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Advice for New Faculty Members
Advice for New Faculty Members: Nihil Nimus is a unique and essential guide to the start of a successful academic career. As its title suggests (nothing in excess), it advocates moderation in ways of working, based on the single-most reliable difference between new faculty who thrive and those who struggle. By following its practical, easy-to-use rules, novice faculty can learn to teach with the highest levels of student approval, involvement, and comprehension, with only modest preparation times and a greater reliance on spontaneity and student participation. Similarly, new faculty can use its rule-based practices to write with ease, increasing productivity, creativity, and publishability through brief, daily sessions of focused and relaxed work. And they can socialize more successfully by learning about often-misunderstood aspects of academic culture, including mentoring. Each rule in Advice for New Faculty Members has been tested on hundreds of new faculty and proven effective over the long run -- even in attaining permanent appointment. It is the first guidebook to move beyond anecdotes and surmises for its directives, based on the author's extensive experience and solid research in the areas of staff and faculty development. For new teachers.
336 pages, Paperback
First published January 31, 2000
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414 people want to read
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Displaying 1 - 28 of 28 reviews
August 11, 2019
I was given a copy of Advice for New Faculty Members as a touching gift by a colleague and the cohort of Science Outside the Lab upon my appointment at York. Of course, I love the book for the inscriptions they each inserted... but I also treasure it for the advice it offers. It was, without a doubt, one of the key elements in my surviving my first year as a professor.
There's a lot of good advice in the book, though two high-level lessons were perhaps the most profound in my reading. First, professors need to remember that its /their/ behaviour that is, in fact, the cause of many "classroom incivilities," and that something as simple as truly /caring/ about students can moderate most of these negative experiences for all involved. And, second, there's a single maxim that must be applied to academic life: Everything in moderation.
That second lesson is easy to share but complicated to put into practice. The idea is to move from binge sessions of class preparation, writing, or committee work into small, regular, moderate chunks. But, the actual process of doing this is pretty difficult. It's a "draw a circle, now draw the rest of the owl" kind of task (reference, if you haven't encountered the meme: https://knowyourmeme.com/photos/57207...). This is where the book struggles the most for two reasons. First, it's written as a book to read as a volume, yet it's full of activities that really need to be put into practice before resuming. I never really got into the rhythm as a result: is this a book where I should read a chapter a week, or a book where I should read it all to get the overall message? Second, the example activities are weaker than much of the other writing, often feeling more like "draw the rest of the owl."
The other slight caution with the book is that it's rather dated. What I would give for a new edition that is more richly grounded in the field of the Scholarship of Teaching and Learning that has emerged over the past two decades. This is a pathbreaking work in the field... but it certainly leaves you wondering what evidence has emerged in the years since.
The evidence is so crucial because of Boice's orientation. What makes this book unique is its incredible emphasis on actual evidence. Boice is curious about a basic question: what separates "quick start" faculty from those who are at risk of not getting tenure? He does an excellent job of collecting data to answer this question - rather than just speculating. But, it does put the book at risk of being dated more quickly, as the field of studying pedagogy has made significant advances (I would assume!) in the 18 years since its publication. For instance, I'd love to know more about the differentiated experiences of professors of different genders, which Boice does explore, but in a much less nuanced way than we've learned to over the past couple of decades.
That said, while these critiques - and it's very niche audience, which is largely faculty within 0-3 years of their appointment - lead me to giving it 4 rather than 5 star rating - I haven't come across a more essential book for new faculty. I'll be giving copies to any graduate students I have that go on to become professors, and will be setting it alongside an other vital read (The Professor is In) for the chapter before.
There's a lot of good advice in the book, though two high-level lessons were perhaps the most profound in my reading. First, professors need to remember that its /their/ behaviour that is, in fact, the cause of many "classroom incivilities," and that something as simple as truly /caring/ about students can moderate most of these negative experiences for all involved. And, second, there's a single maxim that must be applied to academic life: Everything in moderation.
That second lesson is easy to share but complicated to put into practice. The idea is to move from binge sessions of class preparation, writing, or committee work into small, regular, moderate chunks. But, the actual process of doing this is pretty difficult. It's a "draw a circle, now draw the rest of the owl" kind of task (reference, if you haven't encountered the meme: https://knowyourmeme.com/photos/57207...). This is where the book struggles the most for two reasons. First, it's written as a book to read as a volume, yet it's full of activities that really need to be put into practice before resuming. I never really got into the rhythm as a result: is this a book where I should read a chapter a week, or a book where I should read it all to get the overall message? Second, the example activities are weaker than much of the other writing, often feeling more like "draw the rest of the owl."
The other slight caution with the book is that it's rather dated. What I would give for a new edition that is more richly grounded in the field of the Scholarship of Teaching and Learning that has emerged over the past two decades. This is a pathbreaking work in the field... but it certainly leaves you wondering what evidence has emerged in the years since.
