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Author Topic: First year on the TT advice  (Read 13002 times)
crazybatlady
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« Reply #15 on: June 25, 2006, 07:26:14 PM »

Shucks!  No huge peacock tattoos??  Whatever will I do??
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As always, CBL rules!  All hail the CBL!
thundering_m
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« Reply #16 on: June 25, 2006, 09:44:55 PM »

<http://chronicle.com/jobs/news/1999/08/99082701c/careers.html>

 http://chronicle.com/jobs/news/1999/08/99082701c/careers.html
Friday, August 27, 1999
Your First Month In A New Job
Ms. MentorWords of wisdom about academic culture

Thanks for posting that, Winnie.
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-TM
Thundering Marshmallow
canadian73
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« Reply #17 on: June 26, 2006, 12:28:06 PM »

IOMHAIGH - are you a medievalist or old english scholar?
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iomhaigh
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« Reply #18 on: June 26, 2006, 01:23:37 PM »

IOMHAIGH - are you a medievalist or old english scholar?

I'm in theatre (hist/lit mostly, but with a large side of all perf/tech). 

Are you curious about the moniker?  Does it have any fun roots or uses in medieval times?  I'm 2nd gen. Irish and was having trouble choosing one moniker for the new forum format.  So I dug out the Gaelic dictionary and landed on iomhaigh (image, likeness - according to the dictionary).  Of course, since I don't speak the language outside of select familial catch-phrases, I do live in fear that it actually means "sun-baked cow flaps" or something similarly unflattering....
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I am the very model of a modern major general.
canadian73
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« Reply #19 on: June 26, 2006, 02:01:35 PM »

funny, because if you pronounce it phonetically, in Old English it translates almost exactly as "i am high"
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gollum
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« Reply #20 on: June 26, 2006, 03:40:19 PM »

All of this is good advice, especially with regard to STFU during faculty meetings (or anything else, for that matter).  It's advice I wish I had followed.

Smile and nod.
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conjugate
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« Reply #21 on: June 26, 2006, 03:53:46 PM »

When someone solicits you for a committee, teaching a night class, or hosting the department's annual Kwanzaa party, say "Hmmm, let me check my schedule to see if I have time for this and get back to you."  Then walk away.  If so-and-so brings up the matter at a later date, you can reply "I'm sorry but I've already committed myself to so many other things that I unfortunately just don't have time."

I'd add a caveat to that advice.  If you are encouraged to be on a committee, you may well want to do so, if the committee will count as service towards tenure.  Teaching a night class or hosting a party, I'd agree could or should be put off.  But the committee, if it's the right one, might be more benefit than trouble.  I got on one that only meets twice a year, and rarely for more than an hour at a time.  Woo-hoo!
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Unfortunately, I think conjugate gives good advice.
∀ε>0∃δ>0∋|x–a|<δ⇒|ƒ(x)-ƒ(a)|<ε
etnolonger
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« Reply #22 on: June 26, 2006, 05:21:04 PM »

Hi.  I will  be a first year tt.  I am sure I have already made some faux pas', but I think I have squiggled out of them nicely.  I have already been assigned to two committees, which I think is enough to start.  I don't want to seem lame at a meeting  (or afraid of one's own shadow as I have witnessed in non-tt'd profs).  Is it ok to listen to everyone, then offer an opinion? It is hard to offer opinion when one doesn't know the lay of the land.  But I think it is necessary to say a few things without losing perspective on one's first + year place as a watchful guest. 

By the way, what does STFU mean?
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conjugate
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« Reply #23 on: June 26, 2006, 05:27:35 PM »

Hi.  I will  be a first year tt.  I am sure I have already made some faux pas', but I think I have squiggled out of them nicely.  I have already been assigned to two committees, which I think is enough to start.  I don't want to seem lame at a meeting  (or afraid of one's own shadow as I have witnessed in non-tt'd profs).  Is it ok to listen to everyone, then offer an opinion? It is hard to offer opinion when one doesn't know the lay of the land.  But I think it is necessary to say a few things without losing perspective on one's first + year place as a watchful guest. 

