I was looking at the CVs of applicants for a deanling position here, and one of the CVs lists a book out from Scholar's Press. So I looked at some on-line booksellers, and didn't see it. So then I thought, hmm, that's odd, and googled the press, which basically looks sort of like an academic vanity sort of thing? It accepts manuscripts, and prepares to print them out and bind them "on demand," pretty much.
Is that your folks' impression?
What does it mean that a deanling candidate has listed this on their CV?
Does the fact that this person is a finalist for the position mean that the search committee doesn't realize about the press?
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I'm working on a conference paper along with my seminar students. They're required to do an abstract and annotated bibliography. I really don't want to do the annotated bibliography, but I really should. Ugh.
The upside is if I get this done, then I'll have a much better conference paper than otherwise.
Do you folks ever write alongside your students (as in, visibly to them)?
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One of the things we'll do with this is peer revision. In my experience, my upper level students do a much better job with peer revision than lower level students do. This is especially true when there are creative writing students in the mix, and English Ed students, because they get a lot of practice in responding to and critiquing peers' works. My sense would be that lots of practice helps people learn to be better peer responders. But we lit folks don't tend to have students do as much peer response as other folks.
In the Grade Information thread, Doc said that he basically found that peer revision didn't work well with upper level students.
What's your experience with using peer revision for upper level students?
From the profile I believe Doc is a she not a he.
ReplyDeleteI think when doing peer review for lab reports, the lower level students are a LOT more clueless about what they are doing. The upper level students basically understand how to work with the format of a lab report and are less likely to have glaringly obvious problems. The lower level students benefit more from seeing how others write reports, whether the feedback they provide is useful I'm not sure but they very likely benefit by being a reviewer and reading a number of lab reports. I haven't tried it myself, but being a science prof that is my guess.
Thanks, Dana! That totally makes sense. My apologies for my sexist gender assumption re Doc.
DeleteRE Peer review - I'll find out Monday. My Ren class is doing peer review of their papers then, and I'm really hoping it's helpful. I told them I want full drafts (12-15 pages) that they should email to their peer reader 24 hours in advance of class. Then, I'm hoping they'll have a fruitful conversation in class. We'll see how it goes.
ReplyDeleteThe Dean candidate's book -- I would tell the search committee what you've learned, because to me, that's not a "real" book. It's not something that's been peer reviewed and accepted by a legit press, and the search people should know that.
I hope your peer review went well in your Ren class!
DeleteYeah, it feels sketchy to me, too.
I do lots of peer response and usually upper-level students do better than lower-level because they have increased knowledge of what the genre should look like (whether it's an essay, a poem, or a technical document).
ReplyDeleteIt's important to remember peer response is a learned activity and benefits from reflection. I always ask my students to do a reflection on how they can make the group process better (because I teach writing and do peer response all the time).
I've meant to weigh in on the Grade Information and other interesting threads, but I've had a couple terrible terrible days and need to recuperate from that first.
Hi Earnest, I'm sorry things have been tough. I hope they're going better.
DeleteYes, I agree. Peer response is learned. I really like your idea of doing a reflection! So smart!
My impression is that Scholar's Press is basically a vanity press, and, to me, listing that on a CV would pretty much disqualify a candidate. In fact, yes, it would disqualify him/her (to me, if not a whole committee), and I would strenuously object to the hire, regardless of other qualifications. That may quite possibly be unfair of me--and that's why committees are important, so that one person's possibly disproportionate objections don't win the day--but, if I were you, I would certainly talk to the committee about this and raise it as a serious objection to the candidate.
ReplyDeleteThanks, Heu. I don't think the committee realizes, or the person wouldn't be a finalist, right?
DeleteScholar's Press website looks sketchy/vanity-press-ish. Agree with Fie that the lack of peer review is a problem. Using that kind of press also suggests a lack of understanding about research/publication norms that seems problematic for a deanling.
ReplyDeleteThanks, Sophylou. Yeah, there's either a lack of understanding or an intention to deceive. Ugh either way.
DeleteDoes the deanling have something else important to a search committee? Expertise in fundraising, tenure in an article field such that a vanity-press book might be just a way of assembling previously-published pieces in one convenient place, or to publicize teaching techniques that, while useful, aren't original enough to interest a real press? IOW, Scholar's Press is essentially a vanity press, but I'd want to look at the rest of the record. If the potential deanling is in a book field and that is THE book, that's a problem, if the deanling is supposed to have faculty status. If it's a staff rather than faculty position, books don't matter.
ReplyDeleteGoogling "Scholar's Press" should get you various queries from grad students and young scholars who got a general solicitation to publish their theses, wondering if this is legit. It is possible that the deanling got scammed this way and then did better thereafter. But I would certainly bring it up to the committee.
Thanks, Dame Eleanor. All the candidates have lots to offer. Yes, it's a book field, but we don't require a book for tenure, which makes this look especially weird.
ReplyDelete