Thriving in Academia

Veteran professors synthesize their combined 60+ years of expertise at primarily undergraduate, teaching-focused universities into easy‑to‑follow advice for graduate students and current faculty seeking to build thriving careers at similar institutions.

Writing in a friendly tone that includes their personal reflections, the authors guide readers through the entire career trajectory: finding and applying for positions, developing essential knowledge and skills over the course of one’s career, seeking tenure and promotions, and continuing to thrive in the mid- to late-career stages while preparing for retirement.

The authors offer detailed insights for becoming a successful academic who can meet all the expectations of a teaching-focused institution. They explain how to develop core teaching competencies; choose advising philosophies for mentoring individual students, groups, and clubs; perform high-quality faculty service; and achieve scholarly, creative, and research goals—all while managing a high teaching load.

Strategies for obtaining scarce yet crucial resources—time, money, and mentors—are also provided.

Preface
Introduction: What Does a Teaching-Focused Career in Higher Education Look Like?

• Chapter 1. How to Get a Job at a Teaching Focused Institution
• Chapter 2. Undergraduate Teaching Competencies
• Chapter 3. Academic Advising
• Chapter 4. Service
• Chapter 5. Scholarly, Creative, and Research Activities
• Chapter 6. Finding Mentoring, Money, and Time
• Chapter 7. What Is Tenure, and How Do I Get It? How Do I Get a Promotion?
• Chapter 8. Mid- and Late-Career Stages at a Teaching Focused Institution

Afterword: Five Key Themes in a Successful Teaching-Focused Career
References
Index
About the Authors

Pamela I. Ansburg, PhD, has spent her 20+ year career at teaching-focused institutions and holds a doctorate in cognitive psychology with a focus on understanding insightful problem solving. She is a full professor in the Department of Psychological Sciences at Metropolitan State University of Denver (MSU Denver).

Pam serves as the director for faculty engagement in MSU Denver’s Classroom to Career hub and she established the Undergraduate Research Program at MSU Denver. She has been an active member of the Society for the Teaching of Psychology, including serving as the vice president for recognition and awards.

Mark E. Basham, PhD, has a doctorate in neuroscience and has spent his 20-year career at teaching-focused institutions. He is currently an associate professor at Regis University, where he has been director of the Neuroscience Program for the past 12 years.

Mark’s research focuses on the neural mechanisms of experience-dependent plasticity. He has been an academic advisor, student club advisor, and faculty senator and has served on or chaired multiple service committees, including the Institutional Animal Care and Use Committee, the Academic Council, and the Faculty Handbook Committee. He is a long-standing member of the international organization, Faculty for Undergraduate Neuroscience.

Regan A. R. Gurung, PhD, is a social psychologist whose research encompasses social, health, and pedagogical psychology. At Oregon State University, he is associate vice provost and executive director of the Center for Teaching and Learning, professor of psychological science, and director of the General Psychology Program.

His books include Health Psychology: Well-Being in a Diverse World, Fourth Edition and The Worth Guide to Studying Like a Champion, and he is founding coeditor of Scholarship of Teaching and Learning in Psychology. He has won numerous teaching awards, including the American Psychology Foundation’s Charles L. Brewer Distinguished Teaching of Psychology Award.