The advice to “just write, keep on writing,” does apply sometimes. But I think we, who have experience in such matters, know those times when we see them. We also need a place to write — the proverbial money and a room of one’s own. I might own this Brazilian house, for now, in a … More Peep!
Dr. Crazy has made an excellent argument for tenure based upon its benefit to institutions and to students. Meanwhile, the AAUP is calling for the conversion of non tenure lines to tenure lines, and I agree. They say in part: By far the best stabilization practices are those that include the rigorous professional peer scrutiny … More Academic Mondays: Conversion to Tenure
Teaching these required freshmen courses is really depressing because people have such a punkish attitude and have clearly had such bad situations all their lives. At this university I was raised to feel sorry for these students, but I am no longer able to do so. I think the only answer is to make these … More On Finals
It is the weekend, so we will sing! I am singing that it was the last day of classes and that this has been one of the most interesting and by far the least terrible of all semesters I have been at my present institution. I am singing that next Friday I will be packing, … More Ponto de Iansã
We have not sung in some time, but now we are singing Revolution Rock. After twelve years of oppression I told the M.A.’s I had had it, I would no longer test from a commercial testing bank, I would make my own examinations and peg them to national standards. I said I was sure I … More Revolution Rock
Do you think all the kind articles about how adjuncts and other non tenure track faculty should be well treated is part of the abolition of tenure generally? An old colleague of mine thought adjuncts, instructors, and non tenure track faculty should have non ideal working conditions precisely so that they would either go on … More Academic Issues From A Very Contrarian Point of View Monday: On Rights for Non Tenure Track Faculty
I have so many things to do that it is hard to know where to start. It is hard to know where to start because realistically, there is not enough time to accomplish it all — if there were, I could start anywhere. I would prefer to just start anywhere but I must first discern … More Straitjackets of Normalcy
So many people speak of the wonders of Interlibrary Loan and I do understand them, but nothing can substitute a library full of actual books. I just read an article to which I would not have had access had it not been for the Internet — but which could not have been written with only … More Reading for Pleasure Wednesday: Interlibrary Loan
Following the suggestion of a reader, we will now have an open thread each Monday on a current academic keyword (e.g. “excellence”) or on other topics of very broad interest to academics. Today’s question is: what did you not learn in graduate school that you most wish you had? My answers are: how to teach … More Introducing: Academic Mondays
If during graduate school you lost a TAship at your institution; if you have now tried everyone’s patience here; if you are now being allowed to take certain classes so you can earn a professional qualification in another field; please do not address the professor who is kindly but painedly showing you how to register … More On Protocol
