The Little Professor

End of Semester Wrap-Up

It's time for another edition of "what does a full professor at a small regional comprehensive do with her semester?"

Research and writing:

  • Currently finishing up the footnotes on an article that I'd like to send out by the end of the year.  The article will also be two book chapters (with one chapter a slightly expanded version of the text's main body, and one chapter built up from a section that currently occupies about three pages of text).
  • I think I have a book chapter appearing on...Monday?
  • A book review appeared.
  • Updated the footnotes to an article in an edited collection.  The collection has been circulating for a while, so I keep updating the footnotes...
  • Started working on queries regarding a manuscript currently in press.
  • Refereed an article.
  • Agreed to write a book review.
  • Agreed to be the external examiner on a doctoral dissertation.
  • Wrote an external promotion review letter.
  • Working on a conference paper proposal related to bullet point #1 (the "three pages of text" section), as I'd like to make sure that I get going with that chapter.

Teaching:

  • Taught three sections: British Literature II (40 students), Introduction to Literary Analysis (15), Capstone Seminar (18).    Grading now in process (one class finished). 
  • A colleague and I developed a new minor (co-housed in the History department) that was approved by the Senate, so I'm thinking about a new undergraduate course for it in the Fall.
  • Began thinking about my Spring courses, of which there are only two this time (for reasons related to bullet point #2 below). 

Service:

  • I started the semester as chair of the Curriculum Committee.  Then...
  • I underwent a magical transformation (no sparkles involved) and became interim Associate Chair of the Department.  I was expecting to become interim Associate Chair next semester, not this semester, so there was some desperate flailing around.  However, I seem to have settled in, and we'll see how this goes.  (I spent several years as director of the graduate program, so I've done administrative duties before.)  In any event, this job will come with a dollop of accreditation work next semester. 
  • Was on a promotion committee. 
academic teaching