Well La-Dee-Da...
You might remember last year around this time that I wrote about being awarded the departmental teaching award, and how that was really a great thing for someone who hasn't been in the business that long.
I recently found out that this year the former chair put me up for the college-wide teaching award, and I apparently have been awarded that in my first year being nominated.
In the intervening year I have learned a lot more about academics, and specifically, what is valued at my university. I can say with a high degree of certainty that it is not teaching, especially under the direction of the new chair. So while I am grateful to those who nominated me this year, I am considerably less excited about this than I feel I should be.
I came across this while doing some reading on the subject of tenure:
At present the universities are as uncongenial to teaching as the Mojave Desert to a clutch of Druid priests. If you want to restore a Druid priesthood you cannot do it by offering prizes for Druid-of-the-year. If you want Druids, you must grow forests. - William Arrowsmith
Yeah.
I recently found out that this year the former chair put me up for the college-wide teaching award, and I apparently have been awarded that in my first year being nominated.
In the intervening year I have learned a lot more about academics, and specifically, what is valued at my university. I can say with a high degree of certainty that it is not teaching, especially under the direction of the new chair. So while I am grateful to those who nominated me this year, I am considerably less excited about this than I feel I should be.
I came across this while doing some reading on the subject of tenure:
At present the universities are as uncongenial to teaching as the Mojave Desert to a clutch of Druid priests. If you want to restore a Druid priesthood you cannot do it by offering prizes for Druid-of-the-year. If you want Druids, you must grow forests. - William Arrowsmith
Yeah.
posted by Professor B at 8:43 PM
3 Comments:
Tenure is NOT about teaching, it's about publishing. There are assistants and student aids to teach.
Caroline -
I'm well aware that tenure is not only about teaching, but for those of us that do it really well, it should be considered in a more balanced way. I have known many a professor that was an excellent researcher but a disaster in the classroom, and yet they were tenured, whereas the excellent teacher and mediocre researcher is shown the door. Why does one have to be more valuable than the other? Why can't we reward individuals for playing to their strengths? Why does everyone have to be squished into the same mold of what a "successful" academic is?
Assistants and student aids are fine, but if you look at the metrics, most colleges and departments want their full-time faculty teaching. It is hard to justify to parents $30+K in tuition a year if Johnny and Susie are being taught solely by adjuncts and students. Someone has to do the teaching, so why not reward those faculty that enjoy it and do it well?
Yo -
Congratulations, though. You deserve to have your considerable teaching efforts acknowledged.
-G
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