Beyond Survival in the Academy

MIS 696A Book Presentation

Wei Chang / Cuiping Chen / Siddharth Kaza

Ying Liu / Wei Wei / Ming Yuan

Surviving the Transition

Maureen C. Minielli

“Although most doctoral preparation occurs at research universities, proportionally more faculty positions arise at college and universities

where research is less central to faculty life than teaching”- Dinham (1999a)

The Mental Adjustment

Graduate Student to Faculty Member It is normal to question your abilities as a starting

academic.

Alma Mater to New Institution

Expectations lead to Stress Ways to alleviate stress are mentioned Your abilities are what got you the position, so don’t worry!

The Mental Adjustment

Collegiality Teaching, Research, Social activities, Housekeeping

Using a Mentor A mentor can inform of unspoken rules If you don’t have one, find one

The Emotional Adjustment

Leaving a comfort zone for a new place is both exciting and terrifying Things that you have come to know and love during

graduate school may not be present

Changes in Lifestyle Gone are the days of long papers and lengthy studies Gone also are the days of late night beers

Be Yourself!

The Financial Adjustment

Startup costs Moving costs

Which may be part of contract Housing: Apartment or Own? Deposits Day Care, Pets

Professional Costs

Paying faculty rates instead of student rates

Cost of professional memberships increase by almost two fold

Plan ahead for conferences and conventions

Forgotten Costs

Parking and Automobile Concerns “The moment I get a job I’ll buy a BMW” – Sidd (11/20/02)

Socializing “Sunshine” Funds Unions Professional Attire Student Loans

The Invisible Burden

Taxes The most emphasized part of the chapter Do not forget deductions for academics

– Sharmila P. Ferris

International Students: You need to apply for work permits, Universities may not do that

Salaries and Paychecks

It might take as long as two months for your paycheck

Use the university credit union if available Author suggests taking union dues, parking

fees etc. of your paycheck Save for the “Rainy Day” !

Benefits

Health Insurance Life Insurance Retirement No-Tenure Insurance? Attend the informational meeting if there is

one

To Summarize

Prior to Arrival Arrive Early Get the essentials before students arrive

After Arrival A good working schedule Get to know the department, procedures, class

rooms etc. Attend all faculty orientations Do not Say ‘Yes’ to everything

Beyond Graduate School:Making the transition to EducatorJessica S. Mallard

Maureen C. Minielli

Four Pedagogical Issues Initial teaching challenges Changing student

demographics Current teaching trend Classroom technologies

Basic advice

Overview

Pedagogical issues - I

Initial teaching challenges Difference between secondary and post-

secondary teaching Problem with teaching assistants How to teach undergraduates A related problem of intelligence

Changing student demographics Increase in the number of students Varying level of student preparation

Pedagogical issues - II

Current teaching trends Active learning Learning communities Changing pedagogy

Classroom technologies Challenge for faculty New undergraduates are familiar with technology Problem of cheating with technology Technology augments good teaching methods, not

replacing them

Basic Advice - I

Familiarize yourself with your surroundings Learn the history and culture of your

department and college Visit your institution’s teaching resource

center Syllabus Construction Examinations and other student assessment

tools

Basic Advice - II

Teaching evaluations Office supplies Course options Tutors and study groups Americans with disabilities act Serving as a role model Employ good communication skills Expect mistakes

Developing the Whole Scholar

Sharmila P. Ferris

The issue of integrating scholarship into our academic lives in every aspect As teachers As researchers As members of the academic and social

community

Scholarship Definition

Scholarship defined Traditionally, scholarship is equated with research

and its outcomes Roles of teaching and service need to be

recognized Scholarship redefined

Carnegie model first proposed by Boyer (1990) includes teaching, applied scholarship and service

Becoming the “Complete Scholar” Scholarship of discovery

A commitment to knowledge Teaching, application and integration are equally important

to research Scholarship of integration

Making a contribution to the outside world Scholarship of teaching

Elevating teaching to the same level of research Scholarship of application

Service as scholarship

Beyond the Seminar paper:Research and the New AcademicKendall R. Phillips

As New Academics New academics need to answer:

Profession

alInstitutional

Person

al

Where do I fit

in?I love academy

Research is important

How important research is to me?

What types of scholarly activities should I engage in?

