4. • There areno rules ask questions throughout
the panel
• We want to discussas many topics as possible
• Tweet! #ProfPress,#NABJ 12
GROUND RULES….
5. • Graduate School
• The Job Search/ The right School for You
• Translating Field Experience into
Lessons/Grading
• Dealing with Campus Challenges
• Resources
PANEL TOPICS
6. • Researchgrad programs to determine if a theoretical or
professional based program is best for you.
• Some universities offer a combination of theory and pro programs
or you can choose a concentration
• Choose a school that has faculty interested in your research
agenda
GRADUATE SCHOOL
7. GRADUATE SCHOOL
• Choose thesis committee membersbased onthe faculty’s
membersprofessional experience and/or researchagenda
• All faculty memberswill notsupport your research agenda
• Be preparedto defend your researchbased on merit and
sometimes for nonprofessional reasons from committee
members
8. JOB SEARCH/CHOOSING THERIGHT SCHOOL
Adjunct Professors
• Common type of work for a media professional interested in academia
• Part-timetemporary position to teach coursesin a specialized field.
• Adjunct teaching is usuallydoneon a contractualbasis with a teaching
load below the minimum required to earnbenefits.
9. JOB SEARCH/CHOOSING THERIGHT SCHOOL
Adjunct Professors
• Adjuncts teach one or twoclasses, without the other
responsibilities of a full-time faculty member.
• Adjuncts are hired toteach in a specialized field, professional
experience sometimes outweighs academic credentials
10. JOB SEARCH/CHOOSING THERIGHT SCHOOL
Adjunct to Full-time Professor
• If youare thinkingabout changing careers and enteringacademia full time,
manyschools require thatcandidates at least possess a master’s degree,
preferably ina media-relatedfield.
• This requirement stands unless youare very highly regardedin your field, then
academic credentials matter less.
• Example:Aaron Brown, Emmy award winning former CNN anchor and current
journalism professor at Arizona State University; Brown dropped out of the
Universityof Minnesota as an undergrad
11. JOB SEARCH/CHOOSING THERIGHT SCHOOL
Becoming a Full-time Professor
• Some universities may hire a candidate with the expectation that he/she
eventually will pursueand earna Ph.D.
• Thisdoes not mean that you won’t get hired, it just means that at some
point your employer may have an expectation that you pursuea Ph.D.
• Thereare different expectations for a facultymember with doctorate
and onewithout.
• First and foremost the main difference is the researchexpectation.
• Facultymembers with doctorates areexpected to conductresearch.
12. JOB SEARCH/CHOOSING THERIGHT SCHOOL
Becoming a Full-time Professor
• Obtaining a Ph.D. is important forinstitutions for accreditation
purposes
• Schools are required tohavea certain numberofprofessors with Ph.D.s
teaching in its respective areas.
• Justgetting a Ph.D. doesn’t guaranteea position, meaning that the
degreeshouldbe comparable tothe position to which you are applying.
• Example: A professorwho is applying fora public speaking position.
Even thoughhe taught the class before, hewas denied because noneof
his degrees were in speech communication, all ofhis degrees are in mass
communication.
13. JOB SEARCH/CHOOSING THERIGHT SCHOOL
Becoming a Full-time Professor
• If youare interested in pursuing the Ph.D. toeventuallyteach, your position
will be described as being onthe tenure track.
• The tenure system allowsa new professor a chance togrow comfortablewith
the institution,while teaching and researching.
• Tenure allows the institution anopportunity to evaluateyour work. The
process usually lasts six years with a pre-tenure review in your third year.
• Tenure brings job security. You nolonger work oncontract basis. Some
professionals opt to get the Ph.D. just so they cansecure the positionthrough
the tenure process.
14. Professional of Practice orTenure-Track Theory Professor
• Some universities-- not all -- have a professional track-
• Professional trackhires arebrought in for their professional experience and
they may or may not requirea mastersdegree.
