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[august_leo]

I am in my first term at a research intensive UK university. This year I have negotiated to not teach (but I am team-teaching one course later this year). From this year on I am supposed to keep that up and do a third-year option (for those reading this not so into the UK system, this is a like a senior elective). I am vaguely aware that there is some deadline to propose this. I talked to two colleagues about this.

Colleague A told me to talk to the chair and propose something asap. Why wouldn't I want to teach asap? It's wonderful, it will make me feel more like a member of the department. I already feel like a member of the department, I have been active at events and research groups and with my lab students.

Colleague B told me not to do anything. Just stay quiet until someone comes to me asking me to teach. B argued that I am very junior (Ph.D. less than 6mo ago) and it would not be unreasonable for me to get out of teaching for a while so I can work on research.

How do I feel?
- I love teaching. I already have "documentation" that I am very good at it, so I don't feel like I need to prove myself (I taught on my own in grad school, not just TA stuff).
- I love research more.
- I feel like if I want to get my lab as active as I want it to be 3 years from now I really, really need to apply for outside funding because my start-up won't last forever (I have needs that will always be there, I'm not in chemistry, but imagine I had something like chemicals that get used up that I always have to reorder even though the equipment will be there via start-up funds).
- everything I have preps for is already being taught, so I would have a new course, which I have materials for, but still new preps, but really, not so bad.
- I feel like teaching takes up as much time as you give it. I can see how I can spend 10hours/lecture, but I really try to not do that and limit myself with teaching preps (e.g., "I'm only working on this lecture until 10pm, then it's done).
- with setting up my lab I feel a little "behind" in writing/grant brainstorming.
- both Colleagues A and B are senior lecturers, neither from GB, but neither American (like me). A has been in the dept 1 year, B about 7.

What would you do? (I'm leaning towards following B's advice).

[the_walrus]

Colleague B---no question in my mind.  Research-intensive institutions are organized so that any rewards (whether by promotion, increased salary, job mobility, etc.) are for research, not teaching.  Plus, that's where your heart lies. 

[august_leo]

thanks

[science_expat]

Colleague B, absolutely.

I went from an appointment as fixed term lecturer to professor in 8 years due to the quality of my research. (And I'm not even at a research intensive).

At your place, rewards will be for good quality publications and external funding, particularly research council money. Teaching is something you have to do to a reasonable standard. Get those grant applications in!

I predict that colleague A will never get a chair.

[donstefano]

agree with science expat: research and publications first! And as for teaching: do enough so that you have the experience, and so that are seen to be teaching. About 2 years before you plan to go up to senior, start getting involved in high-visibility teaching tasks with a high managerial content: develop new module, become programme director, or teaching director. Volumes of teaching will not help your promotion, only things related to 'teaching innovation' and 'teaching management and development'. Do a couple of these 'innovatiev things' for your CV: A quick and dirty publication on teaching, a presentation at a teaching conference, do something innovative with webct, etc etc. I know, it sounds stupid, but that's how the game works... (I regret not having realised this earlier). At this stage you are still far from promotion, and they don't expect you to teach, so focus on research.

[science_expat]

Just one comment on Donstefano's post - I was able to skip the Senior Lecturer step (promoted directly from Lecturer to Reader) so stayed away from the teaching admin almost completely.

I did become an anti-plagiarism guru but that was really from interest and I doubt had much, if any, influence on my advancement.

[august_leo]

Thanks everyone. Nice to hear that my intuition was right.

Another colleague and I have been talking about the masters programme. He is a senior colleague in the department and said he plans to talk to me about it again because I am interested. If I were to work on this and get it up and going, do you think that that would help with the "teaching innovation" part?

[science_expat]

Another colleague and I have been talking about the masters programme. He is a senior colleague in the department and said he plans to talk to me about it again because I am interested. If I were to work on this and get it up and going, do you think that that would help with the "teaching innovation" part?

Don't do it!

Listen, you're new in post at a research intensive university and have not yet applied for external funding. Your focus has to be on research - getting those grants and writing the papers!

Put absolutely everything else on the long finger as much as you can  and do NOT volunteer for anything! Yes, it's nice to be asked and it's great to be collegial and you want to cultivate a reputation for being helpful. But you're too junior to worry about "teaching innovation" - you have to get your research off the ground.

In 2-3 years you can think about whether you need to add something to the teaching side of your portfolio - there will be opportunities then, don't worry. But you can probably avoid this in any case if you skip the SL step.

[donstefano]

The best advice my mentor gave me when I started this job was to be ruthless about my own career (and this was said by someone managing my dept) - I'm glad I listened, because it is about to pay off...
So focus on those things that will get you a chair, and that is research. By all means be friendly with everyone, but this doesn't mean always saying yes when they come with an interesting proposal.

[august_leo]

Wow. You guys just jumped on that and must feel pretty strongly. I'm convinced. If that colleague comes back I will say "I am still so junior and know so little about the system. Maybe I can help next year?" does that sound ok?

[science_expat]

Good. And I would add that I really need to get my first grant applications written.

Publications alone will not get you a chair.

[august_leo]

Epilogue:

I met with Colleague C about something unrelated the other day. He told me, "btw, in a few weeks I am sending an email to find out what everyone is teaching next year. Do you know what your option will be?"

At least I had the foresight to negotiate for not doing one this year....