A Crisis of Confidence, Vol. 4

In larger, more research-oriented institutions, the pre-tenure period is one for putting together a serious volume of research that can be published as a scholarly monograph. Post-tenure, an assistant or associate professor is supposed to be putting together further volumes as he or she works up the academic ranks to a full professorship. Unless one then chooses to enter administration as a dean, the position of full professor is the career pinnacle.

I have earned tenure at my institution, but have had very few meaningful publications. Some of that is a natural outgrowth of my teaching load--four classes a semester, plus more during the summers.

Some of that is also due, however, to my own abilities and choices. I focus a lot of attention on my classes and students, and on serving my department and college, and on my family needs. I am also not the most focused or prolific of researchers (nor am I very creative in my approaches to the work). On the upside, I am not at all willing to send out just anything--I'm not going to put out any material with my name on it unless I think it is really worth something.

So, how do I progress in my career? I do not have to publish to receive tenure--that part has been done. If I want a promotion in another five to six years, however, I do need to produce. Likewise, should I feel the need to move to a different institution, I need to look better on paper than I do right now. I could opt for the administration track, but I doubt whether I'm cut it for that kind of work...at any rate, I don't want it right now. Can I avoid stagnating, though?

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A crisis of confidence, Vol. 3

When I arrived at this institution, times were flush and everyone was living (comparatively) high, thanks to all kinds of money in the state coffers.  Perks were doled out relatively liberally.  And of course, everyone acted as if the good times would last forever.  And then the state budget collapsed.

Tough times make for tough choices, and the state contributions to this institution have shrunk from year to year.  This has caused some of my colleagues to act angrily--especially after the 2010 election put the GOP in charge of the state legislature for the first time in roughly forever.  Seeing a plot to systemically gut higher ed, they have tended to refer to state legislators as slope-browed homunculi incapable of seeing what is self-evidently true:  what we do here is super duper important and should be funded to the hilt.

As a result, I have heard many assertions about the value of higher education to the taxpayers of this state, but few arguments.  I recall a special faculty senate subcommittee that was formed a couple of years ago to do the typical things:  convene a conference, gather stories of people with hardship, demonstrate at the state capitol, etc.  And, as is usual for ad-hoc groups of this nature, the effort collapsed within a year because its goals were neither clear nor actually possible.  That was okay by me, because I saw in the confrontational approach a fatal strategic flaw.

Things have not gotten better.  In fact, the challenges are greater now than they were before, especially for an institution such as this one, which has no particular prestige attached to it and is not likely to generate a significant endowment to help manage its own affairs.  If this place is to be successful over the medium to long term, those of us who work here are going to have to be able to articulate--in non-condescending ways--arguments for why the work we do here is valuable.

Here are a couple of things to keep in mind, in response to the current situation (I should probably revisit these in later installments):

a.  The "jobs" angle has been overplayed and overpromised, especially in fields like the humanities and fine arts, and even the hard sciences.  Quit pitching an education in the liberal arts & sciences as a sure pathway to employment--this just isn't true anymore, and these kinds of claims end up looking more like broken promises.

b.  The money isn't there like it used to be, and university faculty members should remember that there are plenty of constituencies fighting for the remainders.  We are not entitled to any of it, especially if we do not want the oversight that comes with using someone else's money.

c.  The advances in computer technology and connectivity are in fact going to change the way we do our work.  We need to be prepared for a pretty significant shakeout and embrace rather than fight the outcome.

Midweek update

Had my first flat of the season today. Knew something was up when the ride felt squishy.

Swim lessons for the boys. This makes them most tired, which is good because they go to sleep more quickly.

This is the kind of weather in which one thinks it would be nice to have a pool. Until one remembers just how much work it takes to maintain one. I mean, the yard and tiny garden is apparently more than we can handle as it is.

Reading lots of interesting stuff these days--more than I can keep up with, honestly. Also read a couple of things that were supposed to be sophisticated and intelligent...but were instead tedious and dull. Alas.

Visited the life insurance guy today. Time to put a substantial policy in place. I wish I could have answered his questions about future plans and income, etc., with less pessimism in my heart.

