tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-29059245.post5296661497322673816..comments2024-03-25T02:33:41.590-05:00Comments on FemaleScienceProfessor: NewslettersFemale Science Professorhttp://www.blogger.com/profile/15288567883197987690noreply@blogger.comBlogger9125tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-29059245.post-37163463464691275582008-01-21T11:28:00.000-06:002008-01-21T11:28:00.000-06:00Could you set up a department blog instead of a ne...Could you set up a department blog instead of a newsletter?Not Importanthttps://www.blogger.com/profile/18307127026012212518noreply@blogger.comtag:blogger.com,1999:blog-29059245.post-80934111118799915362008-01-16T05:24:00.000-06:002008-01-16T05:24:00.000-06:00I have never heard of a faculty being asked to do ...I have never heard of a faculty being asked to do something like this, actually. And if the first person asked to do that (i.e., the "faculty member not active in research") simply refused to do it and got away with it, I think it is quite all right if you take the same approach :-)Anonymousnoreply@blogger.comtag:blogger.com,1999:blog-29059245.post-23082442898134194412008-01-15T18:18:00.000-06:002008-01-15T18:18:00.000-06:00Kate, that was my first thought too.Kate, that was my first thought too.Changehttps://www.blogger.com/profile/11291568318788440530noreply@blogger.comtag:blogger.com,1999:blog-29059245.post-43601847924487138812008-01-15T17:27:00.000-06:002008-01-15T17:27:00.000-06:00I wrote the department's newsletter my senior year...I wrote the department's newsletter my senior year of undergrad. I had a writing minor in the English department. Writing the science department's newsletter counted as an independent study for my English minor. It worked out great, although the quality was probably lower than if it had been written by a professor.<BR/><BR/>This seems like something an eager student could do with your supervision. Does your university have a journalism or other written communication program?EcoGeoFemmehttps://www.blogger.com/profile/11236907917990309659noreply@blogger.comtag:blogger.com,1999:blog-29059245.post-34235890933517136422008-01-15T13:39:00.000-06:002008-01-15T13:39:00.000-06:00Interesting. In grad school, another student and I...Interesting. In grad school, another student and I were the newsletter editors. They paid us (something meaningful to us, but small--a few $100?), we used the department's equipment, it was sent to a printer. We didn't do much writing, but hounded professors to write things and listed students' accomplishments. So, I say get grad students to do it for cheap!<BR/><BR/>Due almost exclusively to this experience, I was recruited to be the newsletter editor for a section in my professional association, which is a mixed bag but comes with a tiny bit of prestige.Jenniferhttps://www.blogger.com/profile/04386665955345868738noreply@blogger.comtag:blogger.com,1999:blog-29059245.post-69485850794242925652008-01-15T13:38:00.000-06:002008-01-15T13:38:00.000-06:00Could it be your feminine secretarial skills? Or a...Could it be your feminine secretarial skills? Or are those just my gender lenses acting up again? Geez, I just go seeing gender everywhere...Katehttps://www.blogger.com/profile/16995641658376827290noreply@blogger.comtag:blogger.com,1999:blog-29059245.post-565813482487984982008-01-15T11:36:00.000-06:002008-01-15T11:36:00.000-06:00I'm somewhat in charge of our department newslette...I'm somewhat in charge of our department newsletter, but only because I teach our department's writing course. I assign the newsletter as a group project to the students. I copy-edit the newsletter after it's gone through a couple rounds of editing by the students, and occasionally I ask them to delete something inappropriate. And I tell them that, if the newsletter isn't perfect, it won't be sent out, and the alums will be disappointed.<BR/><BR/>This is probably my only success in delegating anything. But, because our curriculum is set up in this way, it works. (And when the students complain about writing in a group, I tell them that they'll be dealing with committees for the rest of their lives, and yes, they're frustrating, and to get used to it.)Kimhttps://www.blogger.com/profile/07738706550175991130noreply@blogger.comtag:blogger.com,1999:blog-29059245.post-23461550227282878532008-01-15T11:13:00.000-06:002008-01-15T11:13:00.000-06:00I suspect if you've hit the point where you're ask...I suspect if you've hit the point where you're asking that, it's already too late. :)<BR/><BR/>In my (probably smaller) undergrad geo department, the administrative assistant was in charge of the newsletter, since she kept track of all the alumni addresses and updates. Each professor contributed a section on their latest research and some photos, and alumni were asked to do the same (with varying levels of participation). <BR/><BR/>So, essentially, it worked much the same way as you're describing; the assistant was in charge of organizing all the input and writing small portions, but everyone else was responsible for content. I was the office assistant and ended up helping her with the editing and the mailing process, but it was definitely a long and complicated project.<BR/><BR/>Bringing new people into our process did, however, result in a very spiffy magazine-style newsletter (much improved from the stapled white-paper-printout version of years past). I think you should definitely rotate through teams of people.Jessica Ballhttps://www.blogger.com/profile/13117925212295349320noreply@blogger.comtag:blogger.com,1999:blog-29059245.post-38870006406616893372008-01-15T10:55:00.000-06:002008-01-15T10:55:00.000-06:00The answer to question 2 is "a lot fewer than you ...The answer to question 2 is "a lot fewer than you take on." And I say this as someone who reads your blog regularly, so, you should take my advise as the absolute last word on the question, and not listen to anyone else. <BR/><BR/>Folks are always saying not to take on too much service, and I think that once you've met your obligation, the next stuff is to think hard about which service you want to spend time on, which adds joy to your life. And, then, say no to the rest, even if it means that no one does the newsletter.Anonymousnoreply@blogger.com