The Interfolio Blog

Academic portfolios serve many purposes, and are primarily used to evaluate one’s experiences for assessment purposes, or as a tool for personal professional advancement.   While “promotion” and “branding” are terms most often reserved for the business world, the job search is an element common to all professions. But a job search isn't the only reason to build a portfolio, so we've listed a few below to get you thinking...

Where will online portfolios be used by the academic community?

1) As a part of the job search: A PhD student or faculty with a rich online academic portfolio has a real advantage in the job market because they have taken control of their online identity, and made it easy for search committees to see beyond their CV and dossier.

2) To network with colleagues: A good online portfolio tool will facilitate meaningful connections. Academics at any level can dynamically interact with like-minded peers worldwide in a serious and professional network, sharing resources and best-practices, co-publishing papers or books or soliciiting reviews or commentary on current work.

3) By faculty hiring committees:  When seeking the best talent for faculty positions, university search teams can evaluate candidate achievements at a deeper and more dynamic level when the traditional CV and dossier is supplemented by an online academic portfolio.

4) In the tenure and review process: Department heads or tenure committees can use online portfolios to more comprehensively review their faculty, and make promotions and tenure decisions.

5) As faculty bios on the university web site: University marketing departments want to effectively showcase the work that's being done within a university.  The online portfolio, integrated into the university web site, offers a rich and interactive medium for presenting faculty and departmental accomplishments.

6) To streamline the grant application process: Using excerpts from research sections of a well-organized and easily accessible portfolio can make a more compelling case within grant committees.  Additionally, grant committees can require an online portfolio to streamline the processing and evaluation.

7) To leave a legacy: Many professors and faculty look for effective ways to organize the materials they wish to leave behind as they retire or even change teaching posts.  A portfolio can be used as an effective mechanism by which to do so.