English 5160.01
Professional Development Workshop
CLAS 237
Thursdays: 3:45-4:45
Professor: Gregory Colón Semenza
Office: 232 CLAS
Office Hours: Tuesday, Wednesday, Thursday: 11-12:30
Phone: 486-5441 or 3229 (Home) 456-1580
Email: semenza@uconn.edu
Course Description:
Many graduate programs continue to regard students merely as “apprentices” despite the fact that the students are expected to design and teach their own classes, serve on university committees, and conference and publish regularly. The Chronicle of Higher Education reports that the attrition rate for American Ph.D. programs is at an all-time high, between 40% and 50% (higher for women and minorities). Of those who finish, only one in three will secure tenure-track jobs. These statistics highlight waste: of millions of dollars by universities and of time and energy by students. Our department is committed to facing the realities of the current market so that you can fashion yourself into a standout.
Rather than teaching you how to be a graduate student, then, this one-credit course will prepare you for what you really seek: a successful academic career. In a straightforward manner, it will help you to set up and actually practice a smart and informed “streamlining” approach to graduate study. Topics for discussion include, but are not limited to, conferencing, publishing, time management, dissertating, and preparing for the job market. Assignments will include reading, discussion, and—depending on your career status—submission of either a conference paper or a journal article.
Texts:
Nelson and Watt, Academic Keywords: A Devil’s Dictionary for Higher Education
Semenza, The No-Nonsense Guide to Graduate Study in the Humanities (ms. version)
Assignments and Requirements:
Reading and Participation:
20%
Progress Reports:
15%
Peer Reports:
15%
Final Submission:
50%
Article with Cover Letter:
Your goal should be to produce a publishable article or complete conference paper. While I recommend as a general guideline that articles be 20-25 pages long (conference papers about 10 pages), reasonably longer or shorter essays can be justified. Along with the essay, please provide a professionally written cover letter on UConn letterhead. The cover letter should be addressed to an appropriate journal/chair that you have researched and singled out for an initial submission. This assignment will be harped on endlessly in class. The essay is due on Dec. 13th.
Peer Reports:
Everyone will be part of three-person group. You will be matched with people working on (relatively) similar subjects. You will be responsible for obtaining and reading each group member’s project (after Sept. 30th so revised once) and issuing reader’s reports in journal style. In addition to the reports you give each group member, please submit copies of each report to me on October 21st.
Progress Reports:
Email to me, on time, formal progress reports on Sept. 30th and Nov. 18th. Please do your best to pretend that I am your journal editor. Examples of “revision explanations” will be provided.
CLASS SCHEDULE:
Sept. 2
Introduction to Course; Initial paper submission
Sept. 9
Chapter 5: “The Seminar Paper”
Sept. 16
“Preface” and “Introduction”
Sept. 23
Chapter 1: “The Culture of a Graduate Program”
Sept. 30
Chapter 2: “The Structure of a Graduate Program”; 1stProgress Report Due
Oct. 7
Chapter 3: “Organization and Time Management”
Oct. 14
Chapter 4: “The Graduate Seminar”
Oct. 21
Chapter 6: “Teaching”
Oct. 28
Chapter 7: “Exams”; Peer Reports Due
Nov. 4
Chapter 8: “The Dissertation”
Nov. 11
Chapter 9: “Attending Conferences”
Nov. 18
Chapter 10: “Publishing”; 2nd Progress Report Due
Dec. 2
Chapter 11: “Service”
Dec. 9
Chapter 12: “The Job Market”
Dec. 13
Final Paper Due