Academic Journal Submissions = The Job Search

I am slowly learning that submitting a scholarly papers to a journal is like the academic job search. A preponderance of jobs exist on the following websites (http://www.higheredjobs.com, http://www.chronicle.com, and http://www.highered.com), but many of these jobs are NOT for everyone. A strong and specific fit has to exist. The job/journal has to find the correct fit for them and the job/journal has to be the correct fit for you.

I have the correct job, but the academic journal fit is the current problem. Maybe one day, I will discover the correct fit for my scholarly paper submission. The first academic journal rejection letter/e-mail is a humbling experience, but I received some great comments and applied knowledge that I gained from my favorite book of the moment, "Write to the Top: How to Become a Prolific Academic".

"When the decision letter arrives and if the decision is negative, or should major revision be required, tuck the reviews in the file folder containing the manuscript and put the folder away for a few days...Frame these documents as free and valuable feedback (constructive response is truly a gift) designed to improve your work and enhance your chances of publication. Recognize that you are getting an opportunity to improve as a write while collecting crucial intelligence about the journal and the preferences or "personality" of the specific editor (Johnson & Mullen, 2007, p. 71).

Using the wealth of knowledge that I gained from "Write to the Top", I will definitely revise and resubmit the article. This book is absolutely amazing!

MP

Faculty on Facebook?

My goals for today are to: a) clean my desk (at home), b) pay bills, and c) think of an additional research idea. For some reason, the "faculty on facebook" focus just caught my attention as I sifted through the research material in my home office.

I often cut special articles from my weekly subscription to the Chronicle of Higher Education and organize them in a folder. I found an advertisement for lap desks from the Library of Congress and an article.

This article, "For Professors, 'Friending' Can Be Fraught'" by Sara Lipka, really caught my eye. My professors are joining facebook and are befriending their students. Being the millennial that I am, I have chosen not to venture in that direction. Since I actually look like an undergraduate student, I do not want to be perceived by the students and the faculty of my institution as a "young" professor. By the using the term "young", I mean to allude to the fact that many young professors do "hang out" with their students and consequently have problems controlling their classroom. As a result, I am just friends with the people from my former institutions.

Facebook can be beneficial for team building outside of the classroom environment, but I do not want to become "too friendly" with my students. In addition, I promised all of my students that I will not look at their facebook profiles, because I do not want to have my "in class" image of my students tarnished by information they choose to broadcast about themselves.

I may wait two to three more years before joining the online social networking websites that feature my current institution. Every millennial does not want to embrace the full capabilities of online social networking (i.e. - me).

By the way, I will definitely keep my blog updated on new articles that I find to supplement my research!

MillennialProfessor

Our Students Are Stealing Our Silverware! A College Cafeteria's Plea!

U.S. News and World Report Article -

Maine's Vanishing Silverware

Click here for the article.

I COULD NOT HELP IT! I saw this article and I was enamored with the content. Students stealing from college cafeterias! How long has this problem persisted? Stealing from college cafeterias has probably lasted years and decades.

Thinking back to my college career, I did not actually know people who took items from the college cafeteria. Well, maybe milk and bread, but not silverware. Sorority women get hungry! Contrary to popular belief, sorority women actually eat!

My Guilty Pleasure - Ugly Betty & Grey's Anatomy

I need a video break! I have researched all day! Millennials, Millennials, Millennials! I found some great articles, but I just need a break!





-MP

Faculty on Facebook - Beneficial or Detrimental?

I finally had a chance to read last week's edition of the Chronicle of Higher Education today! On page A18, there was an article titled, Facebook Lets Users Search Library Stacks. So, I did what any millennial would do and I accessed the article on the chronicle.com website.

Two Thumbs Up!
I added the JSTOR and WorldCat application to my facebook profile. They are WONDERFUL! Being the prolific academic in training that I strive to be, I added my favorite book of the moment - "Write to the Top! How to be a Prolific Academic". I am too excited about sharing my reviews of the book with others through the WorldCat application.

The Advantages and Disadvantages of Looking Scholarly
The only negative aspect of adding the profile is that I will look "scholarly" in front of my friends from high school and undergraduate school. However, I did add a few of the professors from my former institution so I think that I may look "scholarly" in front of my colleagues. Well, I conclude that "looking scholarly" pays the bills.

Some Articles about Faculty on Facebook
Crossing Boundaries: Identity Management and Student/Faculty Relationships on the Facebook - http://www-static.cc.gatech.edu/~aforte/HewittForteCSCWPoster2006.pdf

“Faculty Attitudes and Behaviors Regarding Scholarly Communication”
http://osc.universityofcalifornia.edu/responses/materials/OSC-survey-summaries-20070828.pdf

I Once Was Adjunct, But Now I Am Found, Was Blind But Now I See

It is a jungle out there! Adjuncts just know HALF of what goes on in an academic department. I functioned as an adjunct for a year for a university and a community college and I did now know WHAT was going on among assistant professors/full-time faculty.

Adjunct Power
It is amazing how many people actually teach in adjunct positions. Currently, there are more adjunct professors than tenured or tenure-track professors (Finder, 2007).With this many people having power in higher education, it is interesting that this group of people do not have decision making power. I see this from my point of view as an assistant professor, but if I step back and look at the national situation from an adjunct's point of view I am appauled.

Possible Solutions
It would actually be interesting to see if adjuncts form a national/state union. Addressing the situation of decision making authority, my former community college actually allowed adjuncts to function on faculty senate. Unheard of! It was interesting, but I do not think that adjuncts could actually run for a position.

