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[evolution]

Where is everyone?  The 2011 cohort is making us look bad! 

That's because they haven't started yet! Haha!

Things are going great here -- I've just wrapped up teaching a spring field course, which was SO fun. I feel so lucky that I am getting to teach all of my favorite things as a junior faculty member. Now that that's done, hoping to get going on a manuscript revision that's been on hold for a while!

[mythbuster]

I agree, they have time because they haven't started yet. We are a few weeks into summer here and it's wonderful to have time to think full thoughts. I've got big goals for the summer for research in terms of getting students trained and cranking out some data. I'm at a teaching oriented institution, so Summer is really the time to focus on research.  And I'm working though my annual self-evaluation, which is due to my chair at then end of the month. Plenty to do, as I'm designing a new course and overhauling an existing lab course this summer too, but it's great to have a few months without the buzz of all the students around. I'm sure it will go by far too quickly. Even though I have days when I question it, this is really the perfect job for me.

[pimpom]

So far this summer:

Number of days since teaching ended: 2
Number of days spent worrying that summer will be too short: 2
Days before school is back in session: who is counting?

[firstgeneration]

Hello, 2010 colleagues!  I'm in the home stretch of teaching my spring class.  I've got an article coming out next month, three more under review, completed a draft last week, and sent my first book off to the publisher today.  (I'm in a hybrid field where both are considered for tenure.)

My faculty mentors (and entire department) are strongly urging me to take a break this summer.  So I'm off for a weekend with friends, and plan to spend the summer writing and relaxing.  Yes, I know that balance is a myth on the TT, but this winter, I was pretty ill for several weeks.  I managed to teach all my classes and keep my writing pace up, but barely.  The word is that you don't want to get sick because the TT clock doesn't stop.

Now that I've gotten the publication treadmill started and summer is here, I'm looking forward to a more leisurely writing schedule, becoming more active, and experimenting with healthy recipes.  I would welcome any suggestions or tips.

[pisces]

firstgeneration, you are my inspiration! I'm working on a couple of manuscripts that I want to get out this summer. The lead time is so long, I'm worried about how long it will take for them to be published. So, congratulations for have an article out next month and three others under review and a book!

[ex_mo]

Thought I'd revive this thread to see what the 2010 cohort is doing to gear up for the second year. 

My uni had its first all-faculty meeting this morning and I've been all over the place all day with committee meetings and copying syllabi and and and.  Classes start Monday.

It is kind of energizing to get back into the swing of things, but also sort of depressing.  I mean, have I really been here 12 months?  Do I really have to start dressing up again?

I've been assigned to be a new faculty mentor to someone else, which is kind of interesting.

How are things going with y'all? 

[ellaminnow]

I need another month.  I'd do anything for another month of summer.  Please?  Pretty please? 

I have my first-year review instructions, my advisee list, my committee assignments, and a whole list of stuff to do as a second-year faculty member.  The first year review doesn't intimidate me, it's all the STUFF that's going to eat away at my time to, you know - research and teach.

[firstgeneration]

firstgeneration, you are my inspiration! I'm working on a couple of manuscripts that I want to get out this summer. The lead time is so long, I'm worried about how long it will take for them to be published. So, congratulations for have an article out next month and three others under review and a book!

Thanks, pisces!  I'm so sorry that I haven't checked this thread in a while.  When you replied, I was out of town for a conference, and the thread must have slipped from the page.

I have had some setbacks recently.  I currently have three manuscripts that are either "revise and resubmit" (1) or "reject with encouragement to resubmit" (2).  These are pieces for journals that are just below the top tier in my field.  I am concerned by this trend, so my next task is to figure out how to edit my work so that peer reviewers don't slap me on the wrist for the same kinds of things.  As a mentor said, I have proven that I can publish, but in 2011, that's not enough for tenure at an R1.  You must publish well -- in my field, that means single or first authored pieces in top-tier international journals.

I am also struggling to set up my first post-dissertation research project.  Although I am not in a STEM field, the expectation at my institution is that every TT faculty member must procure grants.  It's written into our contracts.  I'm finding it difficult to gain access to field sites (I am in an interdisciplinary humanities and social science field).  There are a thousand different directions that I can go in, but I'm clueless about which I should pursue.

