Showing posts with label Millennial Faculty. Show all posts
Showing posts with label Millennial Faculty. Show all posts

Monday, February 18, 2019

6 Ways for Higher Education Faculty and Staff to Handle Conflict in Their Department


I know that you get along with everyone right? Wrong! I will almost promise you that you will not get along with everyone all of the time. As a millennial, I am in a workplace (higher education) in which I do not have many peers. I am in my mid-30s and most of my peers are in their 50s and 60s. As a black professor, I do not see many people who look like me who do what I do on campus each day (teaching). 

When differences are evident, this means that disagreements can happen. We have to be prepared for these disagreements ahead of time and to mentally be alert to HOW we are reacting to situations and people. 

Recently, I read an article in Entrepreneur that can be applied to the higher education environment as well. "How to Handle Office Conflict" focused on six ways that employers can address office conflict amongst their employees. These strategies can also be applied to student affairs and the tenure track process.

1 - Confront It - Sometimes when we disagree with someone and we do not address the conflict when it arises, it can become worse. For instance, if you have to work on a group project with someone and you are taking more of the responsibility, this means that you need to address this responsibility inequity with your research or student affairs partner!

2 - Know When to Cut Ties - When you are working on a research project with someone and they do not hold up their end of the research bargain, you can cut your ties with your research partner. Sometimes, it is VERY difficult to do so, but in the long run it can save you months of anguish!

3 - Take It Outside - When you address the issue, you need to have in face-to-face and in an open, private place. This means, maybe a table on the patio of the building or perhaps in the library coffee shop, but address the conflict in neutral space.


4 - Embrace It - Know the the conflict exists, acknowledge it and converse about the conflict!

5 - Keep It Constructive - When you converse about the conflict, you need to stay focused on the topic at hand. Sometimes, when a conflict occurs it is easy to think about other items that are affected BY the conflict. AVOID this!

6 - Designate a Mediator - Think about involving someone who is not in your department and perhaps not in your academic college. Faculty conflict and conflict amongst student affairs professionals is very common, but address the conflict before it becomes a larger issue.

Okay guys, resolve the conflict and get stuff done! 

Oh and by the way, here's another resource for you:



Sincerely,

J. Edwards

Interested in a specific student success topic or do you need a speaker for an upcoming conference? Contact me via direct message on Twitter or join our Student Success Communication and Technology Institute on Facebook!

Thanks for visiting! 

Sincerely,

Dr. Jennifer T. Edwards
Higher Education Speaker and Researcher

My Social Media Channels!
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My Research Interests: Customer Service and Social Media, Higher Education Retention, and Millennials at Work

Wednesday, August 23, 2017

Available for Virtual Presentations, Conferences, Keynotes, & Workshops

Guess what? I am open for speaking opportunities again! I am definitely open to virtual presentations, conferences, keynotes, workshops, and consultant opportunities!

Check out my media sheet!



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/
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Monday, March 6, 2017

Remaining Innovative as a Faculty Member After Tenure


Slightly before or after achieving tenure, most faculty think that they've reached the end of their innovation journey and their teaching can solely focus on the best practices that they've developed throughout the last few years. Wrong! I challenge each of you to keep thinking, being creative, and reaching students in your classroom.

Whenever I reach the end of my current innovation point, I have to look for innovators in the academic industry. Usually this search occurs online (fast, easy, and FREE). However, after joining the AACU's Liberal Education and America's Promise in the state of Texas, I just have to look at the innovative social media posts from colleagues in the state and in other LEAP States.

If you are wondering about LEAP States initiative, I am including their links below...
LEAP Wisconsin Innovation Hub - https://www.uwp.edu/facultyandstaff/innovationhub/

LEAP California Innovation Hub - http://www.calfaccollab.org/

LEAP Indiana Innovation Hub - https://sites.google.com/iu.edu/leap-indiana/

LEAP Texas - http://leaptx.org/

So, I charge you to remain innovative, keep thinking, being creative, and reach students in your classroom. Use these free resources and learn how you can improve your teaching techniques without leaving your home (or campus).