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Adventures in Parenting, Vol. 36

Every year since he was three, Number One Son has had swim lessons with the UTM Children's Center in mid-July.  Every year, he has fretted and fussed about it until the lessons actually started, and then he was all about showing off how good a swimmer he is.  So it was without much surprise that I found myself explaining to him yesterday morning that yes, he was going to have to go and participate, and no, he wasn't going to be able to just skip one day, and yes, we would see if mommy could take him into his room beforehand.  We did manage to get The Runner to take the children to their rooms at the Children's Center. 

However, Number One Son didn't get in the pool yesterday, because he fibbed his way out of doing it.  Overcome with anxiety over the upcoming lessons, he took advantage of some confusion and told the teacher that he had not been signed up to go (this in spite of the fact that he was wearing sandals and swim trunks at the time).  When the little deception was discovered, he got stern talkings-to from teacher, The Runner, and me.  He didn't like it, but I hope he remembers how uncomfortable it was when the next time arrives that he is tempted to be sneaky.

A crisis of confidence Vol. 2

What's wrong with "accreditation."

SACS Accreditation is right around the corner, and as in the article above, the emphasis here on campus has been overwhelmingly on getting the paperwork right and on having all the furniture dusted before the satraps and other functionaries arrive.

Having the furniture dusted is nice, and accreditation is important for all sorts of reasons. I just wonder if the questions being asked are the necessary ones --given the way higher ed is heading. I don't really think they are.

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Just a little rain

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A crisis of confidence vol. 1

I'm in a profession that is facing a real crisis of legitimacy.  Most reports involving student learning indicate that despite the millions of dollars poured into higher ed, outcomes have remained static or worse.  Meanwhile, one only has to look around to see a distressing level of silliness in many of the things going on (especially in the colleges of humanities & fine arts and of education) even while tuitions and fees continue to rise and colleagues complain that the state is paying a smaller & smaller percentage of the institution's expenses.

It's not just here, of course; in some ways, we are insulated from the worst features of academe simply because there's comparatively so little at stake at a small regional campus like this one.

 From one of many many articles on this topic:

The higher-education bubble has been inflating for decades, and it’s ready to burst, or at least deflate. That’s because many Americans are realizing that the huge cost of college is often a waste. Whereas college degrees used to be regarded as sure-fire investments, the labor market has become glutted with people who have been to college but can’t find “good” jobs.

Did you know that 22 percent of customer-sales representatives and 16 percent of bartenders have bachelor’s degrees?

Furthermore, at many schools, academic standards have fallen to the point where students can coast through without learning anything worthwhile. As University of Tennessee law professor Glenn Harlan Reynolds recently wrote, “The higher education bubble isn’t bursting because of a shortage of money. It is bursting because of a shortage of value.”

As a result, many students and parents are looking for less expensive, more effective alternatives to the traditional degree. They’re finding plenty of new options with online courses and independent certification of competencies, such as ACT’s National Career Readiness Certificates.
This educational revolution will transform higher education for the better as people shop for good value for their education dollars rather than robotically enrolling in a college, taking its courses and paying its bills.

During the bubble, colleges could get away with offering lots of courses that met a standard that former Indiana University English professor Murray Sperber characterizes as “the faculty/student nonaggression pact.” That is, the professor didn’t demand much of the students and gave high grades; in return, the students didn’t expect much from the professor, who wanted time for academic research projects.

The students were happy: Who complains about courses with high grades but little work? The professors were happy, and the administrators were happy because students getting good grades typically don’t gripe or, more important, drop out.

But courses in which students just go through the motions without learning anything are a waste of time and money.

The good news is that in the new higher-education world, courses like that will be jettisoned. Like dieters giving up doughnuts in favor of more nutritious, low-calorie foods, college consumers will look for affordable courses that lead to demonstrable educational gains.

The housecleaning in higher education also will sweep out lots of courses that exist only because professors like to teach them. Such courses typically focus on narrow, trendy or highly political subjects that interest the professor. For example, students at the University of North Carolina, Chapel Hill, can take “The Psychology of Clothes: Motivations for Dressing Up and Dressing Down.” In the new era of value consciousness, such boutique courses will be culled out.

Not only will boutique courses go, but professors will be required to do more of something many dislike and avoid as much as possible: Work with students.

(link)

I will admit that I resent being tarred with the same brush as some of my more unscrupulous colleagues at much much larger institutions.  But then again, they have a greater responsibility given the prominence of their appointments . . . and they have in many ways failed the rest of us (my mentors, thankfully, do NOT fall into this category) by giving our profession such a wretched reputation. 