• Inthese types of positions, the instructorworks on a yearlycontractbasis
and the depending on funding, the position could be cutat the discretion of
the university.
JOB SEARCH/CHOOSING THERIGHT SCHOOL
15. Professional of Practice orTenure-Track Theory Professor
• Some universities have a guidelines that allow Professionals ofPracticeto
pursuetenureand promotion based on creative/professional works.
• Professionalsof Practicehave many on the same job responsibilities as
faculty members with doctorates, suchas teaching and service;however,
theremay not be traditional researchresponsibilities.
• Dawkins and McCutchenare both ProfessionalsofPractice, Frederick is a
Tenure-TrackTheoryProfessor
JOB SEARCH/CHOOSING THERIGHT SCHOOL
16. Professional of Practice orTenure-Track Theory Professor
• Some professionals of Practiceare expected to performother duties on
campus becausethe researchrequirementsdiffer.
• Theseactivities may include:
an extra teaching load, more service tothe university, like advising
student organizations or requestingyour serviceasa media expert in some
aspect of university life.
JOB SEARCH/CHOOSING THERIGHT SCHOOL
17. THE RIGHTSCHOOL
University Teachingis:
1] One third classroom
2] One third scholarly/creative writing or grant getting
3] One third service [committees, consulting, etc.]
18. • Most four-yearcollege and universitiesemphasize
teaching, research, and service. The degree to which
these activitiesareemphasizeddepends on the type of
university.
• Teaching-evaluated on the effectiveness of your
teaching based on student evaluations. Your goal is to
try newand innovativethings inthe classroom
constantly try improve the qualityof instruction.
JOB SEARCH/CHOOSING THERIGHT SCHOOL
19. • Research- Conductresearch suchas writing papers. Depending on yourskill set, and
credentials, this expectation couldbe flexible
• Example: Afacultymemberwithsignificantproductionexperience anda master’s
degree, fulfills his research responsibilities throughcreative projects, suchas
documentaries andnews articles
• Service- Serving ondepartmentalanduniversity committees.Service couldalso entail
advisingstudent organizations orusing yourtalentsin other departments
JOB SEARCH/CHOOSING THERIGHT SCHOOL
20. • Typically larger universities areresearchfocused,and smaller institutions
put more emphasis on teaching.
• Review the profile ofthe institution on its’ website or inthe job
description.
• Thedescription will usuallydescribe the universityas research-intensive,
othersmay indicate that the institution as a comprehensive, or a liberal
artsinstitution.
• Schools describing themselves as comprehensiveorliberal arts
institutions usuallyput more emphasis on teaching.
JOB SEARCH/CHOOSING THERIGHT SCHOOL
21. TeachingPhilosophy
• Creating a teaching philosophy is a good way to stand out among other
applicants.
• A teaching philosophy is typically a brief essaythat will give a hiring
committee an idea ofwhat you actually do in the classroom.
• Youwill needto make general statements about howyou see yourroleas
an instructorand yourgoals asan instructor.
JOB SEARCH/CHOOSING THERIGHT SCHOOL
22. TeachingPhilosophy
• Include examples
• Describe things you havealready done, or at least seenin practice, rather
thangive anexample that is entirely hypothetical.
• In it discusshow you will translate yourprofessional experienceinto the
classroom
JOB SEARCH/CHOOSING THERIGHT SCHOOL
23. Academic Culture
• Typically professorswork on a nine-month contract.
• Thisdoes not mean you get the summeroff, which is a common
misconception.
• It is truethat many professors do not teach duringthe summer
• Manyteachersusesummersto conductresearch,work on creative
projects and/or revamp classes forthe next year.
JOB SEARCH/CHOOSING THERIGHT SCHOOL
24. Academic Culture
• Professors don’t worka typical nine to five.
• In that sense,the schedule is much moreflexible, but still very
busy.
