We loved one essay that we decided not to discuss: Trust Me, I'm a Doctor about the disparity between what people think we make as professors and the reality of what professors earn.  Read it.  You will laugh out loud in recognition.The essay we decided to discuss is Goodbye to All That from the March 28, 2008 edition of the Chronicle of Higher Education (Careers Section).   The essay suggests that most dissertations really aren't book material.  Both Jason and I have been able to mine our dissertations for publishable stuff (well, actually, my pilot study was publishable), but we agree with Rachel Toor that the notion that all dissertations should be turned into books is really out of control and should be reconsidered.Programming Note: I will be on a whirlwind campus speaking tour.  We may be late getting our next podcast out or may skip next week altogether.

On March 18th, The Chronicle sent a Daily Update that included the news that Philosophy Dept. Chair Howard M. Ducharme, Jr. was demoted because his dean wanted him to be in the office from 8:00 to 5:00.In today's podcast, Jason and I discuss how much face time new professors should put in on campus and how important it is to "be seen."Click here to read article

One of the most daunting tasks for any professor is creating the course syllabus.  In my work, I've seen syllabi that were scribbled on a sheet of paper  and photocopied on one of those grocery-store copiers (the ones that leave a grey background on every page) and syllabi that were almost as thick as the Vogue Magazine fall fashion issue.  This is a topic that is near and dear to my heart because a great deal of my work in faculty development has been spent helping faculty with damage control issues that could have been prevented by policies outlined in the syllabus.In today's podcast, Jason and I discuss two articles from the March 14th issue of The Chronicle of Higher Education:The Syllabus Becomes a Repository of LegaleseandResearch Yields Tips on Crafting Better Syllabi

Remember when you were an undergraduate student and had a professor who was obviously burnt out?  Then, as a graduate student, you encountered the professor who was totally disengaged from the academy and everyone was just waiting for him to retire?In this podcast conversation, Jason and I discuss Peter Seldin's Point of View essay, "'Tired' Professors Can Be Rejuvenated," from the March 7th issue of the Chronicle of Higher Education.  We also give advise on how to make sure YOU don't become a "tired" professor, too!A side note: After we finished recording the podcast, I realized that I didn't mention that one of the reasons mid-career and senior faculty members start to disengage from the academy is because they just plain old get tired of being told "Sorry, but that isn't possible because ______."  I know that I have disengaged from jobs when I feel like I kept running into a brick wall and wasn't allowed to pursue my goals!  Just something to keep in mind.

One of the questions I am asked most often is how do we prevent students from cheating.  Today, Jason and I discuss the use of Turn It In, the anti-plagiarizing giant.The article, "Anti-Cheating Crusader Vexes Some Professors" is what sparked the conversation.We also mentioned a companion article, Antiplagiarism Software Takes on the Honor Code.  I briefly mention article about scholarly journals' difficulties because scholars are also engaging in plagiarizing practices, History-Journal Editors Grapple With the Perils of Plagiarism.This is not a topic that is going to go away any time soon!On a much more uplifting note:Women in Higher Education has published my article, "What If Cinderella Were a Professor?" in their March, 2008, edition.  You can currently find the article on the front page their website.

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