I have much more to say on this matter, so it will probably come back up--as it is I'm already well past my usual brevity.

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True freedom means the freedom...

...to fall on your face, or stumble, or worse. And there is no way to avoid that risk unless, like so many, you would prefer to not carry the burden of meaningful choice.

This is one of the many things it is my duty to teach my students and my children.

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A partial list of pivotal moments

for their last assignment, my governor's school students had to write about their experience in school, which led me to think about school moments that were important to me. Here are the first three that came to mind:

1. That time in the fourth grade when I passed my first addition time test (after many practice rounds courtesy of Mom).
2. Having to rewrite (for no credit) my John Paul Jones report for my 5th grade teacher Miss Kaiser.
3. The time I got in trouble for laughing when a fellow 7th grader, reading out loud from the book of Acts, mispronounced "Annas" as "anus."
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In which Piers strategically retreats

I came to the end of my rope on Monday morning, just after The Mutt had decided to roll in something incredibly foul on her morning walk--which had meant that I had been compelled to stand out with her, the hose, and the doggie shampoo while she suffered through a bath.  I just realized that I couldn't keep it up any longer.

I've been trying to do too many things, and now it's time to let some of them go.  I'm not accustomed to making allowances for fatigue or weakness or whatever, but I didn't have a choice in this case.  So:  no more attempting to do research or writing for a few weeks.  Just my teaching, my books, my bike, and all the various requirements of the household (and there are plenty).  Nothing wrong with a little enjoyment.  At least that's what I tell myself--and that this isn't a matter of me not working hard enough.

"Kind" = ??

I was called "kind" the other day, and while I appreciated the sentiment, I also found myself having an inward dialogue about the worth of that kind of virtue.  Let's face it, "kind" is not something flashy or interesting.  It's not quite as bland as "nice," but it's in that direction.  The thing is, I try to be kind; I understand how important it is when life is so often painful and destructive to people. And if I actually exhibit that quality, isn't that a good thing?

I guess maybe I think it's common--that everyone does their best to be kind, so it's an unexceptional quality?  Or am I perhaps even more vain than that, wanting to have some ultra-significant and unique virtue that almost no one possesses?

What's more, maybe all this introspection is also a symptom of vanity.

Adventures in Parenting, Vol. 35

Last night was the first game in Number One Son's little league baseball tournament.  Going into the bottom of the 6th inning, his team (the "Marlins," ugh) was ahead 12 to 10 against the "Yankees."  Alas, the Marlins did not manage to record a single out before the Yankees had scored the winning run.  Season over.

Once we got home (at 10:00!!!), Number One Son cried and cried.  He didn't cry because his team had lost, or because he hadn't gotten a hit.* He cried because baseball season is over and he can't play with his team any more.  I put him in my lap and let him cry about it, and told him yes, we would find a way to hang up his jersey and his hat so he could remember his first baseball team.  I told him I was proud of the way he learned to play the game this year, and of how good his attitude always was, and how glad I was he enjoyed it so much.  I was also proud that he just wants to play more.  I was never any good at baseball, so I don't have a lot personally invested in this game . . . but I'm awfully proud of the way he stuck with it so cheerfully all season.

*he made contact three times last night--all foul balls--but it was the closest to a hit he got all season.  Hard to catch up to a 40 mph machine-pitched baseball, especially with his skinny arms.

GSH Day One

Yesterday, a prime example of a student who is used to being hot stuff and who apparently thinks he can push around his teachers.  He came in with tons of attitude and tried being a smartass with me three or four different times.  I indulged him.  If he thinks to intimidate me, though, he's going to have to step up his game quite a bit.  For now, he gets the above response.

Non-Intentional Hiatus

This blog is not dead!

I've just been catching up with other parts of my life, and sometimes barely at the computer at all.

That said, big week coming up, what with the trip to Atlanta and all.  Gonna be traveling with The Mutt for the first time ever.  Risky, yes.

