A shared vision for professional development at Princeton unites the GradFUTURES team and our campus-wide ecosystem of partners. Graduate student-centered by design, GradFUTURES serves as Princeton’s hub for empowering graduate student futures, through a broad spectrum of skills training, mentorship, bespoke experiential opportunities and interdisciplinary learning. Shared Vision Professional development is an intrinsic part of graduate education at Princeton University, broadening the reach and impact of academic training by preparing our students to make transformative contributions within diverse fields of endeavor and to exercise leadership in ways that expand knowledge, accelerate discovery and serve humanity. Unified Mission We empower graduate students through a holistic and integrative model of professional development that enables them to build the skills and competencies, clarity of purpose, and multifaceted relationships they need to become leaders within the academic, government, nonprofit, and private sectors. Shared Values As a relatively new field within graduate education, professional development reimagines the scope and purpose of graduate training–and the definition of success. Graduate Student-Centric We engage graduate students from the time they are admitted and throughout their time at Princeton and beyond. We celebrate graduate students as individuals with diverse identities, perspectives, and experiences as well as unique educational and professional aspirations. We prioritize the co-creation of programs and opportunities with the graduate students we serve. In all we do, we encourage graduate students to cultivate self-efficacy, explore their evolving interests, and pursue personally meaningful professional pathways. Diversity, Equity and Inclusion We view professional development as a vehicle for fostering diversity, equity, and inclusion. Specifically, we encourage modes of leadership that advance equity within various professional, institutional, organizational, and community contexts. We strive to ensure equitable access to opportunities for all graduate students by advocating for inclusive systems, policies, processes, and practices. Our work is informed by the diverse voices, professional stories, and perspectives of our many constituents. Collaboration and Connection We serve as a hub for all things graduate student professional development. We curate, integrate, and make visible the full array of resources, programs, and opportunities across a campus-wide ecosystem. We collaborate with faculty, staff, graduate students, graduate alums, and academic, public, and private sector partners to help graduate students build diverse, systematic, and organic professional networks and experiences. We make meaningful connections between people, opportunities, resources, and ideas. Innovation We’re creating new ways to connect graduate students to interdisciplinary communities, diverse mentors, and experiential opportunities in which they can contribute to the world’s grand challenges. We’re galvanizing a culture of innovation in professional development that supports emerging pathways and future of work trends. We’re committed to being both field-leading and field-serving, sharing our frameworks and learnings with our peers. Data Transparency and Continuous Assessment We gather input to assess our efforts and demonstrate impact, taking an iterative and data-informed approach to our work. We advocate for and adopt institutional policies and practices regarding sharing data about graduate students’ interests, graduate alum career pathways and labor market insights in ways that inform and inspire decision-making at all levels. Life-long Learning We emphasize approaches that cultivate curiosity, a growth mindset, and lifelong learning in professional development. Through our programs and resources, we foster resilience, optionality, and competitive advantage by supporting the acquisition of skills that are aligned with future of work trends. Now more than ever, it is imperative that we redouble our efforts to shift the institutional culture and to provide comprehensive professional development programs, experiential opportunities, alum mentorship, and tailored support for all graduate students.–Eva Kubu, Senior Associate Dean for Professional Development & Director of GradFUTURES
