Service Expectations Slides

1. SERVICE AND
EXPECTATIONS
Presented by
Dr. Elizabeth Catlos,
University of Texas at
Austin
Dr. Eric Peterson,
Illinois State University

2. OUTLINE
What is service
Common early career/later career service examples
Reasons Why and Why Not to perform service
Questions to consider when asked to perform service
Our advice
How to say no

3. WHAT IS SERVICE?
Activities in which faculty members offer professional
knowledge, skills, and advice to their communities
(University, profession, and public).
Service activities, whether compensated or not, draw on
professional expertise, relate to the teaching and
research missions of the University, and, typically, imply
a connection to the University.
Service role of faculty is expansive and often vaguely
defined
 Internal Service
 External Service

4. COMMON EARLY
CAREER SERVICE
Reviewer for a journal
Reviewer for a funding agency
Participating in dept/school/college/university committees
Chairing scientific sessions at
state/regional/national/international meetings
Part of planning workshops, seminars, conferences for
dept/school/college/university
Writing letters of recommendation to students
Mentoring students and student organizations
Others?

5. COMMON LATER
CAREER SERVICE
Serving on an editorial board for a journal
Serving/Leading a standing review board for a funding agency
Developing or chairing dept/school/college/university
committees
Organizing a state/regional/national/international meeting
Responsibility for workshops, seminars, conferences for
dept/school/college/university events
Initiating and supporting foundation activities for successful
former students
Others?

6. REASONS TO
PERFORM SERVICE
Develop a professional network among your peers
 Meet people who can assist you with your research and/or teaching
 Maintain relationships with people in your field
 Learn about what your peers are doing
 Cultivate a sense of collegiality in your field/dept/college/university
Professional development
 Improve management skills
 Enhance your reputation
Desire to learn and/or improve how organizations operate
 What is your depts. curriculum for the geosciences degree and is it
effective?
 How does your university deal with student/departmental affairs
 Desire to ―give back‖ or improve to the
dept/college/university/students/organizations

7. REASONS TO
PERFORM SERVICE
Required
 Tenure expectations
 Learn about what is required for service to your institution
Example: Illinois State University (ISU)
ISU recognizes two major sub-categories: professional service and
university service.
Professional service is the application of faculty professional expertise to
needs, issues, and problems in service to professional associations as
well as to business, government, not-for-profit enterprises, and the
general citizenry.
University service is the application of faculty expertise to the operation
and governance of the University, including academic programs,
departments/schools, colleges, and other components of the University.

8. REASONS NOT TO
PERFORM SERVICE
Time restrictions
 Not able to meet the needs in a timely fashion
 Other priorities are more urgent
 Unable to multi-task
Not a priority
 Other issues are more important to your career (research, teaching)
 Distracted by other items in your academic life
 Already taken on or given too many responsibilities
Not of interest
 Service goal is boring/tedious
 Dealing with difficult people
 No immediate reward
 No feeling of connection with your
dept/college/university/students/organizations

9. REASONS NOT TO
PERFORM SERVICE
Not competent
 ―Rather than being allowed– and indeed encouraged—to
concentrate on their academic work, many [are] sucked into a
plethora of activities often unrelated to their competence and
interests.‖ Banks (1984)

10. QUESTIONS TO
CONSIDER
How is service recognized within you
department/school, college, university?
 Clues are in the Faculty Annual Report and Faculty
Handbook
What are the expectations for a faculty member at
your rank?
What is the purpose/goal of the service role?
Does the purpose/goal fit into your professional
goals?
Are there opportunities for service that compliment
your teaching or scholarship, i.e. service learning or
scholarship of engagement?

11. QUESTIONS TO
CONSIDER
How long is the commitment?
What are you committing yourself to do? What are the
duties?
Can overlap exist so your service is part of your research
and/or teaching?
What are the implications if I say ―No‖?
 Will I alienate myself within my discipline?
 Will I upset peers in my department?
 Will it free time for other pursuits?

12. ADVICE
Service will not get you tenure, but the absence of service can
be a detriment to promotion.
 Identify what is important to your dept/college/university in terms of
service
 Faculty Handbook
 End-of-year review
Plan your service commitment goals as you do your research
and teaching
 33% research 33% teaching 33% service?
 50% research 25% teaching 25% service?
 70% research 20% teaching 10% service?
Start with internal service and branch out as you become more
comfortable
 If you have not been asked to serve by your dept., discuss with dept.
head reasons why
 Identify a committee in which you would like to serve

13. Identify organizations important to you/your field that you are motived and excited to
be part of
 Geological organizations often have management boards/discipline groups that need
assistance
 Consider international/national/section/discipline/local organizations
 Consider organizations that may be peripheral but still useful for your field/important to the
university
Use service as an opportunity to learn and grow
 Network opportunities
 Expand research, teaching, training opportunities
Become involved in service learning that allows you to combine scholarship or
teaching with service.
It is OK to say ―No‖
ADVICE

14. Consider the request.
 Be respectful, even if the person asking isn't
Say "no" as simply as possible
 Preface your 'NO' by saying 'I understand what you are saying'
before refusing - it helps if people feel empathy.
 You may need to say no many times before the requestor hears you.
 If your refusal upsets someone, remain calm and, if possible,
remove yourself from the situation.
 If you are unable to do so, change the subject or compliment them
somehow.
 Remain non-confrontational and resist the urge to explain
HOW TO SAY NO

15. Transfer ownership of your refusal to something else
 ―I cannot do this. I am working on X, Y, and Z and would not be able to
commit the time.‖
 ―My schedule is booked now.‖
 Do not lie when you explain why your answer is no.
Help the requestor find an alternative
 ―This proposal/manuscript is not my expertise, but I recommend this
reviewer.‖
 ―This committee is too much for me, but I know he is looking for a
service opportunity.‖
 ―Is this something my student could do? I think she would appreciate the
opportunity.‖
Stand firm. It is your time they are asking for and you have the
choice
 If you feel uncomfortable, ask a third party/mentor for assistance
HOW TO SAY NO

16. REFERENCES
Banks, W. (1984) Afro-American scholars in the university:Roles and conflict. American
Behavioral Scientist, 27, 325-338.
Berberet, J. (1999). The Professoriate and Institutional Citizenship Toward a Scholarship
of Service. Liberal Education, 85(4), 33-39.
Boice, R. (2000). Advice for New Faculty Members: Nihil Nimus. Needham Heights, MA:
Allyn & Bacon.
Fear, F.A., and Sandmann, L.R. (1995). Unpacking the Service Category:
Reconceptualizing University Outreach for the 21st century. Continuing Higher Education
Review, 59(3), 110-122.
Illinois State University (2013) Appointment, Salary, Promotion and Tenure Policies
Tomorrow's Professor Msg.#556 Faculty Service Roles and the Scholarship of
Engagement, O'Meara, K.A. (1997, Mar.). Rewarding Faculty Professional Service
(Working Paper No. 19). Boston: New England Resource Center for Higher Education,
University of Massachusetts-Boston, Graduate College of Education.
Ward, Kelly, (2003) Faculty Service Roles and the Scholarship of Engagement. ERIC
Digest ERIC Identifier: ED480469
http://www.wikihow.com/Say-No-Respectfully