Good Start: A Guidebook for New Faculty in Liberal Arts Colleges

by Gerald W. Gibson, Jerry G. Gaff (Foreword)

While few would argue that young professors enter the academy equipped with the knowledge of their field, they are often unprepared to navigate the ins and outs of faculty life. Nor is there anyone to help steer them. Good Start is a guide for new faculty members commencing their teaching career at a liberal arts college. Using a combination of personal experience and substantive research, Gerald Gibson has written an engaging, practical book dealing with all aspects of being a faculty member. The book begins with the basics about selecting the right college to work at, going through the application, interview, and negotiation process, and getting oriented to the job and the college. He expounds on finding one’s role within the larger liberal arts tradition, how to focus on good teaching, and deciding where scholarship fits into the equation. Gibson discusses the faculty member’s role in the department, the organization, and the community. He offers practical measures to manage time and stress, while staying effective, and gives guidance on working through career phases toward promotion and tenure. Concluding with counsel on “how to stay good” as a teacher, scholar, and citizen, Gibson demystifies the process of getting the job,  being a good colleague, contributing to a vital department, and developing a life-long plan of personal and professional growth.

264 pages, Paperback

First published April 13, 1992

Reviews

[Jordan DeLong · Rating 3 out of 5]

While this book has some solid information on the history and philosophy behind the liberal arts, there is some outdated info that makes for some real laugh out loud moments. From Myers-Briggs personality assessment to the claim that women and minorities get equal treatment in course evals, it's an interesting portal into what academic work was like in 1992.