Dr. Jane Southworth's Homepage

Spring 2009

How to Survive (and Thrive) in Academia

Course description

Objectives: This course will address different strategies and approaches to surviving and thriving within academia, should this be a potential field you are considering for future employment. We will discuss preparations for a career in academia while still a graduate student (teaching, research, challenges etc.), actually preparing to go on the job market: preparing a packet, letters, selecting which jobs to apply for, the job interview, processes and strategies etc. and basically develop your own approaches to help you to find and get the best possible academic position to match your needs.

The course will be practical and fun and is an attempt to better prepare our graduates for the academic world and to make you more competitive and knowledgeable when you get on the job market. As a 1 credit hour class it will have some small weekly assignments – developing your own strategy, preparing a packet for the job market etc., but all should hopefully be of immediate use.

SCHEDULE (see also Syllabus as top of page to link to full syllabi)

The topics listed below, along with the assignments are subject to change as the course develops.

Date	Topic	Reading	Assignment due in class or handed in prior. (10 points each)
Thurs Jan 8th	The Academic Enterprise	TP- Chpt 1	Find 5 job listings which excite you, bring them to class (due Thurs 15th with assignment #2)
Thurs Jan 15th	Your institution	TP – Chpt 2 AJS – 4-32	Develop a strategy for the type of institution you will apply to, teaching, research, public, private etc. Rank the different types of institution with your preferences for each. Use AJS – pg 4-32, as an outline to follow.
Thurs Jan 22nd	New Challenges	TP- Chpt 3	Write 1 page on what you feel are: (i) the major challenges facing you in academia, and (ii) facing your discipline
Thurs Jan 29th	Your Professional Preparation Strategy	TP- Chpt 4	Discuss your plans with your advisor. What advice do you get? Create a plan for Networking.
Thurs Feb 5th	Research as a Graduate Student	TP- Chpt 5	Create a Statement of Research Interests (1 page)
Thurs Feb 12th	Teaching as a Graduate Student	TP- Chpt 6	Create a Statement of Teaching Interests (1 page) and a Teaching Philosophy (1 page)
Thurs Feb 19th	The Job Market	TP- Chpt 7 AJS- pg 1-50	Write your letter of application for a job you have found that looks interesting to you. Include the job advertisement when you hand this in.
Thurs Feb 26th	You Application Materials	TP- Chpt 8 AJS pg 53-133	Develop you own professional webpage. Look at it from a standpoint of being on the job market. Produce a current CV for class critique
Thurs March 5th	The Interview & Getting the Job NEGOTIATION!!!!!!	TP – Chpt 9 AJS – 137-175	Write 3 lists for your job search 1.most basic requirements 2. ideal list, what you really need and want 3. in an ideal world….
Thurs March 12th	Spring break
Thurs March 19th	After the Job: Surviving & Thriving. I. Time Management	TP – Chpt 10 AJS – 179-182	Select 1 day from your work week and keep a time schedule of everything you do from getting up to going to bed. Bring this to class.
Thurs March 26th	AAG’s (No Class)
Thurs April 2nd	II. Teaching & Service	TP – Chpt 11 & 13	Develop a course sequence – graduate and undergraduate. The pick one class and develop 3 different styles of teaching it and bring these to class for discussion.
Thurs April 9th	III. Research	TP – Chpt 12	Write your 5 year research plan
Thurs April 16th	IV. Getting tenure &/or moving on	TP – Chpt 14 AJS – 184-192	Develop a ‘Top Ten List for Getting Tenure’ from your own discipline perspective and from the readings.