In addition to the innovative techniques from LEAP Texas (and the other LEAP States), here are "10 Ways that Faculty Can Remain Innovative After Tenure".

Have a great week! Thanks for visiting the Millennial Professor Blog!

Dr. Jennifer T. Edwards

Follow Me on Twitter/Instagram - @drjtedwards
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Monday, October 12, 2015

FREE Training for Higher Education Faculty - Pearson's Speaking About...Webinar Week


Are your travel funds small this semester? Are you short on time, but eager to learn about new aspects and concepts focused on your academic discipline?

I am FAN of FREE online webinars and online conferences focused on teaching, learning, and research. Here's a neat opportunity from Pearson's Professional Development Online "Speaking About..." series focused on: Art, English, History, Music and Humanities, Political Science, Psychology, Sociology, and World Languages. This event takes place between October 12-16, 2015.

These sessions look spectacular - here's a sample:

How to Think About Masculinities
Professor Michael Kimmel - Stony Brook University

Increasing Economic Inequality: A Closer Look 
Dr. John Macionis - Kenyon College

Using Social Media to Teach Sociology
Nathan Palmer - Georgia Southern University

Make-Believe Play and Children's Self-Regulation
Dr. Laura Berk - Illinois State University

Generation Me: Teaching and Working with Today's Students
Dr. Jean Twenge - San Diego State University

Gamification Techniques ANY Instructor Can Use to Engage, Assess, and Energize Students
Dr. Amy Marin - Phoenix College

Open Science, Replication, and Teaching Psychology
Dr. Mark Krause - Southern Oregon University
Dr. Daniel Corts - Augustana College

Using Blogging in the Teaching of Psychology
Dr. Sam Sommers - Tufts University

Here's more information about the "Speaking About..." Series - http://www.pearsoned.com/events-and-webinars/higher-education-events-and-webinars/speaking-about-webinars/.

I am not sure if a hashtag will be utilized for the event, but utilize the #55HigherEd hashtag to share ideas! :)

Sincerely,

Dr. Jennifer T. Edwards
- Twitter/Instagram - @drjtedwards
- http://www.facebook.com/millennialprofessor/
- drjtedwards at gmail.com

Monday, September 21, 2015

When Academic Interests and Administrative Interests Positively Collide


As a mid-level higher education administrator, it is important realize how your academic field positively affects your administrative work. This has been especially evident for me during this past academic year when my academic interests and administrative interests collided in four beneficial ways.


Employing a Communication Intern (Social Media Coach) Who Works in Our Office (Social Media)
Our communication intern is absolutely wonderful and she has amazing ideas about how to reach students (from a student mindset). She is also learning about social media along the way: crafting effective posts, deciphering the analytics for the student success and multicultural initiatives social media channels, and blogging about student success from a student's perspective. Here's her blog for our area: http://tarletonssmi.blogspot.com/


Crafting E-Mail Messages with the Current and Potential Readers in Mind (Target Audience Approach) (Fundamentals of Speech Communication)
When writing any e-mail message for students, faculty, or staff, I always strive to write the message for the audience and to avoid any potentially interesting responses by never utilizing the BCC line and sparsely utilizing the CC line. This is especially important when conversing about interesting issues in higher education. I always reply to the original sender and almost never include the individuals carbon copied on the e-mail, because your sender intended for this message to go to you, you do not have permission to reply to every cc'ed on the e-mail. Also, never send e-mails that you do not intend for others (in addition to the intended party) to read.


Creating Publications (and Videos) that Others Will Want to Read (Mass Media)
This semester, student success and multicultural initiatives created an infographic instead of a bulky (and potentially unread) annual report for the university's faculty, staff, and students. In this infographic, the data is presented in an engaging (and graphical) way and I think the intended parties are more likely to understand what we do in student success and multicultural initiatives instead of sending the data-based message in a report.


