Beyond Survival in the Academy Shan Jiang

Overview Companion book to “Survival in the Academy” Non-Research I. school Updated advices that cover changes in higher education in the past decade This book is a companion book to Survival in the Academy. Different from that book, this book focuses on Non-Research I school. So it discussed more about issues other than doing research. Also, there are updated advices that meet the needs of changes in the past decade.

Which is most important? What to have in mind? Adjustment to new environment Tenure Research From a student to a teacher, an educator Service Networking So first let’s think what do we have in mind, assuming you’ll begin your faculty career next week. In other words, what will you need to do as transiting from a PHD student, to faculty? Anything? For example, you have to do research. OK Let’s look at the rest. So these are the main topics in this book. Which is most important?

Adjustments for Transition The Mental Adjustment The Emotional Adjustment Hardest Time Confident The Financial Adjustment First, adjustments to transition. I noticed that when Sean Hamphray presented this book, the first thing he talked about was preparing for tenure. I agree with him that if you prepare for tenure early, you’ll have great advantage in future. But if you push yourself too hard, you’ll be ore tired and nervous. So I put this adjustment topic in this first place, to make sure we feel comfortable before the real survival. This way, you will live longer. Just kidding. So There are three types of adjustments: Mental adjustment, Emotional adjustment, and Financial adjustment. For mental adjustment, because you feel you are not a graduate student anymore, you are employed and earning higher salary, everyone has expectations on you, and you also have expectation for yourself….all of these give you stress. Similar for emotional adjustment, you are coming to a new and unfamiliar place, you leave your old friends, or family, all of these make you feel lonely and isolated. For these two adjustments, the advice is that just knowing the first year is the most difficult, relax, give yourself some time just for adjustment, don’t be anxious about making contributions. You live not for only work, but you work for your life. And, be confident and optimistic, you have the ability otherwise you would not have got the job. Financial adjustment, like house or car, is not a big problem. For all of the questions, you can ask your mentor assigned to you.

Interview What kinds of help do you hope the institution will provide to assist transition from student to faculty? Assuming you are starting new career tomorrow, are you excited, happy, nervous, or confused? What is your expectation in the first year?

Interview 1. What did U of A do to help you transit to new position and environment, e.g. policy, support, etc. 2. What’s your expectation in the first year?

Preparing for Tenure Start in advance Learn the criteria of the institution Tenure Portfolio Documenting Research Documenting Teaching Documenting Service OK, here comes the tenure preparation. After you settled down in new environment, schedule your tenure application in advance will give you advantage. Each institution may have different criteria in evaluation process, so familiarize yourself with some regarding materials. In general, there are three kinds of things you’ll absolutely pay attention. What do you think they are? Research, Teaching and Service. Research Portfolio includes Publications Unpublished manuscripts Sponsored Research projects Conference proceedings Pedagogical applications of research Research in progress Scholarly activities Teaching Portfolio includes Student evaluation Curricular innovations Successful class activities Lectures & Syllabus Assessment instruments Student learning outcomes Videotapes of teaching Service Portfolio includes Service to department Service to students Service to college Service to community

Discussion If tenure mechanism were abolished, would you still seek faculty position? -Say,replace with a pure increase of salary. -Wealthy and Stable life, or academic curiosity? So here comes a discussion topic. If tenure mechanism were abolished, or changed into other benefits such as pure salary increase, would you still seek faculty positions? I raised this question because there is criticism on the negative effects of tenure mechanism. Any opinions? For me, it depends on which school I can get the job. If the school is very famous, or still guarantee academic freedom to some extent, I’ll still like academic positions.

Research What role should research play in academic career? Institutional goals Professional goals Personal goals What types of scholarly activities? Conference Book(whole,chapter,review) Journal article, discusion notes Research reports Anyway, so let’s talk about the major three requirements for tenure. The first question is, in non research-I University, how much energy you will divide for research. An obvious answer is you have to spend some time on research if you go tenure track because Publish or perish. But how much effort you will use depends on both institutional goal and personal goal. If you don’t care publish but want to contribute to the world in other ways, like teaching students, then you just meet the minimum requirement set by the institution. If you really want to discover new knowledge, theories, then go on your PHD life. What types of scholarly activities? They are similar to the former book. I’ll skip it.

Teaching Current teaching trends Advices Active learning Learning communities Your own creative teaching style Advices Second, for teaching, the new issues are the emerging trends in teaching, like active learning, learning communities. What are they? Can anyone explain? Well, 1.Active learning is teaching style that Involve studnts more:for example,like Sean Haphrey write questions on the wall and let students answer them on the wall. 2.Learning communities is Several courses linked together, taken by the same group of students.In this way study is coordinated Has anyone come up with creative teaching methods and wanna share? Here’s some sdvices fro the book: Familiarize yourself with the surrounding. Learn the history and culture of your department and college Visit institution's teaching resource center. Syllabus construction Examnation and student assesing tools Utilize student evaluation Consult department staff for office supplies Develop good communication skill Expect mistakes

Service Service to department, institution, & community Have a good balance. Understand which service count the most Document Record The Third one, Service. Actually you don’t need to spend too much time in the very first stage. Here are some tips 1.Have a good balance and avoid spending too much time, especially for first year. 2. Be wise and understand which service count the most. You can ask your mentor for useful information. 3. Don’t forget to keep track of service activities for tenure evaluation.

Interview 1.Are you going to participate in some departmental service in the first year?

The Whole Scholar Carnegie Model They are equally important Scholarship of discovery Scholarship of integration Scholarship of teaching Scholarship of application They are equally important Can we switch from traditional model to Carnegie ideal model? So how to balance between research, teaching, service and all other issues? Here is the faous Carnegie model. What are the four components in this model? Scholarship of discovery means the new knowledge or innovative research itself is ore iportant than the number of publishing Scholarship of integration means your research should not isolated from others. You must integrate your research into larger piece with other researchers in the same field or other disciplines. Scholarship of teaching means, you make value by producing more researchers. Scholarship of application means you should do something useful. The Carnegie model says that they are equally important. Do you agree with that? Or will you act as Carnegie model suggest?

The Whole Scholar In my opinion, if this is the traditional proportion your time and effort are spent on.

The Whole Scholar Is this Carnegie model suggest?

The Whole Scholar No, I think in practice, this is the one that was suggested. You just increase working hard on everything. And sleep less. Unless job market becomes better

Social Networking Networking opportunities Advices Current and former insitution Organization Conference Research Advices Listen 80%, speak 20% Modest and polite Participation! Extension, but not replacement Next, let’s see other issues. The most important one I think is networking. It is true that by networking , you’ll work less and benefit more. So take the opportunities that you can socialize, such as connection in current and former institution, organizations, conference and research collaboration. Here are some advices, listen 80% and speak 20%, you’ll appear wise. Always be modest and polite, and then everyone else are comfortable and enjoying talking with you. More participation to get more opportunities. And what you should keep in mind is that networking is extension for your road to success, but not replacement of your work and research.

Networking 1. Till now, what opportunities have you found about networking with other faculty ?

Discussions Social division of labor is prevalent nowadays, so why do most academics have to engage in both teaching, research and service? In the end, let’s discuss this question.

Discussions Synergy effect -Less people like teaching contributuion more than research contribution -Give you chance to reconsiderr your interest -Insitutions do(Research I, non research oriented), so why not individuals? -Have you ever felt that your professional time is taken up with teaching load?

Discussions What have you learnt from this book? Prepare for interview&tenure now!