By Ramendra Singh - EvoLLLution. It’s no surprise marketers worldwide are getting more advanced in their approaches toward targeting prospects — potential, current and past customers — and influencers. They’re also actively managing their reputation due to the explosion of social media channels and proliferation of information. More...

By Karen Kelsky - Chronicle Vitae. I am currently a visiting assistant professor at a regional campus of a state university system. Should I still be including a letter of recommendation from my grad-school advisor in applications? I'm three years out of grad school, and my advisor is great—always updates the letter, takes into account new work I've published, etc—but does it look bad (i.e., too "grad student-y") to rely on an advisor’s letter at this point in my career?
Terrific question. It shows that you are thinking strategically about the market.
The short answer is: Yes, three years out of grad school, it’s fine to have your Ph.D. advisor still write for you. I generally feel that a Ph.D. advisor can safely write for you for about five years, and some people have their advisors write for much longer than that. See more...

By David Gooblar - Chronicle Vitae. This month, all over the country, thousands upon thousands of college instructors are losing sleep over grade inflation. They’ve worked hard all semester to make their students better thinkers and writers with a wider base of knowledge. They’ve done their level best to assess their students’ performance in class fairly and accurately. They’ve devoted many hours to choosing the most appropriate assessment criteria for the their classes’ objectives. And yet, staring at a long list of A’s, A-minuses, and B-pluses, these otherwise confident and self-assured teachers feel real guilt at adding to what is surely the scourge of American education. See more...

By David Perry - Chronicle Vitae. Last month I shared some tips on how to get ready for a teaching position abroad. Now it’s time to talk about how to get settled once you arrive.
At first you'll probably go through a honeymoon period: Everything about your new home will feel lovely and charming. After some time, however, you'll likely experience what the French call dépaysement, the feeling of not being in one's own country. Going abroad—especially if you go by yourself—means being away from the networks of support that family and friends provide. A language barrier and new culture can heighten feelings of isolation, so it's important to look after your own emotional well-being. See more...

By Stacey Patton - Chronicle Vitae. People have this impression that I have a full life. I have a Type A personality, I’m pursuing my Ph.D., I travel, I stay active. But I recognize that I do all this because I don’t want to be one of those people that sits around wallowing in my sadness. I’m good at masking the reality of my loneliness. I keep moving and try to fill that void of not being in a relationship with other stuff. I spend 99 percent of my time alone. To be without someone holding your hand, to go without a kiss, without physical and emotional contact, is devastating. There’s a whole bunch of us academics walking around feeling alone. Being a single academic is an issue I’ve been grappling with for a very long time. See more...