What resources do I have?

Publish or Perish

Our training is research-focused Publish or Perish?

How much your institution wants you to do research? Teaching Vs. Research

Is research the reason you entered academic life?

What are your motivations to do research? How you value your research?

Institutional Goals - I

Institution classification Doctoral/Research

Universities Research Extensive I Research Intensive II

Master’s Colleges and Universities

Associate’s Colleges Tribal Colleges and

Universities

Data source: http://www.carnegiefoundation.org/Classification/index.htm

Number of Institutions Classified as Research Universities I and II: 1973-94

Institution Classification 2000

Institutional Goals - II

What type of institution are you in ? How much is your teaching load ?

Teaching and research are not polar opposites Benefit from each other

Find out the expectation of your own institution Research productivity Research quality The balance between teaching and research

Professional Goals

Retrospection

What did I want then?

I love doing researchI want tenure

I want to be rich

What do I want now or

in the future?

I want a promotion

Maybe I should change my career

I have a potential in research

I need to find anotherinstitution

Personal Goals

A professor’s life

Is your job a major source of strain? Personal vs. Professional

More Less

Personal vs. Institutional—Institutional support

+

To Summarize

Establish a sustainable long-term research agenda that aligns: Institutional goals Professional goals Personal goals

You may need to: Re-evaluate and alter relationships among goals Seek other professional activities Change institutions or careers

Think and find out where you fit in

Where to Publish

You need publications How many do you need to reach:

Professional goal Personal goal Institutional goal

What publications do you need? Type Tier

Path of Publishing

Proceedings of Conferences

Journal Articles

Major Journal Articles

How to Publish Find support for publishing your work

Professional

Institutional

Person

al

Money

Time

Personnel

Professional OrganizationsIEEE / ACM / AIS

Or

To Summarize

Develop knowledge about publishing your work: Where / How / Possibilities

Based on your research agenda, have a publishing plan

Use all available resources wisely

Networking and the Professional

Maureen C. Minielli

Networking

“Networking is the process of gathering, collection, and distributing information for mutual benefit of your and the people in your network” --Fisher & Vilas

Why we need networking?

To create, develop, and enhance social relationships

To become acquainted with people with varying backgrounds

To acquire valuable information and resources

To share leads, ideas and expertise

Develop your own network

Get out of your comfort zone – become a networker

A skill to acquire yet obtainable Ask yourself about your networking goals:

Large or small? One profession-centered or multi-disciplinary? Who to include in my network? How to network with them?

Places to Network

Seminars Workshops Conferences Organizations and Association meetings Social / religious gatherings

Channels to Network

Phone calls Air travel Books Grapevines Mutual friends Coalitions Newsletters

For New Academics - I

Maintain old contacts: Your graduate buddies and advisors / professors / mentors

Establish new contacts Within your department

Take time to attend meetings and talk to people Use your designated mentor Attend intellectual gatherings / Join groups Socialize Be friends with administrative staff

For New Academics - II

Within your institution Outside your department Opportunities for collaboration

Outside your institution Organizations and Associations Conventions and Conferences

Organizations and Associations Can be: Local / State / Regional / National / International List of IS organizations and associations:

American Society for Information Science and Technology (http://www.asis.org/):

IEEE Computer Society (http://www.computer.org/) Association for Information Systems (http://www.aisnet.org/) Association for Computing Machinery (http://www.acm.org/): Human Factors and Ergonomics Society (http://www.hfes.org/

) Society for Technical Communication (http://www.stc-va.org/) INFORMS—Institutes for Operation Research and

Management Sciences (http://www.informs.org/)

With Organizations

Get to know your community Keep posted of new research in your fields Good way to network Serve the community

Conferences

Opportunities to engage with peers from different institutions

In Conferences

Present your research Poster Paper presentation Panel chair

Talk / Listen to people Attend sessions of interest Get to know people in a less professional environment

Make yourself known

Research Network

Get to know people who have the same research interests

Show your appreciation for their work Open up discussion when you meet them

Talk about their research Volunteer work

Valuable Advice - I

Be a “giver”, not a “taker” How can I serve the community and other people “Going the extra mile for others is the best way to get the

flow of good things coming back to you” Effective communication skills

Speak loud, clearly and interesting Pleasing appearance Be confident Be a good listener, show respect Introduce yourself and people you know