By the way, what does STFU mean?

It means "Shut The F*** Up," and is good advice until you get to know people and can avoid hot buttons.
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Unfortunately, I think conjugate gives good advice.
∀ε>0∃δ>0∋|x–a|<δ⇒|ƒ(x)-ƒ(a)|<ε
prof_mom
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« Reply #24 on: June 26, 2006, 07:35:41 PM »

I think the best thing I did in the 2nd year on the tt was to dedicate eight hours a week to my own writing. You can do this in 1 day, or  in hour or 2 hour blocks, depending on your preference. This should go into your calendar and you should not check email, set up meetings with grad students, or even visit this forum during that time. Well, you can visit if there is something really interesting  going on, but then just for a minute. ;)

If you don't make time for your writing and prioritize it, it just won't happen.

I agree with the other suggestions, but I have a shirt that says "help I'm talking and I can't shut up."  True to that description, I have gotten myself into some shoe eating episodes. In that case, I go to the person and say "I am sorry" and try to make it right. People are generally very forgiving when you admit you made a mistake.

The first year  is stressful because  you will be finding the bathroom and getting lost as you unpack your belongings. I hope you have found a supportive group and a place you will grow to love.
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thundering_m
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« Reply #25 on: June 27, 2006, 01:06:24 AM »

funny, because if you pronounce it phonetically, in Old English it translates almost exactly as "i am high"
*LOL* That's what I noticed and wondered about. But I figured it was due to Guinness, not any psychotropics.
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-TM
Thundering Marshmallow
new_tt_too
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« Reply #26 on: June 27, 2006, 08:24:27 AM »


8. Aldis grocery stores carry really cheap wine.

Not in the Bible Belt!  Only grocery store beer outside the liquor stores.
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prof_d
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« Reply #27 on: June 27, 2006, 12:48:41 PM »

Spork and conjugate discussed whether to volunteer for committees. I agree with conjugate that sometimes they make sense, in moderation.

I have a better response, perhaps, than Spork's. Instead of saying, I'll check my schedule.."
Try this: "That's very interesting/nice of you to ask. Let me see what my chair thinks of it."  I still remember, when I was untenured, the time an administrator wanted to put me on an important but incredibly time-consuming project.  I said I had to ask my chair and other faculty members all chorused, "good answer!"
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iomhaigh
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« Reply #28 on: June 27, 2006, 04:51:56 PM »

funny, because if you pronounce it phonetically, in Old English it translates almost exactly as "i am high"
*LOL* That's what I noticed and wondered about. But I figured it was due to Guinness, not any psychotropics.

Oh, I totally hadn't noticed that!  Doh!  How I wish I were drinking and not writing my diss right now. Mmmmmm....Guinness.....might need to go get one of those, actually...thanks for the good idea, TM!
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I am the very model of a modern major general.
newbie
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« Reply #29 on: June 27, 2006, 05:56:42 PM »

I just finished my first year on the TT. Some thoughts (many corresponding with what others have said):

-Listen and observe. You will find out that there are interesting dynamics in your department, and it is important to get to understand those dynamics before offering opinions during faculty meetings. I do speak out from time to time now, mostly just offering ideas, but at the beginning, I was a friendly listener in meetings, learning the lay of the land.

-Move and get settled into your new area early if you can to give yourself time to get some administrative stuff done and settling in at home before you have to deal with classes.

-Expect that everything will take longer than you want, and don't beat yourself up about it. With any new job comes learning the ropes, figuring out who to go to for reimbursements, what accounts to use for copying, what the phone number access code is for long distance, the best way to buy supplies for the lab, what the rules are for people who want to drop classes, etc. There's a lot to learn, and you just have to accept that and be proud of yourself for each little thing that you learn, as it is progress.

-Try to set up a system for organizing things before the semester begins. Your notes, papers, emails, etc can pile up, and it's nice to have a system set up before you feel overwhelmed.

-Try to get to know people in your department, ask them to lunch, chat with them about their research, etc. The best time to do that is during your first year when you have an excuse for not knowing the details, and being a good colleague is a big part of the tenure decision process (supposedly).

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