Forming Mentoring Groups for Mothers and Faculty of Color (and Other Underrepresented Populations) - Intercultural Communication
Last year, we formed a university mother's group and a group of diverse faculty members. Our membership for both groups ranges between 25 and 60 members. These groups serve as wonderful sounding boards for the mothers and diverse faculty and they also gain ideas and form research collaborations. Both of the aforementioned groups helped me through my journey as a new mother and I wish that I had the faculty of color group when I persisted through the tenure track.


Each of the aforementioned skills (and associated courses) continue to make an imprint on my life as a mid-level administrator on a daily basis. I am thankful for delightful and fulfilling experiences in the classroom as well as working with an amazing group of academic leaders at the university. Administrative experiences make academic experiences richer and academic experiences make administrative experiences richer. We become more because we teach, we reach more because we serve others through administrative duties in higher education.

Sincerely,

Dr. Jennifer T. Edwards
- Twitter/Instagram - @drjtedwards
- http://www.facebook.com/millennialprofessor/
- drjtedwards at gmail.com

Thursday, May 7, 2015

A List of Faculty Issues in Higher Education: A Great Resource for University Administrators and Faculty


As a tenured-faculty member, I am always excited about mentoring new faculty (especially women and new faculty of color). This mentoring relationship is always great for me because I had such wonderful mentors (both faculty and staff) when persisting through the tenure-track process.

This mentoring relationship is very important for tenure-track and tenured faculty who are seeking to become a full-professor. (This is another journey through which I am persisting right now.) Tenure-track and tenured-faculty (especially women and faculty of color) encounter along the journey towards their goals:

Here are some of the current issues and resources for individuals tied to faculty affairs roles at universities and colleges in the United States:

Current Issues focused on Faculty Affairs:

- The growing number of women and people of color in faculty positions.
- Faculty and work-life balance.
- Stopping the tenure clock for faculty who are pregnant or who are new or adoptive mothers (or fathers).
- Faculty retirement and retirement plans.
- Faculty workplace flexibility.
- Faculty involvement on universities committees and work groups.
- Faculty compensation and merit pay.
- Faculty workload (balancing researching, teaching and service).
- Part-time and adjunct faculty workload.
- Faculty Orientation
- Faculty Training 
- Faculty and External Fundraising and Grantsmanship Activities
- Faculty Recognition
- Faculty Recruitment and Retention
- Faculty Workplace Satisfaction

Faculty Affairs Resources:


Please feel free to tweet, share, and comment below! Let me know if I missed something from the list!

Sincerely,

J. Edwards
@drjtedwards


Monday, August 29, 2011

Hello Fall 2011 (1/5) - The First Day of Classes!

Readers,

Today was the first day of classes at my university. I have two upper-level classes on MWFs and I enjoy teaching these classes EARLY in the morning (9 a.m. and 10 a.m.). Each fall, I teach the same classes, but I change small aspects of the classes according to current research and student evaluations.

I look forward to the beginning of each fall semester, because I purchase a new dress (or suit) for the first day of classes! This year, I purchased a new dress and new shoes (tall shoes) for today's classes! I enjoyed wearing my new outfit for the first day and I always get that new burst of energy from the new clothes and new school supplies! Here's a picture of my new shoes! :)


The first class, Intercultural Communication, is one of my favorites! I enjoy hearing the students tell stories about their diverse experiences. The second class, Interpersonal Communication, is a mandatory class for the communication department and other departments on campus. This class is always filled with wonderful students and I am looking forward for an exciting semester!

Also, one of my dear friends, Prof. Cristi Horton placed the cutest gift on my desk last Friday for the first week of classes! I left the gift on my desk over the weekend, because I needed that extra burst of energy on Monday! I opened the gift and I was very pleased to find a portable post-it note holder for my bag! This gift was much appreciated, because my husband commented on my post-it note "to do list" last night. This summer, I started using 20 post-it notes per day. :) Yes, I recycle at home AND at the office! :)


Both Intercultural and Interpersonal students will work on group research projects this semester. Last semester these projects focused on diversity and the students presented their research at our university's research symposium. This year, we are focused on the Social Media Conference and the students will have to link social media and interpersonal/intercultural issues. 

