Jo VanEvery, Academic Career Guide · Autonomy & asking for help You are smart and competent. You work in an environment that values autonomy. You value autonomy. You feel like you should be able to do things yourself. However, you are also part of a complex division of labour in which other people’s work supports your daily existence. You […]
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What does advice for readers mean for you as a writer?
These 2 pieces of advice for (student) readers came across my virtual desk: How to read a book, v5.0 by Paul N. Edwards, School of Information, University of Michigan Reading with purpose by Michael Newman, Associate Professor of Media Studies, University of Wisconsin-Milwaukee, writing in University Affairs. Both are making similar points. Student readers of […]
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Incoherent thoughts shouldn’t stop you from writing
One of my academic FB friends shared a blog post she’d published with the caveat that these were thoughts she hadn’t quite straightened out yet. One of her other friends said this: I’m grateful this piece is not neat – it’s just staring at me as a reminder for me to write, regardless of whether […]
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Taking on a leadership role
Jo VanEvery, Academic Career Guide · Taking on a leadership role Taking on a management/leadership role, even at the department level is a big deal. You might be really excited about the possibilities and have all kinds of plans for how you can make things better (for some value of “better”). But you also know […]
Read More »What is “administration” anyway?
I find the use of “administration” and “administrators” in academic circles increasingly problematic. In particular, there is a lack of precision in the use of the term. The term “administration” seems to be applied to everything from clerical work to running the institution. It has become a catch-all category for any work done in the […]
Read More »Prestigious journals & wider impact
Writing for scholarly journals and writing for wider impact are not mutually exclusive. The impact your work has outside of academia is partly dependent on the quality of the work and the respect that work has within relevant academic networks. Yes, we want evidence based policy and practice, but we also want that evidence to […]
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Take control of your research plans
One thing that frustrates me, is how often researchers seem to be giving over control of their research to others. You don’t think about planning your research until a funding deadline looms. You do that planning within the constraints of this particular grant. You are trying to figure out what makes a good 3-5 year […]
Read More »Maternity leave & your publication record
Note: The information in this post is relevant to those evaluating the scholarship of others (for hiring, promotion, funding, etc) as well as to those having their scholarship evaluated. It also applies to other kinds of leave in which you would not reasonably be expected to keep publishing including longer sick leaves, disability leave, and […]
Read More »Finding your way back to writing
I had a query via the contact form on my website that said, in response to the prompt “What’s on your mind?”, not much, need help to figure out! If that isn’t the tip of an iceberg I don’t know what is. Both for the person who sent the email and in the sense that […]
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How does teaching make you feel?
Jo VanEvery, Academic Career Guide · How does teaching make you feel? Seriously. Do you look forward to it? Or do you dread it? Or something in between? Be honest with yourself, even if that’s hard. You can’t change anything until you look the problem (if there is one) squarely in the face. A lot […]
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4 years of A Meeting With Your Writing
A long term participant in A Meeting With Your Writing recently mentioned that it has been 4 years. Wow, where does the time go? I remember when I came up with this idea. I wondered what I would do if no one signed up. Or, worse, if only 3 people signed up and then I […]
Read More »Being available, with limits
There are all kinds of reasons why you need to be available to students outside the classroom. You have various means of enabling those students to ask questions outside of class time: Fixed hours when you are available in your office for this purpose An e-mail address where they can contact you A space in […]
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