Initial Publication Date: June 18, 2009
Workshop Synthesis
This page is an attempt to synthesize key take-away messages from the 2009 workshop for Early Career Faculty in the Geosciences.
What We've Learned at this Workshop
- Always wait 24 hours before committing to something
- If you can't get tenure with a lifestyle you're happy with, it's not worth it
- Plan ahead
- It's going to take twice as long
- Learn how to say "no" politely
- You're not alone
- We were at a Chinese buffet for lunch... "Tell me, I will forget; involve me, I understand."
- There's great value in starting small
- Teach in a style that's consistent with who you are
- There are many young, happy faculty with families, many including children
- Make time for your priorities
- I'm not the only one who's freaking out a lot of the time
- If you don't get tenure, your life is not over
- Your emotional and mental health should be your first priority
- Classes can be a vehicle to advance your research
- Write regularly; try a notebook or voice recorder
- If I take charge, making tenure will be easier
- Getting feedback can be very helpful
- Writing regularly, even every day, is possible
- Set clear boundaries for your students (graduate and undergraduate)
- Be mindful of what you're doing and of your time
- My ideas are good; maybe somebody will give me money for them
- Teaching IS important
- Tell other new faculty to come to this workshop
How We Can Support Each Other Going Forward
- Discussion board for us and for alums of this workshop
- Stay in touch with each other; use the network we've built here
- Put into action what you've learned this week
- Share the results of long-term evaluation with participants
- Regional support systems - get together, stay in touch electronically
- Gatherings at national professional society meetings
- Share your teaching activities and syllabi via the SERC website
- Invite each other to give talks
- Electronic roundtables - share proposal summaries before grant deadlines
- Alumni directory (anyone who's attended this workshop)
- Sharing/swapping students
- Be accountable to each other (follow up email to the list next June? maybe some smaller groups check in with each other?)
- Continue to share unselfishly (and promote this among our peers)
- Use the facebook group for this group... (you can set up multiple accounts, to keep yourself less public)