I am actively seeking mentors, and will be joining a structured program for TT faculty this fall.  There have also been some major political changes in my unit, and we're all bracing for a difficult year...

So that's how it goes in my neck of the woods.  2010 cohort, what say the rest of you?

[samspade]

This is going to be an extremely rough year. I just became chair, and I feel, that with no tenure, I am walking on ice that slowly melting. I was told I could go up for accelerated tenure, but that would mean trying to find time to finish my book and two different chapters I am contracted to write for edited volumes. I feel a bit overwhelmed frankly at the moment.

[ex_mo]

Samspade, that sounds rough.  I'm dealing with something similar but not as extreme.

I got tapped to be the "official" coordinator with an outside vendor that my uni has contracted with for a specific service because I have a professional background in the area.  When this initially came up, my VPAA and I agreed that it seemed as though the workload would be relatively small and that as such, I didn't need/deserve additional compensation and/or a course release (I'm on a 4/4 at a SLAC).  As it turns out, this position will place huge demands on my time and energy.  I want compensation.  But I don't know how to ask for it.  carp. 

[spamicide]

Hey there 2010 TT Cohort,

How are we all doing?  Nose to the grind stone?  For me, this year is much more intense than last year.  I now have graduate students to manage, research projects and papers in various stages of the process, and oh the classroom - my teaching load increased from the prior year!  But I cannot complain, this Thanksgiving I returned to area of my previous academic job and after visiting with former colleagues I was reminded very clearly about why I left and how much happier I am in my new position. 

I hope everyone is doing well.
 

[firstgeneration]

Hi 2010 mates!  I have had a pretty challenging fall in my personal and professional lives, but so much of it has been beyond my control.  A close relative is terminally ill, and I've had some other setbacks.  Professionally, our dean of 20+ years just retired, and in the ensuing vacuum things have gone haywire. 

On the bright side, I was invited to apply for another TT position at an elite/Ivy R1.  (Long story.  Sometimes, truth is stranger than fiction.  It took six months, but I AFTDJ'd.)  I made the shortlist and am going to campus.  Even if I don't get an offer, it has been wonderful putting together my research talk and figuring out what my early career research is shaping up to be.  I am not on the market and hadn't planned to search again until I was an advanced assistant (and perhaps not then), but this really is a rare opportunity.

(Of course, if I do get the offer, I suppose I'll be leaping over into the yet-to-be-formed 2012 TT cohort!  But I'll still consider myself a '10 at heart!)

[heywhynots]

Grades are in and now looking to crank up the scholarship in Jan to set me up for research this spring.  In the spring teaching one class that has minimal prep and meets once a week in the evening.  Goal is to get a review article written and start drafting an article with a student.  Hopefully grant gets funded, if not revise and resubmit. 

Everyone thinks I am ahead of the game (top 50ish SLAC, in the sciences) as I have small grant, lots of research students, and great teaching evaluations.  Figure if I can keep that high opinion I will be in good shape next year for my 3rd year review and then my tenure review in year 6.

[joeroberts]

Hi all,
I'm on a teaching free term right now, and so I'm going to be writing, writing, writing until September. I got my probationary appointment passed, so now it's on to tenure.  I need to step things up a little bit. I've got a lot of research projects kind of canned and a lot of material, I just need to crank it out. 

The annual conference for my discipline is in my hometown this year and at my home undergraduate department and I even turned down that conference I'm trying so hard to focus on writing to publish, and not adding more conference papers.  Anyway, greetings!

[tttrying]

I'm late to the party, but I'm 2010, too. I'm in the humanities at a small public 4-year teaching college in the south. Things seem to be going well; I taught the school's standard 5/4 load my first year, then was 3/2 this year because of a major service commitment I took on. That commitment is ratcheting up to part-time admin, so I'll continue at a 2/2 load.

I have one publication under my belt this year and several small grants over the two years, plus several conference presentations. We don't have a heavy research emphasis, obviously, with that 5/4 load. I came in with a year toward tenure (usually in 5-7), so I'll have pretenure next fall and then should go up for review the following year.

I'm still thrilled; I'd had my PhD for a number of years without ever landing a TT position, then I landed this one, withing driving distance of home.