Today in class, the students chose their topics and many of them are EXCITED about investigating their chosen topics! Last semester's students and this semester's students will be invited to submit their papers for the Tarleton Undergraduate Research Symposium in October, the Texas A&M University System Student Research Symposium in November, and the Southern States Communication Association in March. :)


I hope you had a great first day! 

Sincerely,

J. Edwards



Millennial Professor - Jennifer T. Edwards, Ed.D.
Become a fan of Millennial Professor on Facebook - http://goo.gl/gnN41
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Wednesday, August 24, 2011

New Semester Prep Week (3/5) - (Wandering Wednesdays) - "Murphy’s Pondering Tree: Mark II" Blog


http://www.flickr.com/photos/stanfordedtech/ (Open Source)

Readers,

This week's Wandering Wednesday post is focused on the "Murphy’s Pondering Tree: Mark II" blog. The author, Steven Francis Murphy, serves as an adjunct instructor of history at a community college. His recent posts are focused on the upcoming semester:




Enjoy!

Sincerely,

J. Edwards



Millennial Professor - Jennifer T. Edwards, Ed.D.
Become a fan of Millennial Professor on Facebook - http://goo.gl/gnN41
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Monday, August 22, 2011

New Semester Prep Week (1/5) - My Long-Semester Checklist

Readers,


When preparing for a new semester, what game plan do you usually adopt? I refer to my long semester checklist, which includes the following:


1 - Write an pre-course e-mail to each of the students in my online courses. This includes my expectations for the semester, an overview of the course, the technical requirements for the course, and 


2 - Uploading the blackboard courses from the repository.


3 - Changing the dates on the assignments.


4 - Finalizing the last draft of the syllabus.


5 - Uploading the syllabus on blackboard.


6 - Check each of the widgets on blackboard (Twitter and Yahoo Instant Messenger) to make sure that they are compatible with the new blackboard course.


7 - Draft the e-mail for the first week of school (complete with action items for the week).


8 - Make paper copies of the syllabus.


9 - Print my roll for the semester.


10 - Check my notes for the first week of school! :)


What are some items on your to do list?


Sincerely,


J. Edwards




Millennial Professor - Jennifer T. Edwards, Ed.D.
Become a fan of Millennial Professor on Facebook - http://goo.gl/gnN41
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Thursday, June 30, 2011

ALA/ACRL Conference - Reflection (The Book Proposal Process & Working With Your Campus Library)


Readers,

The ALA/ACRL conference inspired me to start my book proposal process this summer. In fact, I spoke with a book publisher on Monday and she provided me with some promising information about this grueling process. I have been very reluctant to start the book proposal process because I believed that the market is saturated with books on my interests (i.e. - social media, online teaching and learning, and training and development). Could I offer a different perspective? Perhaps.

If any of you could provide me with insight into the book proposal process, I would be very grateful! 

This conference made a BIG impression on my life as a faculty member. Unfortunately, a lot of people feel that librarians do not conduct research and are just there for reference purposes. However, this is not true! Throughout the conference, I became very interested in information sciences and in library sciences. In fact, if every faculty member would have a brief meeting with one of the librarians at their institution, I think they would discover that librarians work VERY hard to stay current on research from a VARIETY of different fields, perform continual  assessment and evaluation of their programs and services, and are the lifeblood of our higher education institutions.

After attending this conference, I think that I will invite a librarian to attend a chat session for my online speech class. Since some of my students are located outside of the United States, I think this will be a very beneficial service for these students. They use the library research databases, but I think the students will greatly benefit from this small gesture. Also, it seems that when some students hear a research suggestion  from their instructor and they do not implement the suggestion. However, if they hear the research suggestion from a librarian, they will implement the suggestion in a heartbeat!

I hope to incorporate the library in a variety of different ways next semester. How do you plan to work with the library next semester?

