccomplish yourresearchgoals?

Givea briefoverviewofyourteachingandmentoringactivities inthepastyear.Describeanysuchactivities in whichyouhaveexperiencedorareexperiencingdifficulties.Whatassistance,resources,ormentoringmight helpyouaccomplishyourteachinggoals?

Givea briefoverviewofyourotherprofessionalactivities,recognitionandaccomplishmentsinthepastyear

(e.g.,publications,patents,honorsorawards,presentationsat professionalmeetings,grantsorfellowships):

Part2.PlansfortheComingTwelveMonths

List anyprogramrequirementsyettobecompleted,alongwithanticipateddatesofcompletion.Forexample, coursework,requirementsforadvancementtocandidacy,examinations,teaching,andplanstoreachTGR tuitionstatus(i.e.,completionofall degreerequirementsexceptdissertation,including135unitsofresidency):

Brieflydescribethegoalsforyourresearchproject(s)anddissertation:

List publicationsyouplantosubmit(includeproposedpublicationtitle, journal,andsubmissiondate):

List professionalconferences,meetingsandworkshopsyouwouldlike toattend(includeproposedtitle and submissiondateforproposedpresentations):

Howwill yourdoctoralstudiesbefundednextyear(e.g.,researchgrant,Fellowship,TeachingAssistantship)? List fellowship,grants,andotherfundingapplicationsyouplanto submit(includenameofawardandduedate):

Whatareasofexpertise/understandingandskillswouldyoulike todevelopinthenextyear?Thinkbroadlyof whatyouneedtobeableto knowanddo:newareasofknowledge,newresearchtechniques,publicspeaking, writing,managingteams,classroomteaching,negotiation,etc. Listyourplansforlearningthese.

Part3.CareerGoalsandProgress

List yourlong-termcareergoals.Youareencouragedtoincludeat least two:

1)

2)

Whatposition/jobdoyouseeasthenextsteptowardyourcareergoalsaftergraduating?Whendoyouanticipate beginningtheprocessofobtainingthat nextposition?

Whatfactorsaredrivingyourcareergoals,plans,anddecisions(e.g.,interestsinresearch,teaching,business, government,writing;geographicpriorities;familycommitments;financialobjectives)?

Whatstepsareyoutakingtoenhanceyourabilityto attain thesegoals?Whatadditionaltrainingorskillswould mostbenefityouin preparingforyourdesiredcareer?

Part4.FinalDiscussionPoints

Thisfinalsectionisanopportunityforthestudentandadvisortodevelopactionplansforthecomingyear andto reflect onspecific actionsthatwill helpthestudenttobesuccessful.Itisusefultoconsiderwhatisworkingand shouldcontinue,andwhatmightchange.Thisisanopportunitytocometoclosureonkey issues,aswell asto discussanymattersnotalreadycovered.Advisor:Pleaseofferyouropinionsoneachofthesetopics,especially thelasttwo.

Whatassistance,resources,andmentoringwouldhelpyoumeetyourgoals?Whatareyourplansforidentifying andusingtheseresources?

Whatcanyouradvisorcontinuetodotosupportyouin reachingyourspecificresearchandprofessional developmentgoalsforthecomingyear?

Whatcanyouradvisordodifferentlytobestsupportyouin reachingyourspecificresearchandprofessional developmentgoalsforthecomingyear?

Whatcanyoucontinuetodotoachieveyourimmediate andlongtermgoals?

Whatcanyoudodifferentlytoachieveyourimmediate andlongtermgoals?

Adaptedfor doctoral students by theOffice of the Vice Provost for Graduate Education,Stanford University, 2011, from the “Career ProgressDocument”developedby the Provost’s Post-doctoral AdvisoryCommittee,StanfordUniversity,

2005.Thelatter group modeledtheirdocument on the “IndividualDevelopment Plan forPostdoctoralFellows”of the

Federation ofAmerican Societiesof Experimental Biology. Current revision,October 19, 2011. EndorsedbytheStanford

Committee on Graduate Studies,October2011.

SuggestionsforUsingtheIndividual Development PlanWorksheet

Suggestionsforsettingupthe meeting:

Experiencehasshownthat it isa goodpractice forthefaculty memberto meetwithall adviseeswithina two-to three-weektime-span.Thisindicatesthat all studentsarebeingtreated thesame,andthat therequesttomeet does notimplythat thereisa problem.Thisiseasilyaccomplishedifthemeetingsoccurat a pre-determined

timeeachyear.Forsituationswherestudentshaveregularlyscheduledmeetingswiththeiradvisor,simply allocatingthefirst meetingoftheacademic(September)orcalendaryear(January)forthispurposeisaneasy waytoschedulethemeeting.Forthosewhomeet withadviseesadhoc,a requesttoall adviseestosetameeting for“earlyinthe monthofxxx”issimple.EarlyJanuarymayworkparticularlywellbecausetheNewYearis a timewhenpeopleareoftenina reflective or“change”mindset.

Settingasideanhourforthe meetinghasworkedwell.Thisissufficienttime tofullydiscussthestudent’s progressandplans,withoutfeelingrushed.Italsosignalstostudentsthat theirdevelopmentisimportant,and that advisorsplace valueontheirroleasmentor.

Theworksheetshouldbesenttothestudentasanemailattachmentwellahead(e.g.,twoweeks)ofwhenthe meetingsaretooccur.Inthebodyoftheemail,theadvisorcanexplainthat thisisbeingsenttoall advisees,that it isintended:1)tohelpthestudentandher/hisadvisortakestockofthepastyear’saccomplishmentsand progress;2)todiscussnear-andlong-termplans,and;3)todevelopa strategyforrealizingthoseplans.The studentcompletestheformandreturnsit totheadvisorasanemailattachmentatleast twodaysinadvanceof

themeeting.Theadvisorreviewstheformbeforethemeetingandconsiderswhatthingss/hewouldlike tofocus onintheconversation.

Attheendofthemeeting,theformisdestroyedorreturnedtotheadvisee.Itisnotintendedthat a copyofthe formbeputintoa student’s“file” orbecomea permanentpartoftheiracademicrecord.Iftheformbecomes documentation,ratherthana waytostructurea conversation,thetoneofthemeetingmovesawayfrombeing supportiveand“all abouttheadvisee.”Itrisksbecominga bureaucraticor,worse,anantagonisticexercise.

Suggestionsforhavinga productiveconversation:

Atthe meeting,theC.V.isreviewed(PartOneoftheformrequestsit tobeattached)andtheneachitemofthe worksheetisdiscussed.Thebulkofthe timeshouldbedevotedtoconversationabouttheadvisee’sfuturegoals andhowtorealizethosegoals,especiallywhattheadviseeneedsto doandhowtheadvisorcanmosthelp(Parts TwothroughFour).

Thestudent’sresponsesontheworksheetallowtheadvisortoprobeformoreinformation,inorderto morefully understandwhatthestudentisthinking.This,inturn,providesanopportunityfortheadvisorto provideadvice.

Students’anxietiescanbeallayediftheadvisorenterstheconversationwithanopenmindandmakesclear that whatmattersmostisthat thestudentpursuesa careerthat suitstheirstrengthsandinterests.Studentsoftendo not knowhowfacultymemberswill respondif thestudentproposesplansthat theybelievethat thefaculty memberdoesnotpreferorendorse.Somestudentsfeara negativereactionfromthefacultyadvisoriftheyplana careeroutsideofacademia,forexample,orwishtodevotetime toteaching.

Studentsenormouslyappreciateknowingthat theiradvisorsaresupportiveandhaveconfidenceintheirability to succeed.Ultimately,studentsmusttakeresponsibilityfortheirownprofessionaldevelopment,soit isalso appropriatefortheadvisortoencouragethestudenttoseekoutresourcesandeducationalopportunitiesinother areasoftheirdepartment,schoolorthe universityasa whole.