Valuable Advice - II

Interpersonal skills Good Etiquette Present yourself in a positive and favorable manner all the

time Say thank you / Send notes

Self-promotion Talk Make an impression Initiate and keep contacts

Valuable Advice - III

Computers and Emails Not as effective as face-to-face You avoid them, they will avoid you

Networking is a two-way street The more you contribute, the more you can get

back Participate, participate, participate more

To Take Away

Networking is extremely important Find your own effective ways to network Don’t be shy Be polite

Service and the Academy

Jessica S. Mallard

Service generally counts towards tenure and promotions

Service to the department Service to the institution Service to the community Overload problem General issue

Service

Service to the department - I

Activities that bring benefit to the department Advising students Recruitment Changing the curriculum Other general operations

These activities are usually tied to committees Standing committees deal with regular and specific

issues Ad hoc committees are appointed for particular

needs

Service to the department - II

Department committee Document the success to department programs

and emphasize the importance of faculty service and recruitment

Discuss offering remedial courses to unprepared students

Review grade appeals, departmental job searches and personnel issues

Deal with periodic issues such as program reviews , assessment, accreditation. (more time consuming)

Service to institution

Attend institutional functions, serve on committees of the college and, be involved in any activities that benefit the institution

Some activities are mandatory, some are voluntary Should have a brief understanding of faculty senate

and senate committees. Know background, expectation and time demands

before attending a committee Other general activities that benefit students or a

student group

Service to the community

Your service can benefit the institution in terms of goodwill towards the college and public relations.

Community service is totally self-directed Various ways to get involved in a community

Consult to Convention and Visitors Bureau Search the yellow pages Getting involved with church groups Read hometown newspapers Browse Internet

www.volunteermatch.org www.serviceleader.org

Overload problem

Committee work can be very time consuming Service loads vary according to the size of

the institution, gender and so on Balance with service and other activities such

as teaching and research It is not necessary to be on every committee

for which you were asked Evaluate which committees are the most

important in terms of tenure and promotion

General issues

New academic Feel isolated Cannot enter the committees in the first year Have someone in your department act as a

mentor or advisor Ask for the faculty policy guide Keep track of, and document any type of

service that you perform

Moving from Advisee to Advisor

Kendall R. Phillips

Extracurricular advising/Summary The university experience should be more than

classrooms, competitions, grades, degrees Summary

Consider this table carefully in your mind

Time knowledge Goals relation

Graduate

undergraduate

Co-curricular

Extracurricular

Feel unfamiliar or strange when roles change Four common advising relationships

Graduate students Undergraduate students Co-curricular Extracurricular

Four major areas of concern should be considered Time Knowledge Goals Relationships

Moving from Advisee to Advisor

Graduate student advising - I

More time consuming Getting access to graduate students is important Time

Post “graduate student office hours” Establish “regular advisee time” for individual or team

group Be at office as much time as possible

Knowledge Establish intellectual “boundaries” Read “graduate handbook” for the rules and regulations of

your particular institution

Graduate student advising - II Goals

Learn to deal with students who are uncertain about their career goals

Suggestions Develop connections with professionals in your area Incorporate other faculty members into your advising Know when to “stretch” and when to “move on”

Graduate student advising - III Relationships

Consider the relationship not only to the advisee but also to other graduates and other faculty

Adapt your advising style to the needs of the students

Write out your expectations and what you can provide to the advisee. Get prepared before advising

Undergraduate student advising - I You may have a big effect on them Sometimes advising takes place in a central

“advising center” via professional advisor Time

How much time and energy you want to devote to undergraduate students

Advising needs will increase at the time of enrollment and as graduation nears

Technique: Require students to come prepared for advising Keep good records on advising meetings Have an early meeting in informal settings