The evidence is so crucial because of Boice's orientation. What makes this book unique is its incredible emphasis on actual evidence. Boice is curious about a basic question: what separates "quick start" faculty from those who are at risk of not getting tenure? He does an excellent job of collecting data to answer this question - rather than just speculating. But, it does put the book at risk of being dated more quickly, as the field of studying pedagogy has made significant advances (I would assume!) in the 18 years since its publication. For instance, I'd love to know more about the differentiated experiences of professors of different genders, which Boice does explore, but in a much less nuanced way than we've learned to over the past couple of decades.
That said, while these critiques - and it's very niche audience, which is largely faculty within 0-3 years of their appointment - lead me to giving it 4 rather than 5 star rating - I haven't come across a more essential book for new faculty. I'll be giving copies to any graduate students I have that go on to become professors, and will be setting it alongside an other vital read (The Professor is In) for the chapter before.
December 17, 2008
This book has a lot of really excellent advice to help any new faculty member survive their first years on the job. Working in "brief regular sessions" is a fantastic and non-intuitive idea and I urge anyone who's feeling overwhelmed with their work, in teaching, research, or writing, to give it a try.
However, for a book that is subtitled "Nihil Nimus," meaning "nothing in excess," this book sure is wordy and repetitive. It also dwells far too much on convincing the reader that the advice works, rather than just getting on with it and giving some practical advice.
Actually, I notice that trend in several different sources of information aimed at younger faculty. Huh. Maybe that's just what academics is about... always justifying what you're doing instead of just getting on with it.
Anyway, this book is a recommended skim (not necessarily a recommended read) for any new college professor.
However, for a book that is subtitled "Nihil Nimus," meaning "nothing in excess," this book sure is wordy and repetitive. It also dwells far too much on convincing the reader that the advice works, rather than just getting on with it and giving some practical advice.
Actually, I notice that trend in several different sources of information aimed at younger faculty. Huh. Maybe that's just what academics is about... always justifying what you're doing instead of just getting on with it.
Anyway, this book is a recommended skim (not necessarily a recommended read) for any new college professor.
December 19, 2012
TERRIBLE writing, but seems like good, sane advice about starting a faculty job.
June 29, 2022
This book was a lovely gift from a colleague, and I found it very helpful as I transition from PhD student to assistant professor. The main takeaway is nihil nimis (not sure why he spells it nimus) - nothing too much. It’s much easier to say than put in practice, but he gives concrete advice and exercises for doing so.
There was also a fascinating thread about hypomania and depression. As someone diagnosed with bipolar disorder, it was interesting and helpful to read about work in terms of mood cycles and how to prevent work from exacerbating them.
There was also a fascinating thread about hypomania and depression. As someone diagnosed with bipolar disorder, it was interesting and helpful to read about work in terms of mood cycles and how to prevent work from exacerbating them.
June 27, 2022
I was not initially excited to read this book--it felt like it was going to be the usual pile of adages and unrealistic "advice" that so often comprise these kinds of titles. But Boice's work was quite a bit different. With concrete, research-based evidence to back up his claims and, even better, his advice, Boice offers some really unique and surprising insights into the realities of academia for new faculty. I've been convicted about his words on writing, research, and teaching, and even putting his words into practice for a relatively short test run of a month has proved fairly effective--my hope is that I can just keep it up, though with his model as something to work off of, I'm sure that I can. My big complaint with Boice is that he loves giving as much of his evidence to his audience as possible, making some of these chapters really unnecessarily long and unwieldy. There are fascinating conclusions to be drawn out of the studies he did, and he's able to draw those conclusions, but first he needs to show his work in a way that seems weirdly inappropriate for this specific kind of book and made for some unnecessarily arduous reading. That being said, I'm grateful for the time I spent in this book and with colleagues discussing it, and look forward to putting much of his advice into practice now and in the future.
October 2, 2017
An important background about me: I am not a native English speaker and I don't read novels but I have read a few popular self-help books, and my English is pretty good. This book's flow and coherence are horrible. The book is a compilation of many research papers. To the people researching the topic itself, it may be interesting and useful, but not for a new faculty like me. I read the first half of the book and skimmed the second half. I had to read it like a research paper, reading back and forth, to get the message. The main message of the book is clear though - don't spend too much time in teaching preparation.
August 12, 2019
Good advice, but better packaged elsewhere (NCFDD materials, particularly). The book is much longer than it should be and very wordy, with previews and summaries that are almost as long as the material itself. The author also has a VERY annoying habit of introducing unnecessary acronyms such as CI (classroom incivilities) and BDS (brief daily sessions).
June 28, 2012
Advice for readers of Advice for new faculty members: don't bother.