Sincerely,

Dr. Jennifer T. Edwards
Millennial Professor - Jennifer T. Edwards, Ed.D.
Become a fan of Millennial Professor on Facebook - http://goo.gl/gnN41

Monday, June 27, 2011

ALA/ACRL Conference Recap/Thank You EBSS!!!

Readers,


Today, I just arrived back from the ACRL/ALA conference in New Orleans, LA and I am THANKFUL to the Education and Behavioral Sciences Section (especially Dr. Vanessa Earp) for inviting me to speak for one of their sessions! I had a great time delivering the presentation and I received a wealth of questions and great feedback after the presentation. Click here for my presentation: LINK


Not surprisingly, my presentation and my millennial approach was very different from my counterpart, Dr. Gene Roche, Director of Academic Information from  College of William and Mary. He presented an alternate perspective of the millennial college student and he incorporated research focused on the mental processes of college students. Then he posed a question focused on whether or not colleges and universities should appeal to millennial college students' wants, needs, and learning styles OR should millennials adapt to the college environment.


Here's my perspective, every organization changes at least one aspect of their policies, procedures, or processes to attract future members/employees and to retain current members/employees. Higher education institutions are no different, they have to adapt as well. New recruitment methods, new services and programs, and new (revised) teaching methods are essential if these organizations wish to remain relevant for the current and future student/faculty/staff populations.


As a result, Dr. Roche and I complemented each other's presentations by presenting a vastly different point of view focused on millennial college students. Thank you ACRL Education and Behavioral Sciences Section (especially Dr. Vanessa Earp) for this wonderful opportunity!


Sincerely,


Dr. Jennifer T. Edwards
Become a fan of Millennial Professor on Facebook - http://goo.gl/gnN41

Thursday, May 26, 2011

Life After September 11, 2001 - A Millennial's Perspective...

Readers,


On September 11, 2001, I was a sophomore at Stephen F. Austin State University in Nacogdoches, Texas. This day really changed the way that I have chosen to live my daily life. I love traveling and as a student from a small town, I dreamed of studying and traveling aboard. As a result of terrorism concerns and the invention of airport security levels, I have been very apprehensive in traveling beyond the borders of the United States. In fact, a few days ago, I tried to remember how airport travel functioned before September 11, 2001. I could not remember life without baggage scans, actually seeing loved ones upon walking through the airline gates of my destination, and taking large bottles of bottled water (and shampoo, etc.) in my rolling luggage.


One website that was launched slightly before the announcement of the death of Osama bin Laden is "Growing Up in the Shadow of 9/11" through the American University School of Communication. Professor Amy Eisman's Writing for Convergent Media class partners with Gannett's Content one to examine the millennial generation's perceptions of life after 9/11/2001. This would be a great research study! :)




Check out their website here - http://www.growingup9-11.com/


Millennial Professor - Jennifer T. Edwards, Ed.D.

Tuesday, May 24, 2011

Become a Fan of Millennial Professor on Facebook!

Readers,

Become a FAN of Millennial Professor on Facebook! When the Facebook site reaches 50 fans, we will have a drawing for a huge gift pack of Post-It Notes and other neat items for your office/home!

Click here - 

Millennial Professor - Jennifer T. Edwards, Ed.D.

Tuesday, April 12, 2011

Life on the Tenure-Track - A Millennial's Perspective

Readers,

The past two days have been some of the most interesting days of my career. This week, I attended the AERA Division J - Early Career Scholars Session. Over the few days of the session, I formed a higher education research network several new people (with whom I plan to collaborate on a few research projects), learned new tricks of the tenure track, discovered the items for which you can negotiate in the academic job search process, and then I listened to how several other early career academics carve their research time each day. 



After my posts for undergraduate research week (next week) and environmental education week (the week after), I will post my notes from this very important workshop on the blog. Look forward to reading notes from this very important session!


Millennial Professor - Jennifer T. Edwards, Ed.D.

Friday, April 8, 2011

Life on the Tenure Track - Questions and Answers (AERA Division J Emerging Scholars Pre-Conference)



Readers,

Last week, we had a great discussion focused on the tenure track. Here are the questions and answers from the panel discussion:

Question - What are the requirements for tenure?
Answer - The institution type determines the tenure track. If you are
 in doubt about the tenure process, just ask the people who are in your department and/or people who will be voting on your tenure.


