History 716:
Professional and Pedagogical Issues in History
Spring 2013: Mondays 7:00-9:40
Merry Wiesner-Hanks
Office: Holton 342B 229-4529
Email: merrywh@uwm.edu
COURSE DESCRIPTION: This course provides a roadmap and survival guide for the
world of professional history and related interdisciplinary fields, including research,
publishing, teaching, and career development. It covers skills needed to work in
academia: creating and maintaining a CV and resumé; oral and written presentations of
research; negotiating with ethics boards and other bureaucracies; grant-writing;
publication of articles and book-reviews; planning and writing longer works, including a
dissertation; developing courses; pedagogical issues and assessment methods. We will
also spend some time discussing the job market and strategies for obtaining and holding a
job. Students should come in to the course with at least one graduate-level seminar paper
in hand, as this will be used for development into oral and written presentations.
Students currently writing dissertations or master’s theses may use this research as the
basis for their assignments in the class.
COURSE FORMAT: The course will consist primarily of the sharing of student work,
supplemented by discussion of brief readings and general issues. Each student will make
several oral presentations, including a conference presentation and a course lecture, and
will evaluate the oral and written presentations of other class members. The student will
also develop a portfolio of written materials throughout the course, which may include:
CV and resumé, conference paper abstract and conference paper, conference session
proposal, funding proposal, dissertation proposal, course syllabi, exams and assignments,
grading rubric, Powerpoint presentation, job application letter, teaching portfolio. (Exact
balance of assignments will be individualized, and dependent on where the student is in
his or her graduate program.)
Helpful general resources:
John A. Goldsmith, John Komlos, and Penny Schine Gold, The Chicago Guide to Your
Academic Career: A Portable Mentor for Scholars from Graduate School through
Tenure. Chicago: University of Chicago Press, 2000. Available through any on-line
bookseller.
From Concept to Completion: A Dissertation-Writing Guide for History Students.
Published by the AHA and available through their website. http://www.historians.org
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Week 1 (January 28) Being a historian and getting started in the field
CVs; resumés; recording your professional progress
Organizations and professional societies
Readings:
Roy Rosenzweig, “How Americans Use and think about the Past: Implications from a
National Survey for the Teaching of History,” in Peter N. Stearns, Peter Seixas and Sam
Wineburg, eds., Knowing, Teaching and Learning History: National and International
Perspective (New York: NYU Press, 2000), pp. 262-283. (sent as pdf)
Resources: The AHA’s official website: http://www.historians.org
The Chronicle of Higher Education’s ProfHacker blog, “tips about teaching,
technology, and productivity”: http://chronicle.com/blogs/profhacker/
Collaborative graduate student blog:
http://www.gradhacker.org/about/mission-statement/
RESEARCH
Weeks 2 and 3 (February 4 and 11) Presenting your research orally
Discussion Topics:
Conference papers: abstracts, keeping within time limits, visual aids
Chairing and responding at conferences
Organizing a conference session
Feb. 4 Guest: Professor Christine Evans
Readings:
Claire Potter on giving a good paper:
http://chronicle.com/blognetwork/tenuredradical/2007/11/how-to-give-goodpaper/
Linda Kerber on giving a good paper, moderating, and commenting:
http://www.historians.org/perspectives/issues/2008/0805/0805pro1.cfm
http://www.historians.org/perspectives/issues/2008/0809/0809pro1.cfm
http://www.historians.org/perspectives/issues/2008/0810/0810pro2.cfm
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Oral presentations:
Conference session: February 11
Week 4 (February 18) Presenting your research in print: journal articles
Discussion Topics:
Transforming a seminar paper or a conference presentation into a publishable
article
Choosing a journal
Submitting an article to a journal
Responding to readers’ evaluations
Readings:
Liena Vayzman: Practical Advice for Writing Your Dissertation, Book, or Article
http://www.historians.org/perspectives/issues/2006/0612/0612gra1.cfm
Resources: http://www.historians.org/pubs/free/journals/
Oral presentations:
Conference session: February 18
Weeks 5 and 6 (February 25 and March 4): Presenting your research in print: theses and
dissertations
Discussion Topics:
Working in archives
Writing a thesis or dissertation prospectus
Writing a thesis or a dissertation
February 25 guest: Professor Marcus Filippello
Readings:
1. Dissertation Proposal Stages
2. Tips and Suggestions for Your Research Trip
3. From Notes to Narrative: The Art of Crafting a Dissertation or Monograph
Brad Gregory: Managing the Terror
Deborah Harkness: Finding the Story
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Judith Walkowitz: On Taking Notes
All on: http://www.historians.org/grads/StartToFinish.cfm#research
Andrew McIlwaine Bell: Beat the Clock! Managing the Final Lap of Your PhD
Program
http://www.historians.org/Perspectives/issues/2007/0712/0712gra2.cfm
Blogs by dissertators:
http://disshell.blogspot.com/
http://tododissertation.wordpress.com/
Week 7 (March 11): Issues in Research
Discussion Topics:
Finding funding sources
Writing grant applications
Working with living subjects and with Institutional Review Boards
Guest: Professor Michael Gordon
Readings:
Forum on IRBs: by Linda Shopes, E. Taylor Atkins and Zachary M. Schrag
http://www.historians.org/perspectives/issues/2007/0703/0703vie1.cfm
http://www.historians.org/perspectives/issues/2007/0703/0703vie2.cfm
http://www.historians.org/perspectives/issues/2007/0703/0703vie3.cfm
TEACHING
Weeks 8 and 9 (March 25 and April 1): Designing courses
Discussion Topics
Setting course objectives
Designing syllabi
Choosing textbooks and other materials
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Visual materials: Powerpoint, films
March 25 guest: Professor Winson Chu
April 1 guest: Professor David DiValerio
Readings:
David Pace, "The Amateur in the Operating Room: History and the Scholarship of
Teaching and Learning," AHR 109:4 (October 2004), 1171–92. (sent as a pdf)
Robert W. Bain, “Into the Breach: Using Research and Teaching to Think
Historically” in Stearns, Seixas and Wineburg, Knowing, Teaching and Learning
History, pp. 331-352. (sent as a pdf)
Thomas Andrews and Flannery Burke: What Does It Mean to Think Historically?
http://www.historians.org/perspectives/issues/2007/0701/0701tea2.cfm
Terry Seip: Graduate Students' Forum: Getting Started on Teaching
http://www.historians.org/perspectives/issues/2004/0410/0410for2.cfm
Oral presentations:
Course lecture April 1
Weeks 10 and 11 (April 8 and 15): Teaching and assessing
Discussion topics:
Pedagogic strategies for different types of courses: lecture courses, seminars, online and hybrid courses
Designing appropriate assignments, exams and other assessment tools
Techniques for effective grading: rubrics, feedback
Teaching in a variety of settings: Small colleges, religious colleges, community
colleges
April 15 guests: Prof. Jodi Eastberg, Alverno College, and Professor Michael
Carriere, Milwaukee School of Engineering
Readings:
Courses:
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Stuart D. Sears: Reinventing the Survey: Pedagogical Strategies for Engagement
http://www.historians.org/perspectives/issues/2005/0502/0502tea1.cfm
Lendol Calder: Looking for Learning in the History Survey
http://www.historians.org/Perspectives/Issues/2002/0203/0203teach1.cfm
Peter Filene: Graduate Students' Forum: A Recipe for a Successful Lecture
http://www.historians.org/perspectives/issues/2004/0410/0410for3.cfm
Assignments and feedback:
Richard E. Bond: Failing Lessons: Tales of Disastrous Assignments
http://www.historians.org/Perspectives/issues/2013/1301/Failing-Lessons-Talesof-Disastrous-Assignments.cfm
Christopher Miller on designing web-based assignments: Strange Facts in the
History Classroom: Or How I learned to Stop Worrying and Love the Wiki(pedia)
http://www.historians.org/perspectives/issues/2007/0705/0705vie1.cfm
Carole Srole: Building History Skills Tier by Tier
http://www.historians.org/perspectives/issues/2008/0802/0802tea1.cfm
Tim Burke on providing feedback on student papers: Beyond the Five-Paragraph
Essay
http://weblogs.swarthmore.edu/burke/?page_id=85
On Teaching in Specific Settings:
Emily Sohmer Tai: Teaching History at a Community College
http://www.historians.org/perspectives/issues/2004/0402/0402gra1.cfm
Michael H. Carriere: Engineering History: Teaching the Past to Non-Liberal Arts
Students
http://www.historians.org/perspectives/issues/2011/1110/1110tea2.cfm
Oral presentations:
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Course lecture April 8
Course lecture April 15
GETTING A JOB
Weeks 12 and 13 (April 22 and April 29): Strategies, expectations, and the job market
Discussion topics:
Writing a job application letter and cv
Teaching portfolios
Phone and convention interviews
Job talks and on-campus interviews
Support networks
Readings:
Ryan Cordell on Useful Resources for the Job Market
http://chronicle.com/blogs/profhacker/?p=42892?cid=wc&utm_source=wc&utm_
medium=en
Tim Burke: From ABD to the Job Market, Advice for the Grad School Endgame
http://weblogs.swarthmore.edu/burke/?page_id=5
Betty A. Dessants: Graduate Students Forum: Preparing the Teaching Portfolio
http://www.historians.org/perspectives/issues/2003/0309/0309for2.cfm
Steve Hochstadt: Graduate Students Forum: The Convincing Cover Letter
http://www.historians.org/perspectives/issues/2003/0309/0309for1.cfm
Sally Hadden: Graduate Students Forum: The Campus Visit: Passing the Brains
Test and Lunch Test
http://www.historians.org/perspectives/issues/2003/0309/0309for3.cfm
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Charyl Wells: From Teaching Assistant to Tenure-track Faculty
http://www.historians.org/perspectives/issues/2008/0812/0812gra3.cfm
Blogs and wikis on the academic market and job search:
http://academicjobs.wikia.com/wiki/Academic_Jobs_Wiki
but see advice about NOT using this:
http://www.gradhacker.org/2012/05/25/on-not-knowing-why-i-avoided-theacademic-jobs-wiki/
The Chronicle of Higher Education’s blog on managing the academic career
http://chronicle.com/blogs/onhiring/
Oral presentations
Course lecture April 22
Course lecture April 29
Week 14 (May 6): Life as an Academic
Discussion Topics
Tenure
Career strategies
Campus climate
Career tracks outside of teaching
Guest: Professor Greg Carter
Readings:
Lynn Sargaent: Temping toward the Tenure Track
http://www.historians.org/perspectives/issues/2008/0812/0812gra2.cfm
Barbara Weinstein: The Mobility Question
http://www.historians.org/perspectives/issues/2007/0702/0702pre1.cfm
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David Darlington: Beyond Academe: The Internet Gateway to Nonacademic
Careers
http://www.historians.org/perspectives/issues/2005/0501/0501new4.cfm
Alexandra Lord: The View from Outside the Ivory Tower
http://www.historians.org/perspectives/issues/2005/0501/0501vie1.cfm
More from Lord at: http://www.beyondacademe.com/
Art Gómez: Looking for a Federal Job? Some Practical Advice
http://www.historians.org/perspectives/issues/2006/0605/0605pro1.cfm
Melissa Jane Taylor: From Graduate School to Public History
http://www.historians.org/perspectives/issues/2008/0812/0812gra5.cfm
UWM policies:
UWM policies regarding students with disabilities, religious observances, students called
to active military duty, incompletes, discriminatory conduct (such as sexual harassment),
academic misconduct, complaint procedures, and grade appeals can be found at:
www.uwm.edu/Dept/SecU/SyllabusLinks.pdf
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