The Compleat AcademicMIS 696A Fall 2013Michael ByrdBradley Dorn

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Overview• There are many unwritten norms in

academia. This book consolidates views from multiple authors in an attempt to describe them to a beginning academic.

• Consider context when applying the advice from this book. This book comes from a psychology perspective.

• We hope to discuss the concepts in this book as they are appropriate to an academic MIS career.

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Section I.

Starting a Career

What is a Ph.D.?What do you do after getting one?Where do you want to work?How do you get a job?

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Chapter 1A Guide to PhD Graduate School: How They Keep Score in the Big Leagues

• As opposed to professional sports, academic achievement changes success metrics when moving from amateur to professional.

• Undergraduate and graduate degrees focus on facts and skills.

• The criteria used for being accepted into a program is not based on traits that lead to success in the program

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Acceptance criteria and success

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Chapter 1: Keeping Score• You may not love all types of research, but don't get a Ph.D.

if you don't like any types. Look for existing research that fascinates you or makes you wish you had done it.

• Faculty members typically are not impressed by course performance. No one will ever (legitimately) pay you for this. You must get involved in their research.

• Focus on your curriculum vitae. Spend time filling blank sections. Prospective employers won't care about grades.

• Publications in peer reviewed journals are very important to have to be an attractive prospective faculty member.

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Example Curriculum Vitae

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Chapter 2After Graduate School: A Faculty Position or a Postdoctoral Fellowship?

• Postdoctoral fellowships are becoming more common.

• The main advantages of a postdoc are broadening your research and increasing your chances of successful transition to faculty.

• Do you want to get a postdoc? Why?

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Chapter 2: Faculty vs. Postdoc• Postdocs are like faculty positions, but without many of the

responsibilities (starting a lab, teaching load, publication requirement).

• Because of their inherent focus on research, those that know they want to focus on teaching won't find a postdoc as beneficial.

• Postdoc funding usually comes from individual grants, or grants to which faculty members have already committed. Both are usually for a specific line of research. Postdoc positions are advertised similarly to faculty positions.

• Personal accomplishments become more important than degree caliber the farther you are in your career.

• Sometimes time spent working on a postdoc can count towards tenure.

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Chapter 3The Hiring Process in Academia

• You want to appear (above all else) autonomous.

• Discuss the usefulness of a postdoc with your advisor and faculty members that know you best during the summer of your last year.

• Consider nonacademic positions as well.

• Do not limit your job search geographically. If you must, send letters to all institutions that meet your criteria whether or not they have a vacancy.

• Only apply to institutions in which you are especially interested.

• It is rare to be invited for an interview. If you are, independently research the institution, hiring process, expectations (ie. presentation), and area well. Research presentations are common.

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Chapter 3: The Hiring ProcessBe prepared to answer:• Why do you want to work at this sort of institution?• Why this institution?• Why is your research important?• What are your start-up needs?• What brings you joy in life?• How do you work with under-prepared or under-

motivated students?• Will your spouse move with you?• What experience do you have working with non-

traditional students?

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Chapter 3: The Hiring ProcessBefore accepting a position, make sure it's somewhere you want to work. Consider:

▫ Teaching load and level▫ Available teaching support

▫ Research expectations, resources, and participant poolCarnegie classification: http://classifications.carnegiefoundation.org/

▫ Tenure requirements, probability, and history▫ Student-mentoring expectations▫ Salary and contract details▫ Sabbatical policy▫ Culture of the area

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Chapter 3: The Hiring Process

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Chapter 3: The Hiring ProcessBe prepared to ask:• How are departmental decisions made?• What is the nature of the tenure review

process? The criteria?• Benefits: health and retirement?• Student body?• How well does the library meet departmental

needs?• What kinds of technology are available in the

classroom?• What courses are you looking to fill?

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Chapter 3: The Hiring ProcessAt an institution you’re interested in:

• Communicate with younger faculty members for a perspective on the university more similar to the one you will be coming from than a perspective from more senior faculty.

• Be explicit about your needs, but flexible with things you want.

• Finish your dissertation,  preferably before you're hired.

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Chapter 4Broadening the Job Search: Jobs Outside of Academia

• Nonacademic positions focus of requirements set by superiors, academic jobs focus on requirements set by funding agencies.

• Results generated through academic research are usually more precise, but take more time. Because time costs money and (as a general rule) 80% of the results require 20% of the time, nonacademic pursuits spend less time for less rigorous, but generally effective results.

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Chapter 4: Nonacademic Jobs• Collaboration structure is not as strictly prescribed in nonacademic

positions. On average you work with more people in nonacademic positions.

• Critique is generally more taboo in nonacademic positions.

• Research validation and application occurs more rapidly in a nonacademic setting. However, it is common for the results to be kept secret.

• Tenure places most stress upfront for academic positions. Stress increases as task complexity increases with long nonacademic careers.