Question - 
Do you ask "how many publications do I need" in the faculty job search process.

Answer - If your department does not require an annual review process, then just ask for one and then document your annual review.

Question - 
What about service?

Answer - It depends on university and their requirements. Some universities REALLY value service and others do not. 
What do you define as meaningful service? Service at the national, regional, local, etc. 

Answer - (By the way, a really neat piece of advice.) -> C

onnect your service to your scholarship. Take the findings from your paper that may be valuable for practice. Have a brown bag and facilitate a discussion in the community. Marry the two (research and service).

 Make your teaching, research, and service fit with one another.
 Make sure your research and your personal interests merge with one another.

Question -
How do you protect your research time? 
Answer - Try to carve one or two writing days a week.

Question - How do you make yourself stand out on your CV? 
Answer - Market yourself through your experience and your research. 
Strategize! In your doctoral program, try to figure out what will make you stand out! Run for an office position and gain a national platform. Network with others who can mentor you!

What question would you ask the panel?


Sincerely,

Millennial Professor - Jennifer T. Edwards, Ed.D.

Thursday, April 7, 2011

Life on the Tenure Track - I Was Invited to Attend the Division J Emerging Scholar Preconference!!!

Readers,

Today, I am attending the AERA Division J - Emerging Scholars Workshop in New Orleans, LA. It is very exciting! The attendees are from a variety of different univeristies from across the nation! The attendees are from a various universities and I think this is a great opportunity for new and emerging faculty in the field!


Yesterday, I worked for most of the day and night responding to student emails and grading student papers. When I finished my communication for the evening, I visited the concierge lounge. To my suprise, I discovered that they served a FREE meal! Okay, I have to tell you about a wonderful meal - sun dried tomato pasta, turkey tetrazini, salad with balsamic vingerette, french onion soup, and mini cheese cakes! Yum! I am going to have to watch my waistline here. :)


Everyone just finished their introductions and I am so excited to network with such amazing people! They also have a panel discussion focused on higher education research and the tenure track.


Sincerely,


Millennial Professor - Dr. Jennifer T. Edwards

Tuesday, April 5, 2011

Going Green on Campus - A Professor's Personal Journey Towards a Green Lifestyle



Readers,


Over the past few semesters, I adopted a green lifestyle to help myself (and my students) make a small attempt to save the planet. Here are some lifestyle changes that I adopted:


1 - I stopped my daily dates with the department copier and I placed all of my class handouts and activities online. The only item that I give my students is a six page syllabus (front and back).


2 - I converted my midterm and final examinations from paper to electronic format by coping and pasting the items to Blackboard, our university's content management system, Blackboard.


3 - I give students a "note card" mini-quiz, in which the students complete two questions related to the chapter. These note cards use less paper and consume less space in my briefcase, while also enabling me to "go green" at the same time.


4 - I recycle all my printed paper. This include materials received via mail, articles, and students' notes.


5 - I print on both sides of pieces of paper. 


6 - I do not print conference schedules and also I do not take home conference bags. As a result, I minimize the amount of materials in my luggage. :)


7 - I use a reusable water bottle.


8 - I decorate my office with professional, yet trendy items from Goodwill.


9 - I use florescent light bulbs in my office.


10 - I use Google Documents in class to help the students avoid printing costs. Through this process, I always have access to the students' papers and they do not have to print a final copy of their papers.


11 - I practice organic gardening and consume my own veggies!


12 - I use my iPad to read academic papers and books.


These are my SIMPLE, yet effective ways to go green. I would love to read your green practices as well! :)


Millennial Professor - Jennifer T. Edwards, Ed.D.

Wednesday, March 30, 2011

I am a Millennial Professor and I Embrace the 24 Hour Professor Syndrome

Readers,


Whenever I arrive back to the office from a long conference, I am always overwhelmed by the numerous items that I have to accomplish before leaving the office. I have to make online and offline lists (via Google Tasks) as I think about the items I learned from the conference and people I have to contact across campus. 