Undergraduate student advising- II Knowledge

Don’t be afraid to send a student to someone else Goals

Help student to find a future direction Get a disciplinary publication regarding the

applicability of your major Relationship

Establish an open-door policy

Co-curricular

Time The conflict between related field and your profession

Knowledge Determine what activities you feel comfortable with and

what activities are outside your purview Goal

Push to new direction or maintain traditional approaches? Relationship

The relationship with advisee’s ex-coach

Other Issues:Hiring, Adjuncts, and Affirmative Action

Sharmilar Pixy Ferris

Kendall R. Phillips

Hiring - I

Characteristics of today’s academic marketplace The complex hiring process

Development of advertisement Posting advertisement Constitution of a search committee Concerns about university, state, and federal requirements Concerns about union requirements Extract a short list of qualified candidates Notify selected candidates to interview Set up of the interviews A final decision of one or more finalists Offers to the finalist

Hiring - II

Factors affecting hiring decisions Candidates’ qualifications Perceived performance Personality Qualifications of other candidates Suitability to the needs Biases and hidden agendas of the committee

members

Hiring - III

Desired qualifications Research Teaching Service Outreach Administration

Applying - I

Identify suitable jobs Disciplinary journals Chronicle of Higher Education Related websites

- HigherEd.net

- University Job Network Registration for Placement Services through

disciplinary organizations

Applying - II

Prepare the application package (Tailored) Curriculum Vitae Cover Letter Statement of Research Interests Statement of Teaching Interests Letters of Reference Paper(s)

Applying - III

Coordinate the mailings of your applications Receive replies from schools and schedule

interviews Prepare for conference interviews Conference interview Campus interview Get offer(s) or be rejected

Adjuncts

The adjunct’s perspective Advantage: flexibility Difficulties: Lack of support, less academic freedom,

and exploitation Impacts on full-time faculty

Academic standards Departmental culture

Influences on the academy The issue of academic freedom Universities becoming more corporate

Affirmative Action - I

A brief history Executive Order 11247 : “It is the policy of the

national government to provide equal opportunity in federal employment to all qualified persons, to prohibit discrimination in employment because of race, creed, color, or national origin, and to promote the full realization of equal employment opportunity through a positive, continuing program in each department or agency.” - President Johnson

Affirmative Action - II

A brief history 1967: Prohibit gender discrimination 1971: Revised Order Number 4 mandated

“acceptable affirmative action programs” – President Nixon

Reversals in affirmative action

- 1995: the University of California

- 1999: the State of Washington

Affirmative Action - III

Impacts on the Academy Lack of diversity Stifling of multiculturalism Failure to accept pluralistic voices

Impacts on the minority Entry into the academy Climate of the workplace Possibilities for success and advancement

Preparing for Tenure

WHAT

WHY

HOW

Preparation

Sharmila P. Ferris

What is Tenure? AAUP, 1995, p.3It is an academic position that is Freedom of teaching and research and of

extramural activities; And a sufficient degree of economic security

to make the profession attractive to men and women of ability.

+ $$$ = Attention = ???

Why tenure is a personal goal?Maslow's Hierarchy of Needs

Give me 9 years working on Fermat assertion:nnn ZYX

The need for self-actualization is "the desire to become more and more what one is, to become everything that one is capable of becoming." People who have everything can maximize their potential. They can seek knowledge, peace, esthetic experiences, self-fulfillment, oneness with God, etc.

How to achieve tenure goal?

Define personal goal Understand rules Build relationships

Of course, researching harder, teaching harder and serving harder …

Personal goal match

Research vs. Teaching university Is this a stepping stone? Work vs. Life Define, write done and prioritize

Tenure rules of the institution Explicit vs. implicit

Explicit: contract and faculty handbook Implicit: in people’s mind like what are A-level publications,

how many papers … Talk to secretaries who prepare the documents

Research, teach and service Make sure you understand the expectation Publish one journal paper + two conference /year (UW,

USC, UPenn). Don’t write a book now. Maintain above average student rating Contribute “enough” to the academic society

The review process Single committee vs. hierarchical process

Manage relationships

Managing relationships

People are the most unpredictable entities in the university: colleagues and students

Building a network of allies, you cannot avoid enemies.

You behavior should be guided by reason and evidence, not passion.

Dealing with administrators: their roles and notion in tenure review; they expect more accountability from new faculty.

Preparation of tenure review portfolio Start at the first day of your academic life Define the 6 to 10 year time line Assembling the portfolio

Published and unpublished papers, research in progress, scholarly activities

Student evaluation, curricular innovation, class activities, lectures, videotapes of teaching (!)

Service to the department, college, professional community, and students.

Finally, you are there

Comments and Questions?