• The author claims that nonacademic careers are more strictly bound to business hours and that their vacation planning is more flexible.

• Employers find the problem solving skills of Ph.D.s attractive.

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Section II.

Teaching and Mentoring

What makes a good teacher?How should you interact with students?

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Chapter 5Tips for Effective Teaching

• Many graduate programs neglect to train teaching skills. We have the office of instruction and assessment at the University of Arizona: http://oia.arizona.edu/

• Set a high-level goal for each course you teach with the students goals and position in mind.

• If selecting a textbook, look into what other teachers use and why. Ask for feedback from other professors on potential selections.

• Spend time to make a detailed syllabus and course schedule before the semester starts. Each university will likely have requirements and/or recommendations.

• Establish and maintain consistent communication channels.

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http://oia.arizona.edu/content/tas

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Chapter 5: Effective TeachingSyllabus recommendations:• Course information (number, title, meeting times, summary of

objectives)

• Include all contact information (name, office, phone, email) and relevant schedules for each.

• List of required materials (books, digital codes)

• Scheduled activities for each class meeting.

• Grading breakdown.

• Comprehensive list of policies including but not limited to late work policy, classroom etiquette, cell phone policy.

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Chapter 5: Effective Teaching• Grading must be fair, consistent, and defensible.

• Classroom norms are likely to be permanent after the first 3 weeks.

• Over-prepare,  but don’t try to cover too much. Students can usually only comprehend 4 to 5 major points in a 90 minute lecture.

• Be careful with your authority. Don’t date students. Don’t impose your beliefs. Don’t condone illegal or harmful activities.

• When reviewing questions in class, answer simple questions. For complex (or controversial) questions, have students complete a form that documents their question/issue and discuss it with them later.

• Save all course material you create and maintain notes for future reference and  development.

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Chapter 6: MentoringMentoring: Managing the Faculty–Graduate Student Relationship

• In mentoring a graduate student, have ideas and advice ready for graduate students, but don’t hand them a project or expect them to be an employee.

• It is useful for graduate students to pursue two lines of research simultaneously early on; one from the mentor and one from the student.

• It is common for students to have a primary advisor and a “backup” advisor to enable them to pursue diverse bodies of research.

• Leading students toward solutions can be more effective than providing solutions to them.

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Chapter 6: Mentoring• In determining authorship order, having a conversation early on to

establish roles may help. With more senior advisors, students are more likely to be ordered first because the advisor will likely already have tenure and/or not need it.

• Always maintain a professional relationship with students. Being their friend can be dangerous. More about this in section 5.

• Be careful of opting to mentor students you do not know well or have been there longer than you. There are certain types of students that are dangerous for a new faculty member to mentor. Carefully consider students with whom no other faculty wants to work because of misaligned interests. Mentoring this student will often take a lot of time and you won’t have much support from other faculty.

• Generally avoid mentoring students pursuing research outside of your area of expertise.

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Section III. Research and Writing•7. Setting up your lab and beginning a

program•8. Obtaining a Research Grant – Grantor•9. Obtaining a Research Grant – Grantee•10. Writing the Empirical Journal Article•11. Intellectual Property

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Chapter 7: Setting up your lab and beginning a program• Analyze you situation and choose a style

▫ Teaching or research institution?▫ Start-up Money

• Supervising Students and Staff▫ Do not underestimate time requirements

• Maintain a strong program▫ Balance independence and collaboration▫ Keep and eye on the big picture

• Write it up!• Maxims:

▫ Make the Most of What You Have▫ Invest Your Resources▫ Invest Your Time Wisely▫ Collaborate

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Chapter 8: Obtaining a Research Grant: The Granting Agency’s View• Identify you funders

▫ Do your diligence up front• Marketing your research idea

▫ Get more advice▫ Make the most of rumors▫ Hedge your bets▫ Choose the Road Less Traveled

• The application▫ State your aims▫ Background, Prelim Work, Tables, Pilots▫ Research Design, Methods, and Analyses▫ Staffing▫ Clarify, Clarify, Clarify

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Chapter 8: Obtaining a Research Grant: The Granting Agency’s View (cont.)• Directing your Application

▫ Use Clear Language in Title and Abstract▫ Cover Letter▫ Check responses carefully▫ Be eligible and stay eligible

• Peer Review▫ Significance, Approach, Innovation, Investigator,

Environment• Aftermath

▫ To revise or not to revise• Award

▫ Be aware of funding mechanisms and rules▫ Staffing and paperwork▫ Change happens

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Chapter 9: Obtaining a Research Grant: The Applicant’s View• Why and who?

