It’s almost the time to start the fall semester and academic year. It’s amazing we are here again, but that’s the nature of life – time moves fast when you are having fun and busy.
As I am preparing to start my 12th year at the University of Louisville (amazing, I know!), I am reflecting on what was usually on my to-do list and plans for the upcoming year. I think there’s always something exciting about getting ready for the new academic year, preparing for the classes ahead, and thinking about what case studies, examples, and topics to cover. For those of us who are teaching social media, A LOT has changed since the spring!
This year is bit more of the same – teaching, researching, etc – but I’ve also made some choices I am excited about, but I also want to share with other professors.
Continue investing time in Teaching, projects, and speaking engagements. Some things won’t change dramatically! I am going to be teaching this fall (PR and social media classes), and working on projects (as always!). I do have a few speaking engagements this fall to take part of as well, so my regular duties will remain the same.
Investing more time and effort in industry conferences and events. Last year, I only really went to two academic conferences. In the past, I would attend almost 100 percent academic conferences to be part of a paper presentation, panel session, or do service. For the value I get from attending and participating in industry conferences, it’s truly priceless. It’s so important to make strong connections and be part of the industry, so you are able to bring back insights, best practices, and ideas to your classes and work.
Preparing for a big Year 2 for The Bird’s Nest. Bring on the coffee, because this is going to be one BUSY year! We are *still* not even a year old! Our anniversary is going to be in September, and we have some big, big plans for our second year as a student agency. We are now over 22 students in the agency, and our client list is growing more and more. We will have the opportunity to be part of some incredible campaigns and initiatives this year for the student agency. There’s nothing more rewarding than to see students excited about growing something truly special at the University of Louisville. We have grand plans, especially in making TBN a showpiece for the university.
Getting more involved with the industry. I am grateful Kelli Matthews shared this article from the Washington Post about professors getting experience in the industry to bring back to the classroom. I feel I am getting a great experience in this first hand with TBN, but I think it’s key to be tied to the profession and industry to be relevant, current, and proactive in your work. The lessons I’ve learned this past year from TBN – from operating like a start up to a full service agency – all while teaching, researching, and doing other projects – was more than I could have ever imagined.
Scaling way back on academic conferences. This may not be a surprise to anyone, but for the first time in over 10 years – I will not be attending or presenting at AEJMC. This was a choice on my part. From my discussions with colleagues in the field – it is very apparent my relationship with AEJMC is a “complicated” one, which is correct. It’s been complicated for several years.
I’ve raised my concerns about AEJMC quite a bit over the years (ex. price versus value, applicability, cliques and internal politics on paper reviewing, etc), but there are always new ones to add to the list. For example, I did not have on my bingo card this year I’d see first hand my idea that was shared with another professor within the #SMprofs community used for a webinar for PRD – with no acknowledgement, communication, or credit whatsoever. That was a first for me, since it was done so publicly. My immediate thought was – if they are doing this to a full professor, what else are they doing to junior faculty? With that being said, I am sitting out AEJMC for a while until these issues are resolved.
There is a reason for some of these changes and why I am approaching these items this upcoming year that may be helpful for professors (junior and others) to consider:
There is a reason for some of these changes and why I am approaching these items this upcoming year that may be helpful for professors (junior and others) to consider:
- External reviewers are looking for impact of work. More and more, we are seeing external reviewers care more about publications and work done in and out of the classroom rather than conference papers. I can tell you as someone who has been an external review for promotion and tenure cases – this is what I am seeing.
- Invest more in keynote speaking engagements and brand partnerships. Brands are looking to partner and work with academic ambassadors and more, and these experiences could lead to many more opportunities down the line.
- Build or develop something new. Building something new is a lot harder than coasting on another’s reputation (ex. program, school, department, etc). We tell our students ALL THE TIME to stand out, show what you have build from scratch. Have a community you want to create? Build it and invite others to be a part of it. Want to launch a newsletter? Go for it. Want to start a student agency? It can be done. Sure, building something new is a lot of work – but the rewards and pride you have (along with others who are part of the community) is priceless. It’s a powerful story you can create that shows application, impact, value, and expertise in the field.
- What worked before may not be important for tenure and promotion. I was told when I was going up for tenure – service at national organizations or conference papers were what external reviewers focused on. That’s false. What stood out to my external reviewers for both my tenure and promotion cases? My publications, my textbooks, the #SMprofs community, and my industry connections for my classes – all of these would be listed on what NOT to do by traditional professors back in the day. The industry (and our profession) is changing. What was okay before is not enough or even important any more. You got to invest your time, energy, and focus on the things you enjoy, find value in, and will help you.
These are just some of the things I’ve been thinking about over the summer, and I am excited with this new energy, focus, and drive for the upcoming year. There is a lot of work to be done, but it will be valuable and impactful, which is very important to me in my current stage of my career.
Let me know what you think! Hope you all are having a great day.
Best Wishes,
