Shaping Your Career: A Guide for Early Career Faculty - Softcover

"The authors of this book offer a vision of faculty work that recognizes [that the academic landscape is changing] and embraces the full diversity of faculty demographics and faculty appointment types. In providing this practical handbook to guide those new to the professoriate, they are informed by deep knowledge of the research and literature on academic work and careers, which they weave skillfully throughout the book in ways that shape their recommendations, as well as by the extensive personal experiences they have each had in their own careers."--Ann E. Austin, Professor of Higher, Adult, and Lifelong Education, Michigan State University "Early faculty, please read and add some years onto your life. I wish I had this companion when I began academia. It would have saved me from multiple bouts of heartburn. This text goes over what they do not tell you as a graduate student or post-doc. It echoes great advice given to me by senior colleagues whom I respect and trust, especially in regards to tenure, promotion, grant writing and balancing work with family."-- (07/05/2017) "Haviland, Ortiz, and Henriquez have thoroughly described the joys and frustrations of faculty life using straightforward language. Their treatment of the subject is well researched and all assertions are thoughtfully documented with evidence and practice-based knowledge. They have made numerous helpful suggestions for success, encouraging us to examine our perspectives in order to find, and maintain, career satisfaction. I especially enjoyed learning about the justification for 'service' requirements for tenure and promotion, as it is the least intuitive of the traditional roles for university faculty.-- (06/02/2017) "This book has vaulted to the top of my recommended reading list for new and prospective faculty members. This book counteracts the deluge of negative reports about how difficult life in academia has become. The message is positive, encouraging readers to exercise their agency and become the author of their careers. The authors offer practical advice that takes into account the contemporary realities of faculty life. They emphasize a developmental perspective. Professional satisfaction comes with time, as you develop and discover your own 'sweet spot' which aligns your teaching, research and service with your personal values."-- (06/26/2017) "Shaping Your Career is full of essential tools and advice to help early career faculty members navigate many confusing processes, such as grant writing, promotion, and tenure. This book is one that can be read cover to cover or used as a quick reference guide that covers the full range of issues we confront as we begin our careers in the professoriate. The authors act as guides to clear up some of the uncertainty around processes that are not given much, if any, attention during graduate training programs [and] draw attention to recent trends over the past two to three decades that have impacted the landscape of higher education and, more specifically, the role of the faculty member. This is done with unparalleled clarity and is especially helpful to those still considering graduate programs or those early in their careers as they consider their potential priorities and activities. It is especially useful that the authors devote a full chapter to women and minority faculty members as these individuals face specific professional development and campus climate issues that are important to consider but that are often overlooked. [It] offers great tools for those visiting new campuses or seeking to better understand their own. In conclusion, the authors of Shaping Your Career weave exercises, strategies, data, and anecdotes into the narrative in a way that makes this both a useful and enjoyable resource. The authors have produced a high-quality text that effectively fills a gap in the available literature centered on professional development for early career faculty. I highly recommend this book for those planning, pursuing, or supporting newer faculty appointments within 4-year institutions."-- (05/16/2018)

Going beyond providing you with the tools, strategies, and approaches that you need to navigate the complexity of academic life, Don Haviland, Anna Ortiz, and Laura Henriques offer an empowering framework for taking ownership of, and becoming an active agent in shaping, your career. This book recognizes, as its point of departure, that faculty are rarely prepared for the range of roles they need to play or the varied institutions in which they may work, let alone understand how to navigate institutional context, manage the politics of academe, develop positive professional relationships, align individual goals with institutional expectations, or possess the time management skills to juggle the conflicting demands on their time. The book is infused by the authorsaEURO (TM) love for what they do, while also recognizing the challenging nature of their work. In demonstrating how you can manage your career, they weave in the personal and institutional dimensions of their experience, and offer vignettes from their longitudinal study of pre-tenure faculty to illustrate typical issues you may have to contend with, and normalize many of the concerns you may face as a new member of the academy. This book offers you: The resources, tips, and strategies to develop a strong, healthy career as a faculty member Empowerment you take ownership of and become an active agent in shaping your career Advice and strategies to help women and members of traditionally underrepresented racial and ethnic groups navigate institutional structures that affect them differently An understanding of the changing nature of academic work, and of how to grow and succeed in this new environment While explicitly addressed to early career faculty, this bookaEURO (TM)s message of empowerment is of equal utility for full-time faculty, both tenure-track and non-tenure track, and can usefully serve as a text for graduate courses. Department chairs, deans, and faculty developers will find it a useful resource to offer their new colleagues.