▫Universities, Government, NGOs, Foundations, and Corporations

• The process:▫Think up and operationalize an idea ▫Who cares?▫Write your proposal▫Solicit feedback▫Get approval and send on time▫Revise and resubmit or abandon▫Get funded, or if not, start over

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Chapter 9: Obtaining a Research Grant: The Applicant’s View (cont.)• You:

▫ Believe in yourself▫ Go for it▫ Don’t worry about having the

greatest idea▫ Persist▫ Thicken your skin▫ Focus▫ Find your right audience

• Evaluation:▫ Value▫ Originality▫ Design Quality▫ Analysis▫ Budget▫ Qualifications

• The proposal:▫ Tell a story▫ Justify the scientific importance

and interest▫ Be clear, and then try to be

clearer▫ Organize carefully▫ Sell your ideas▫ Be comprehensive but selective

in the literature review▫ Be respectful in literature

review▫ Have a strong theoretical basis▫ Follow directions▫ Reasonable Budget

• Persist!

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Chapter 10: Writing the Empirical Journal Article• Which article should you write?

▫Analyzing Data – make it interesting▫Reporting the Findings – which may not be

what you set out to investigate• How should you write?

▫Accuracy and Clarity▫Simply and directly

• For whom should you write?▫Good writing is good teaching

• The shape of an article▫Hourglass

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Chapter 10: Writing the Empirical Journal Article (cont.)• The Introduction

▫ English, lead them to it, examples, focus on people▫ The Literature Review

Relevant, but not exhaustive Concise and clear

▫ Citations – follow the rules▫ Criticizing Previous Work▫ Ending the Introduction – transition

• The Methods Section▫ Lead the reader through as if they were a participant▫ Clearly name groups/conditions▫ Only discuss problems if they might have impacted results▫ End with summary

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Chapter 10: Writing the Empirical Journal Article (cont.)• The Results Section

▫ Setting the stage – manipulation check▫ Describe methods if unfamiliar▫ Results vs. Methods vs. Discussion

• Presenting the Findings – Forest -> Trees▫ Remind hypothesis or question and operationalization▫ Tell answer immediately and in English▫ Statistics▫ Elaborate or qualify, summarize, transition

• Figures and Tables – integrate• Statistics

▫ Results first, then significance▫ Right procedures for the situation▫ Close with discussion of participants to add richness

• Discussion Section▫ Cohesive Narrative▫ What did we learn? Theoretical and Practical implications▫ Limitations, but do not dwell

• Title and Abstract

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Chapter 10: Writing the Empirical Journal Article (cont.)• Rewriting and Polishing

▫ Proof read and proof readers▫ Omit needless words▫ Avoid metacomments▫ Use repetition and parallel construction▫ Jargon – not necessarily evil▫ Voice and Self-Reference▫ Tense – Past and Present▫ Avoid Language Bias▫ Grammar

• Publishing▫ Pay special attention to revisions from multiple reviewers▫ Interpret misreading as unclear writing▫ Explicitly tell the editor how you have responded

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Chapter 11: Intellectual Property

• Copyright▫Exists to promote “Science and the Useful Arts”▫Protects tangible expressions, not ideas▫Grants a monopoly on use

• Public Domain▫Life of Author + 70 Years

• Fair Use• Academics

▫Course material▫Collaboration▫Copies for the classroom

• Recommendation: Be explicit

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Section IV. Orientation to the Academic Environment•12. Power, Politics, and Survival in

Academia•13. Managing the Department Chair and

Navigating the Department Power Structure

•14. Wiring the Ivory Tower: The Interface of Technology and the Academy

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Chapter 12: Power, Politics, and Survival in Academia• Where is the power: Research vs. Teaching

▫Money = Power• Stakeholders

▫State Legislatures▫Governing Boards▫Presidents▫Provosts▫Deans▫Department Chairs

• Power▫Follow the money

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Chapter 13: Managing the Department Chair and Navigating the Department Power Structure• Who really has the power?

▫Chairs vs. heads• Other sources of power

▫How appointed, tenure, aspirations▫ Interaction with other faculty, formal or informal

• Reputation▫Make yourself available▫Make yourself valuable

• Self-defense▫Be polite, but get it in writing▫Get feedback regularly

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Chapter 14: Wiring the Ivory Tower: The Interface of Technology and the Academy• Teaching

▫Distance Learning▫Access and Economics

• Research▫New possibilities▫New ethical challenges

• Communication▫Email▫Presence on campus▫Dissemination of ideas and research▫Preservation and Storage▫PowerPoint

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Section V. Diversity in Academia•15. The Dialectics of Race: Academic

Perils and Promises•16. Women in Academia

▫Complex issues

•17. Clinical Psychologists in Academia•18. Varieties of College and University

Experiences▫Culture varies and matters

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Section VI. Keeping your edge: Managing your career over time•19. The Academic Marathon: Controlling

One’s Career▫Pace yourself▫Don’t let the demands distract from the

joys•20. Managing Your Career: The Long

View▫Make plans

Short term – concrete Medium term – less so Long term – goals

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Additional Reading

•The Elements of Style by Strunk and White