Postdocs

Postdocs

Goal 1: Hiring

Hiring: Establish fair and transparent postdoc hiring processes across the department.

Vision of where we want to be in 5 years: Postdoc searches across the department are performed in a fair and transparent manner and lead to better and more consistent matches to searches

  • Action 1: Develop a template rubric for postdoc searches that can be adapted for different types of searches
  • Action 2: Track use of rubrics for postdoc hiring processes
  • Action 3: Develop and encourage best practices for advertising postdoc jobs
  • Action 4: Postdoc pay

Goal 2: Community

Community: Build community among postdocs and integrate postdocs more into the broader department community.

Vision of where we want to be in 5 years: Postdocs feel a sense of community with each other in the department, and feel like full and valued department members.

  • Action 1: Create a picture directory for department members to put in the atrium (could be on the video screens)
  • Action 2: Sponsor a postdoc lunch once per semester
  • Action 3: Postdocs self-organize social events and communications, channels, with support from the department
  • Action 4: Involve postdocs in the committees or departmental organization in those cases where it is professionally useful (e.g., colloquium or seminar committees, encourage postdocs to host speakers)
  • Action 5: Invite postdocs to participate in student groups (e.g., WAGMiP)
  • Action 6: Survey postdocs about their needs

Goal 3: Professional

Professional: Provide professional development opportunities to support different postdoc career paths.

Vision of where we want to be in 5 years: Postdocs are supported and confident in knowing how to transition to the next step in the career paths of their choice.

  • Action 1: Publicize and support use of NCFDD
  • Action 2: Support Erdos Institute participation
  • Action 3: Workshop on faculty applications
  • Action 4: Develop workshops (also open to graduate students) on networking, giving talks
  • Action 5: Publicize and support OPA activities
  • Action 6: Make faculty more knowledgeable about university and professional organization resources for postdocs

Goal 4: Role

Role: Clearly establish role of postdocs in the department and the university

Vision of where we want to be in 5 years: Postdocs and the rest of the OSU community understand what postdoc roles are in the community and in the context of the OSU bureaucracy.

  • Action 1: HR clarity regarding how postdocs qualify for different types of benefits
  • Action 2: Create and maintain onboarding documents that are specific to postdocs
  • Action 3: Liaise with OPA on issues that may be common across departments