• At smaller universities, faculty membersdo a little of
everything
• So youmayend up workinglate nights, grading, attending
university functions and/or preparing for the next day
JOB SEARCH/CHOOSING THERIGHT SCHOOL
25. TRANSLATING PROFESSIONAL EXPERIENCE INTO THE CLASSROOM
"TALKING STUDENTS' HEADS OFF: Although
male and female college faculty members
spend about the same amount of time testing,
men spend almost halfof their classtime [46
percent] lecturing [women spend 35 percent
of classtime talking]. ”
SOURCE: National Survey of Student
Engagement. 2006
26. TRANSLATING PROFESSIONAL EXPERIENCE INTO THE
CLASSROOM
• Academic employers hire journalists for their expertise.
• These professionals are great at what the do, but have a difficult
time translating those experiences in a teaching environmentin
some cases
• Instead of teaching they are a professional storytellers.
• Professors needto balance teaching how tobe a storyteller and
sharing newsroomexperiences with students.
28. • E-NewsU,"The laboratoryofjournalism,"wascreatedby
BattintoBatts,a 1987NABJscholarshipwinnerwho has
hadadistinguished newsroomcareerandis nowat
HamptonU.
• LastyearBattsbecame directorofthe William R.Harvey
LeadershipInstitute.Batts
createdenewsu.wordpress.comforusein his Online
Journalismclass.
• DawkinsusesE-NewsUtopostcontentfromhis 300-
level AdvancedReportingandWritingclass.Thesitehas
become the go-tospotforstudentnews content
FIELD TO LESSONS/GRADING
30. CAMPUSCHALLENGES
88% of first-yearsand 86% ofseniorsfrequentlytook
careful notesduring class.
However, only two-thirds ofall studentsfrequently
reviewed their notes after class.
Only 70% ofstudents frequentlysought help when
theydid not understandcoursematerial.
SOURCE:NATIONALSTUDENTENGAGEMENTSURVEY,2011
31. • Association for Education in Journalismand MassCommunication (AEJMC)
(Scholarly organization and accrediting body; also has job postings)
Per Sherri Williams AEJMChasjob hub where youcansend yourCVinadvanceofits conference and
bematchedwithschoolsthatare hiring and beinterviewed at theconference. Thisyear’s
deadline forthat passed (it wasJune1).Theconference isalwaysinearly August.This year it’s
Aug.8-12inChicago. Follow AEJMCon Twitter @AEJMCfor tweets onjob openings aswellas
thelatest mediaresearch bymembers (andothers).
• BroadcastEducation Association (BEA)
RESOURCES
32. • Dropbox (great for storing lectures and projects being shared
by professors; Dropbox items can be accessed from anywhere
you have web access)
• Egumpp.com
• E-News University
• Higheredjobs.com
RESOURCES
33. • Humanities andSocialSciences Online
(scholarly site thatfeatures resources, job postings,callfor papers andconferences)
• InsideHigher Ed (industrynews and job posts)
• NationalAssociationofBlackJournalists (NABJ) (jobs are postedon thewebsite, NABJForum
andNABJProfessors list servs; plus scholarships for thosegoingto gradschool;Sherri Williams
is a‘09 recipient)
• NationalAssociationofBroadcasters (NAB)
(professional organizationfor broadcasters)
RESOURCES
34. • NationalCommunicationAssociation(NCA)(featuesjournalism andmasscommunicationjob
posts)
• TheChronicle ofHigher Education(leading higher ed publicationandincludes postings)
• SyracuseUniversity, Newhouse School(deadline for grad schoolis December1.Students are
fully funded if accepted;Sherri Williams is acurrent student andcananswerquestions
@SherriWrites or sherriwilli@hotmail.com)
• Twitter (great wayto communicatewith students, have students tweet eventsas assignments,
create Storifies using tweets, follow fellow academics,news organizations,reporters andshare
resources with students andcolleagues)
• YouTube(great source for videos to supplement lectures; also videos from news organizations
andblogs like Media Bistro)
RESOURCES
