The Academic Self: An Owner's Manual by Donald E. Hall
Half Title Page
Title Page
Copyright Page
Epigraph
Contents
Acknowledgments
introduction · Owning Up to Academic Dysfunctions
chapter one · Self
1. There is no one career path that guarantees success nor one set of accomplishments that signifies success.
2. All our careers are also subject to certain forces beyond our control.
3. Even with the uncertainties of our work, we are able to decide how we will process and respond to the forces of chance and the hierarchies of value in our professional lives.
4. Our interests, goals, methodologies, and senses of professional self-identity may change dramatically over time.
5. In reflecting upon the constructed nature of our professional self-identities, we can remind ourselves always to work more honestly and forthrightly to integrate our theories and our practices.
chapter two · Profession
The Hierarchy of Affiliations
Teaching
Research
Service
Collegiality
Administration
chapter three · Process
1. We should work carefully with the most literal “texts” of time: calendars, daybooks, planners, etc.
2. But to schedule effectively, we must break down all projects into component parts and schedule them accordingly.
3. Articulate micro-goals that allow you to monitor and build on your successes.
4. We must work responsibly to meet all self-imposed and agreed-upon deadlines.
5. Deal with and appropriately respond to failures or setbacks.
6. We should allow our goals to change thoughtfully as our context changes, as new information comes our way, and as new opportunities open up.
1. Join and remain a member of your national professional organization or of organizations devoted to your specific area of interestand expertise.
2. Continue to read widely in your area of interest (or reconnect bybeginning to read widely again).
3. Define off-campus career goals precisely and carefully.
4. Set and maintain a daily writing schedule, however modest.
6. Invest time and energy in brief writing projects, also as they help you meet your goals.
8. Establish positive working relationships with presses and journals.
9. Withdraw gracefully and responsibly from unproductive professional relationships.
10. Establish micro-support networks that both nurture and challenge you professionally.
chapter four · Collegiality, Community and Change
1. Our careers are largely local, even if they have national aspects or implications.
2. Our current job may be our only or our last job.
3. The “success” and happiness of our local careers depends often upon (at least) three things: first, and certainly, our thorough understanding and careful meeting of institutional expectations.
4. Second, local “success” and happiness depends upon our behaviors, attitudes, and interactions within the communities of our departments, colleges, and universities.
5. Finally, our local “success” derives from our understanding of local history and the genesis of local behaviors.
1. Assess the possibilities for effecting change.
2. Prioritize changes.
3. Do a cost/benefit analysis for initiating and effecting specific changes.
5. Understand the (possibly very long) timeline that change may require and commit to that timeline only after careful thought and planning.
6. Reconsider your priorities and protect yourself if change becomes considerably more costly and dangerous than anticipated.
postcript · Textualizing Success
Appendix: Sample Professional Statement | Donald E. Hall
References
Index