What do we mean by mid-career?
For the purposes of this reading group, mid-career is defined as teaching faculty of any rank and appointment type who are between these two milestones: about seven years after receiving a terminal degree and about ten years before retirement.
When will we meet?
This group will meet approximately six times during the academic year.
How do I sign up?
The deadline to sign up was Sept 5th. However, you can join late! Please email Nancy Thompson (thompsn@stolaf.edu) to express your interest.
What will we discuss?
Some possible discussion topics include:
- Keeping your approaches to teaching effective for students and interesting to you
- Prioritizing scholarly/artistic projects and professional obligations that you find meaningful
- Balancing on-campus commitments with other aspects of work and life
- Adapting to new technologies in the classroom (i.e. AI).
What will we read?
Some possible readings include:
- Baker, Vicki L. Managing Your Academic Career: A Guide to Re-Envision Mid-Career. New York: Routledge, 2022. Access e-book through the library here.
- Baker, Vicki L., Aimee L. Terosky, and Laura G. Lunsford, eds. A Toolkit for Mid-Career Academics: Cultivating Career Advancement. New York, NY: Routledge, 2024. Access e-book through the library here.
- Black, Alison and Rachael Dwyer, eds. Reimagining the Academy: ShiFting Towards Kindness, Connection, and an Ethics of Care. Palgrave Macmillan, 2021. Access e-book through the library here.
- Fitzpatrick, Kathleen. Generous Thinking: A Radical Approach to Saving the University. Baltimore: Johns Hopkins University Press, 2019. Access e-book through the library here.
- Pope-Ruark, Rebecca. Unraveling Faculty Burnout: Pathways to Reckoning and Renewal. Baltimore: Johns Hopkins University Press, 2022. Access e-book through the library here.