While some applicants are ill prepared and have not even been a teaching assistant, others have taken advantage of programs that give them considerable mentoring and experience in classroom and field settings, or effective incorporation of technology in instruction. These experiences are immediately recognized and valued by search committees. Additional skills and experiences also can be seen as enhancing the capabilities of a department. Thus, students can optimize their chances of success. Then, once we have identified an outstanding applicant, some of us also must find ways to support our new colleagues, not only in their research but also for their teaching, so they will have productive and satisfying careers of continuing professional growth as scholars and teachers.
Ecology has a vital role to play in our current and future educational institutions and beyond.
Maintaining the quality of research and study, while revising our graduate programs to meet the real, diverse needs of students heading in various directions, is a topic worthy of consideration for all ecologists. It is a discussion that goes well beyond the numbers of individuals. David Brakke is Dean of James Madison University s College of Science and Mathematics. His opinions are his own and do not reflect positions of James Madison University or the Ecological Society of America.