Meanwhile, I'm terribly concerned about my career.  I feel like I've stagnated, that I'm spinning my wheels, that this is all a big fat exercise in futility.

the above is subject to change, of course.

extremities

I took The Mutt out for her morning walk today.  It was 5:45, and she was in her crate in the other room giving the "I NEED TO GO POTTY" whine.  Usually, The Runner takes her out while I rouse whichever children need rousing for the day...but she was sleeping so soundly on one side, while Little Red snored in my ear on the other side, that I figured I'd be the one to do it.  So we went out for her morning walk--sans leash, since it's just around the loop road in the back, and there aren't any people or cars back there.  The Mutt was just overjoyed to be alive, and ran, and ran, and chased a bird, and would sniff in a hole, and then come bounding my direction, tongue and ears flopping.  It was a nice way to start the day.  She is good for all of us--but in a strange way she is perhaps best for me, in that she does what I find so hard:  live entirely in the joy of the moment.

Upon getting ready for work today (yes, it may be summer, but I'm trying to write something, so . . . work), I glanced at the bathroom counter where stood two large pharmacy bottles of Lithium.  I stopped taking it back in March 2009 or so, but there the remainder of my prescription sits.  Another reminder, of a different kind, to enjoy the moment I have been given.  If I make it sound like a discipline, that's because it is one for me.

That said, I'm glad I'm not there anymore.  It's hard to believe that I was ever so bad off that the doctors felt the need to bring in that kind of artillery.

It's time for student evaluations!

Among the comments garnered this year:

• "There's only three teachers [sic] that have effected [sic] me, inside and out of the classroom, making me a better person.  [Piers] is the third."
  
• "I wouldn't do so much poetry, poetry is nessecary [sic] but not excessive amounts."
  
• "I would like it if he tried not to cuss but that's just me"  [oops. I just get carried away.]
  
• "The way he allowed himself to birdwalk at times was good."  [birdwalk??]
  
• "The analyzation was a key thing for me."
  
• "This man needs a laptop to reference certain academic materials mentioned in class."
  
• "Sometimes too funny, off topic."  [TOO FUNNY!!  hahahaha]
  
• "no bullcrap."
  
• "Never mention Monty Python in class. Ever." [fat chance, sister]

As usual, I got props for being "enthusiastic" and "caring," and had many students who found the lyric poetry frustrating.  I also got the usual, and still mystifying, request for "more grades" in the class.

May flowers

Just our one peony, Paeonia lactiflora

Actually, it's been so warm that the flowers mostly came and went.

I always find myself at loose ends when the semester is over and I have some time to myself...so many projects, and yet the time passes as quickly as it always has.  I'll be working enough once June starts, but I can't justify taking this whole month off...at least there's grass to mow and a big puppy to look after.  And books to read and a paper to write and children to mind and baseball games to attend and gardening to do.  And bikes to be riding.  And so on.

Some end of semester thoughts

...both positive and not:

1. This department, the one in which I work, has a serious PR problem because it does not promote--that is, encourage and reward--its most engaging people.

2. If the department is in need of majors, and is having a hard time attracting enough students to fill upper level classes, then perhaps one ought to take a look at whose classes are filling up . . . and whose classes are not.  Students sign up for professors, not literature topics or periods.

3.  The campus reorganization that merged my department and the foreign languages department was an exercise in shuffling deck chairs.  The positive results have been negligible, but the hit to morale has been devastating.  It needn't be that way, but that is the way it has turned out.

4.  To Miss Saucy Student:  that act is appealing as long as it is paired with adequate attention to the requirements of the course.

5.  I wish some of you students would show me your personalities before the very end of the term.

6.  Gentlemen and ladies:  stop running down your dating partner in public.  If he or she is that awful, then move on to another, better person.  No one is forcing you to date so-and-so.  Also, if that person is showing some glaring character issues, just be ready:  they will not get better over time.

7.  I understand why english professors get to the point where they write assignments with huge stipulations regarding formatting, numbers of sources, source quality, page number, quote integration, and so on.  I have resisted such tactics up to this point, thinking that I can use the positive rather than negative approach.  This semester has taught me to rethink that attitude.  First new stipulation:  if you use a source that sounds idiotic (like SHMOOP), then I'm going to treat your essay is if it is written by a person who uses idiotic sources.

8.  I am supposed to do writing all this month.  I can't see straight at the moment, so time will tell if that is going to happen.

Adventures with Students, Vol. 38

The best exam response I've gotten so far:  In response to a question about Beowulf, this student writes "Best I remember Beowulf rips his arm off or something and he bleeds to death, but either way Beowulf won."