However, as I persist through the items on these lists, I experience a feeling of accomplishment. By the time I leave the office, usually after 5pm, I accomplish most of the items on the list. Then, I drive home only to answer students' e-mails and sift through my 300 daily e-mails on Gmail. 


This is the life of a millennial professor. I have to keep everything organized and I have to squeeze in time for my family as well. As I answer e-mail at home, I watch movies with my husband and I take my iPad with me as I garden and shop. Yes, I admit, I answer my students' e-mail messages as I eat lunch at La Madeleine on Saturday, browse books at Barnes and Noble, and pursue racks at Goodwill in search of great items for Environmental Communication Week. 


I embrace the fact that I am a 24 hour professor. A few years ago, I tried to avoid falling into the "24 hour professor" trap (i.e. - Does Graduate School Provide Millennial Professors for the Professional Environment), but now I am happy to embrace the fact that I am professionally connected to my students and my career. 


Sincerely,


Millennial Professor - Jennifer T. Edwards, Ed.D.

Wednesday, March 2, 2011

How Neat is Your Desk? A List of Several Essential Items for Your Desk


Readers,

As faculty members, we need to step away from our teaching, research, and service requirements to organize our lives. Does your desk reflect a strong or weak level of organization to your vistors (students and faculty)? I strive to begin and end my days with a clean desk. I always keep Lysol in my desk drawer to minimize the amount of bacteria present in my workspace. Aside from bacteria, I like to keep several important items on my desk. One of the most important items in my workspace is my label maker. I use this very important device to organize my file folders, binders, electroic devices, and student work.

The magazine Real Simple created a great list titled, "All You Need in Your Desk Drawer". Here is the list of important items:

- Forever Stamps
- Personal stationery (Note Cards, Thank You Cards, etc.)
- A black permanent marker (grading, etc.)
- A silver permanent marker (to use on dark paper)
- An angle-tip highlighter (I use BIC Bright Liners)
- Correction tape, to fix mistakes (similar to the liquid stuff, but without the drying time).
- Mechanical pencils (I use Papermate brand pencils)
- Titanium scissors (they stay sharp for years)
- Large paper clips.
- Small and large sticky notes (to do lists, grading reminders, reminders, notes for students)
- A box of your favorite pens: Use (and lose) only one at a time.
- A classic stapler (I use the Streamline upright stapler)
- A weighted tape dispenser that holds a fat roll of tape.

Here's the link to their article - http://www.realsimple.com/home-organizing/organizing/streamline-your-supplies-00000000052054/page4.html

It was a great article and it was an eye-opener for me!

Sincerely,

Millennial Professor - Jennifer T. Edwards, Ed.D.

Tuesday, March 1, 2011

Establishing a Web Presence: Benefits and Disadvantages for Faculty

Readers,

As a millennial, I have had a digital footprint since high school! Amazingly enough, I always knew that the Internet would be a mechanism that could either help or severely hurt one's reputation. As a result, I have tried to avoid situations (parties, clubs, political events, etc,) in which people can take pictures that may be questioned years later in my life.

However, when I started the tenure track, I discovered that a web presence can be a GREAT benefit to one's academic career. Through this blog, I received a wealth of opportunities, including two national speaking opportunities, produce review opportunities, and numerous new friends!

Recently, Miriam Posner, Brian Croxall, and Stewart Varner from the Digital Scholarship Commons created a presentation on this topic, "Creating a Web Presence: A Primer for Academics (Part I").

Here's the link to material and the video from their workshop -

PRESENTATION - http://web.library.emory.edu/blog/creating-web-presence-primer-academics-part-i-1&ei=iU-ATa21D4PWwAXSrPjzDg

VIDEO - http://ia700401.us.archive.org/30/items/CreatingWebPresenceI/CreatingWebPresenceI.mov

Millennial Professor - Jennifer T. Edwards, Ed.D.