Here is an interesting book about the adjunct experience - "Ghosts in the Classroom : Stories of College Adjunct Faculty--and the Price We All Pay".

http://www.iht.com/articles/2007/11/20/america/college.php

Assessment of the Website (What Needs to Be Added, What Would You Like to See?)

HAPPY MARTIN LUTHER KING DAY!

Please subscribe to the blog, I need to know how many people are reading! According to my analytic report, more people are consistently reading the blog. However, I want to cater my blog to you! I will make sure that your responses are anonymous!

ALSO - PLEASE take poll in the bottom right hand corner of the page! I would like to have some feedback from you!

I plan to post a millennial-centered article per week. In addition, I am working on an article about millennials and life after college.

Millennial Professor

"Write to the Top! - How to Become a Prolific Academic"

"Write to the Top! - How to Become a Prolific Academic"

I actually read this book over the winter break and it was very helpful. As a new faculty member, there were many items introduced in the book that I did know about (i.e. - book buyers). I was in student services for a long time and I never knew that these people existed!

Also, I especially liked the section about the ideal letter from a journal editor! This was the best publication ever written, etc. I wrote a few articles over the break and I REALLY needed the humor in that section!

I STRONGLY recommend this book!

MillennialProfessor

HBCUs and the Millennial Generation

Perspectives: HBCUs and the Coming Era of Growth and Service
http://diverseeducation.com/artman/publish/article_10508.shtml

An interesting read about the changes that HBCUs have encountered and how they have adapted. One of Dr. Rivers's quotes is very interesting, "Since then, students have changed. Students virtually everywhere did. Sometime in the 1980s, attitudes shifted. The millennial generation now demands greater engagement of faculty and often refuses to afford faculty members the automatic deference and respect they previously had enjoyed."

This quote actually coincides with my research on HBCUs (historically black colleges and universities) and HWCUs (historically white colleges and universities) and African American college students. The students who were in my sample indicated that they wanted faculty members who engaged them in the classroom and who challenged them academically. In addition, the some of the HBCU students indicated that they had some faculty members who did not have a strong grasp on the English language.

Again, the article is a very interesting read.

A Black Millennial Professor

Last semester was my first semester at a mid-sized institution in the South. One interesting aspect of the initial semester of my first tenure track position. The most important part of this new journey in my life is the fact that I am one of the only African American female faculty member on my campus (that I have seen thus far). I have met a few African American males, but most of them are either in athletics or are on a satellite campus thirty minutes away.

Despite the fact that I rarely have an African American student in class, I have enjoyed this first semester. Most of the students are from rural communities and consequently they have not experienced any level of diversity. At first, I felt a large amount of pressure to focus on the material and to minimize the fusion of my ethnic background. However, towards the end of last semester, I realized that the students were genuinely interested in my background and wanted to get to know me as a person.

As a millennial, I have to continually display a virtual wall between the students and myself. I am only zero to five years older than they are, but I want to ensure that the students respect me as a professor.

The story of my life. Aside from research, I have to focus on the fact that I am one of the only African American faculty on campus and that I am a 25 year old tenure track professor.

The saga continues...

Two Down...10+ More to Go

My goal for this new year was to continue writing in my blog and to publish as many articles as possible. I am continuing to work towards the second goal and I am lacking in the goal one department.

From the beginning of the new year until now, I have written and submitted two articles already! I am quite excited and I am working on a new article about service learning and millennial students.

This year I am also focused on collaborating with other faculty on campus. I already have one collaboration and I am working on a few more. Hey, the more the merrier.

My classes are going well this semester (it is the first week) and I am introducing a new course that is focused on intercultural matters. I will keep you updated.

Last but not least, I leave you with Nathaniel's wonderful Yo Gabba Gabba video. Over the holidays, I was able to watch A LOT of youtube. Nathaniel is hilarious and I have never seen the show Yo Gabba Gabba, but it looks like fun.

Student Affairs & Academic Affairs Partnerships - Why Did You Become a Practitioner?

Before becoming an assistant professor, I was a student affairs practitioner. This transformational process started two years ago in at a mid-sized institution in the south. Today, I am still involved in the professional student affairs organization in my beloved state organization to remain information about the issues that students encounter through their journey in college.

Journeys...I strongly believe that everyone takes a journey towards the pursuit of happiness when they enter the higher education environment. Students enter colleges and universities because they would like to embark on a journey towards a degree. Student affairs practitioners enter the profession because they are looking for a way to pay off their student loans and to make a difference in the lives of students.

WHY DID YOU DECIDE TO BECOME A STUDENT AFFAIRS PRACTITIONER OR FACULTY MEMBER? (I need some feedback on this one!)

Sincerely,

Dr. Jennifer T. Edwards

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Get Motivated & Goal Setting 2008!

While visiting my mother this weekend, she stated that 2007 was the year of completion and 2008 was the year of new beginnings. I decided that 2008 was going to be my new beginning. I am going to get motivated to write at least 10 articles this year (you should too)! Attention people who are reading this blog, we should keep each other accountable. I will post the backwards plan for articles that I need to publish this semester and you can do the same by replying.

WE WILL FLORISH this semester! I always have some great article ideas, but no time to write. We WILL write this year! My dissertation chair is holding me accountable for writing/presenting 1,000+ articles/workshops in my academic career. Won't you please do the same?

Sincerely,

Dr. Jennifer T. Edwards

My Social Media Channels!

Of Course You Follow Me on Twitter! @drjtedwards

I Am Also on Instagram! http://www.instagram.com/drjtedwards/

Have You Subscribed on YOUTUBE yet?

Become a Fan of Millennial Professor on Facebook!

If You Love Periscope as Much as I Do...Follow Me There! - http://www.periscope.com/drjtedwards/

Email Me! I am PR Friendly! - jennifertedwards@gmail.com