Good News! 18 February 2007
Posted by Todd in Academia & Education.8 comments
My 2nd year tenure dossier has officially been accepted by the Provost at my university. The tenure process can be mysterious and downright vexing, but I’m lucky to be at an institution with a transparent and well-documented process, so you know where you are every step of the way. We have big university dossier reviews on even years, with tenure being awarded (if all goes well) following the 6th year. During odd years, there is a mini, college-level review. So this was my first big hurdle toward tenure.
I am worried about the amount of research and community service I’m able to accomplish given the crushing teaching load at my university (this despite the Chancelor’s insistence that we work less and are paid more than our peer universities…but that’s a digression). Talking with colleagues, I’m on track; but I should’ve had this manuscript finalized early last fall, and here I am writing lectures on a Sunday trying to figure out how I’m going to send the re-revised manuscript in by the end of the week. What a mess.
But the take home message is, Hooray! Made it through the first major tenure hoop.
Life of the Mind (Hofstadter) 22 February 2007
Posted by Todd in Academia & Education, Commentary, Philosophy & Social Theory.1 comment so far
I’ve just begun reading Richard Hofstadter’s seminal work from 1964, Anti-Intellectualism in American Life. Needless to say, he was a brilliant thinker and writer, who died far too young, as did many of the best public intellectuals of the mid-20th century. I’ll be posting more about the book in the near future. Here’s a witty example of Hofstadter’s sly, understated style:
And here is a part of Hofstadter’s discussion of what makes one an “intellectual”: