ELTWeekly Vol. 5 Issue#13 | April 8, 2013 | ISSN 0975-3036
Book reviewed by Tarun Patel.
Gary A. Olson’s book ‘A Creature of Our Own Making’ is a collection of 58 columns by Gary which appeared in the Chronicles of Higher Education over a span of six years. Gary A. Olson is Professor of English at Idaho State University. He is the editor and author of many books, including The Future of Higher Education: Perspectives from America’s Academic Leaders (coedited with John W. Presley).
In Gary’s words: “These short essays are meditations on many aspects of academic life, but especially on issues relevant to faculty and academic administrators”.
The book is divided into six sections:
1. Campus Culture
2. The Craft of Administration
3. Campus Reform
4. Faculty Concerns
5. Faculty Recruitment; and
6. Special Topics.
In the first section of the book, Gary’s essays portray the issues dealing with campus environment. The kind of challenges administrators face and how they are rewarded by their faculty members for their various (proactive) acts.
The second section of the book features articles on the importance of protocols in academia, the burden of confidentiality and several other sensitive issues dealing with the job of administrators in Academics.
The third and fourth sections Campus Reform and Faculty Concerns reflect on the needs of reformation in the education and how to deal with the faculty members. These two sections have extremely important tips for everyone working in Academics.
In the Faculty Recruitment section, Gary has shared his ideas on recruiting the right person for the right job. The last section deals with the issues such as ethics of technology, expectations of deans from the department heads and much more.
As I read the book, several times I felt that what Gary is talking in this book, has happened with me or my colleagues in India. If one takes this book and the ideas illustrated in it in a proactive manner, this book has the calibre to change one’s career.
Here is the summary of the book from SUNNY PRESS.
Drawing on more than three decades of experience as a scholar, teacher, and administrator, Gary A. Olson, a keen observer of higher education and a monthly columnist for the Chronicle of Higher Education, explores the intricacies of life in academe. These meditations, which appeared as columns in the Chronicle over a six-year span, explore a rich tapestry of subjects from the craft of academic administration to how institutions are reforming their operations. Also included are topics germane to faculty and their work, such as how to network within your discipline, how to report faculty accomplishments accurately, how to navigate the tenure and promotion system, and how to create a culture of recognition and reward for faculty, staff, and students.
Many academics become preoccupied with the intricacies of their own disciplines and are not always cognizant of how other parts of their institutions work. Most go through their careers with an incomplete (and in some cases completely wrong) understanding of many aspects of academic life. Olson’s essays shed light on the complex workings of our academic institutions and provide answers to important questions about the modern university: What are the limits of academic freedom? Exactly what is “shared governance?” Why are many universities reorganizing their academic units? What are successful ways to recruit first-rate faculty and staff? Witty, incisive, and entertaining, this book is for anyone interested in academic life and a must read for new professors and new administrators.