Well, this is the tenth edition of The Productive Academic – how time flies!
I thought that this would be a good time to briefly review the topics that have been covered so far.
If you have joined recently, this edition should give you quick and easy access to previous articles.
Newsletter 1
Starting with newsletter edition number 1 titled “How to Use Potentially Wasted Time in Your Schedule to Write and Successfully Publish More Research Articles”.
This articles provides tips for academic staff struggling to find time for writing publications.
Key suggestions include committing to writing for 10 minutes daily, writing for oneself without worrying about mistakes initially, separating the writing and editing processes, investing time in outlining articles, and utilising small snippets of time effectively.
It also emphasises the importance of consistent effort and effective habit formation to succeed in academic writing.
#9: 4 Fears Faced By Academic Managers And How To Eradicate Them
Newsletter 2
Newsletter edition number 2: “7 Easy Ways To Streamline University Assessments, Reduce Your Workload And Enhance Student Learning”.
This article outlines strategies to simplify assessment processes in academia.
These strategies aim to lessen the marking load on faculty while improving student learning outcomes.
Key approaches include establishing clear assessment criteria, using automated grading tools, implementing peer and self-assessment, focusing on essential feedback, embracing formative assessments, and enhancing learning with multiple answer questions.
The article emphasises efficient assessment methods that can save time for academic staff and benefit student learning.
For a more comprehensive understanding, you can read the full article here:
#9: 4 Fears Faced By Academic Managers And How To Eradicate Them
Newsletter 3
Newsletter edition number 3: “4 Mistakes Made By University Academics That Guarantee Their Journal Article Will Fail the Peer-Review Process”.
This identifies common errors academics make in their journal submissions.
It stresses the importance of aligning the article with the journal’s audience, adhering to formatting rules, constructing arguments with scholarly rigour, and avoiding spelling and grammar errors.
The article serves as a guide to enhance the chances of article acceptance by avoiding these pitfalls.
To delve deeper into these points, you can read the full article here:
#3: 4 Mistakes Made By University Academics That Guarantee Their Journal Article Will Fail the Peer-Review Process
Newsletter 4
Newsletter edition number 4: “3 Strategies to Foster a Culture of Servant Leadership in Academic Development”.
In here I discuss fostering servant leadership in academia.
It outlines three key strategies: leading by serving, cultivating empathy and understanding, and promoting lifelong learning.
The article describes the importance of academic leaders embodying service values, understanding staff needs, and encouraging continuous growth and learning.
It suggests that these approaches lead to a thriving academic community through collaboration and innovation.
#4: 3 Strategies to Foster a Culture of Servant Leadership in Academic Development
Newsletter 5
Newsletter edition number 5: “How to Engage Time-Pressed Academic Staff in Research-Informed Practice as an Academic Manager”.
This newsletter edition explores strategies for encouraging busy academic staff to integrate research into their teaching practices.
It suggests setting the institutional context, focusing on efficiencies in research-informed practice, utilising technology in learning, and modelling best practices.
The post emphasises the importance of understanding and adapting to faculty needs and preferences to foster a culture of research-informed teaching.
For more insights, you can read the complete article here:
#9: 4 Fears Faced By Academic Managers And How To Eradicate Them
Newsletter 6
Newsletter edition number 6: “Cultivating a Culture of Innovation: 8 Underrated Traits from Productive Academic Departments”
I explore traits that foster innovation in academic settings.
The article describes embracing diversity of thought, cultivating a growth mindset, encouraging risk-taking and failure tolerance, developing effective communication skills, being agile, promoting collaboration, managing time and workflow efficiently, and nurturing supportive leadership.
The article underscores these attributes as crucial for driving proactive thinking and innovation in academia.
For a more in-depth exploration of these traits, visit the full article here:
#6: Cultivating a Culture of Innovation: 8 Underrated Traits from Productive Academic Departments
Newsletter 7
Newsletter edition number 7: “How Successful Academic Faculty Use Journal Paper Rejections As A Method For Building Their Resilience” discusses turning journal rejections into resilience-building experiences for academics.
It covers strategies such as embracing failure, learning from feedback, cultivating a growth mindset, building supportive networks, setting realistic goals, diversifying submission strategies, and prioritising self-care.
These principles guide academic faculty to use setbacks as opportunities for growth and success in their careers.
For a more comprehensive understanding, you can read the full article here:
#7: How Successful Academic Faculty Use Journal Paper Rejections As A Method For Building Their Resilience
Newsletter 8
Newsletter edition number 8: “How Academic Faculty Can Use Their Teaching Role To Establish A Research Track Record” offers six principles for academic faculty to integrate research into their teaching.
These include using research-based pedagogy, involving students in funded research, integrating research into course curricula, using teaching for research dissemination, applying action research in teaching, and establishing collaborative research networks among students.
This edition explains the synergy between teaching and research, enhancing the educational experience and advancing knowledge in academia.
For a full understanding of these principles, you can read the article here:
#8: How Academic Faculty Can Use Their Teaching Role To Establish A Research Track-Record
Newsletter 9
And finally, Newsletter edition number 9: “4 Fears Faced By Academic Managers And How To Eradicate Them” addresses common fears academic managers encounter and strategies to overcome them.
It covers fears of confrontation, resistance to change, inadequate resources, and failure.
The post suggests building a culture of trust, effective change management, optimising resources, and embracing risk-taking.
It advocates using a coaching mindset to foster open communication, continuous improvement, and innovation in academic management.
For a detailed read, please visit the full article here:
#9: 4 Fears Faced By Academic Managers And How To Eradicate Them