January 13, 2019
This had been suggested to me by researchers I admire as their holy grail! So in a flash, I ordered this book and aimed to read it quickly, soak up all its knowledge and become a newer, better version of me that succeeds at work.
It is clear that there are some great messages here, the most prevalent being that everything should be done in moderation and therefore start early, and know when to stop but do a little bit of each task regularly rather than thinking it is never the right moment to do it or that conditions aren't perfect.
It is also always re-assuring to see when you already do some of the things that are being suggested...
However I found this book to be far too long for a clear message, and the exercises or points being made are not easily labelled in a way that necessarily makes much sense.
Having said this, i've taken a lot of the points on board and aim to incorporate them in my teaching and research approach.
It is clear that there are some great messages here, the most prevalent being that everything should be done in moderation and therefore start early, and know when to stop but do a little bit of each task regularly rather than thinking it is never the right moment to do it or that conditions aren't perfect.
It is also always re-assuring to see when you already do some of the things that are being suggested...
However I found this book to be far too long for a clear message, and the exercises or points being made are not easily labelled in a way that necessarily makes much sense.
Having said this, i've taken a lot of the points on board and aim to incorporate them in my teaching and research approach.
partially-read
December 12, 2021Some useful advice, although a bit dated. It's worth reading. However, if this book were written today, I would expect more integration of diversity & inclusion considerations (updating the book's language around mental health would be especially welcome). Also, given when it was written, it doesn't necessarily address concerns arising from the adjunctification of the profession; if written today, I would have wanted more differentiation in the advice that addresses newer career stages (e.g. "bridge" positions like VAPs/postdocs) and job types (TT, full-time NTT, part-time NTT, NTT-but-TT-aspiring) as well as the problems this stratification introduces (e.g. how to keep research going when you're only paid for teaching, how to deal with you & your friends/cohort ending up in different types of positions, balancing teaching/research/service with job hunting).
Read
December 14, 2020I am ambivalent about this book. While I've been reading it, I've found a lot of what was said in parts I and II useful. But then I got to Chapter 21, and learned that what he actually meant this book to be was advice for new *white male* faculty members. Us womxn and non-white folks are "nontraditional." Chapter 21 is all about how "we" white men should make helping "those nontraditional" new faculty our service to the university. This bro evidently could not imagine a new female professor one day looking for advice, picking up his book! Incredible.
October 21, 2025
Good info about not procrastinating and stuff. I feel like Boice would like the Pomodoro method. Most useful info for me:
1. Write in short blocks every day
2. Start early on tasks without a full knowledge of the task
3. Assume good intentions from all criticism, and channel the defensive feelings into finding the most useful aspects of criticism
1. Write in short blocks every day
2. Start early on tasks without a full knowledge of the task
3. Assume good intentions from all criticism, and channel the defensive feelings into finding the most useful aspects of criticism
February 1, 2021
Difficult to find and a bit outdated re: technology, but still the best guide for new faculty members in terms of time allocation and prioritizing. Very pragmatic and not shy about discussing the realities of academic life.
August 12, 2017
Useful for graduate students, not just new profs--very focused on time management strategies, but also very thoughtful on issues of preserving time and energy for creative, playful work.
May 31, 2018
Teaching, writing, service. But everything in moderation. Looking at how the experts (successful new faculty) do it offers a sound, evidence-based perspective. Yes, it works.
January 8, 2025
New faculty, read this book. Read it before starting or in the first few months.
September 16, 2017
the section on writing is good - hence the stars.
I thought I would get more from the mentoring discussion and study of minorities. Instead, I got a really surface overview of data. My experience, as a minority, is that when I try to get feedback it can be misleading (telling me not to apply for an award that they told others who do the same work applied for and received - saying 'that's great keep going with that', and not going any further in thought) and or I get punted to go get feedback elsewhere, i.e. from another woman. So, after a point, it's like, why keep doing something if the result is always the same? It's quite exhausting to search for a person who actually gives real thought. What I would like is a qualitative study of conversation between colleagues to identify if the senior faculty are treating minority faculty differently - giving more thought to some than others. Other research shows minorities receive less [useful] mentoring, they aren't sponsored, but this book doesn't really help manage that.
I thought I would get more from the mentoring discussion and study of minorities. Instead, I got a really surface overview of data. My experience, as a minority, is that when I try to get feedback it can be misleading (telling me not to apply for an award that they told others who do the same work applied for and received - saying 'that's great keep going with that', and not going any further in thought) and or I get punted to go get feedback elsewhere, i.e. from another woman. So, after a point, it's like, why keep doing something if the result is always the same? It's quite exhausting to search for a person who actually gives real thought. What I would like is a qualitative study of conversation between colleagues to identify if the senior faculty are treating minority faculty differently - giving more thought to some than others. Other research shows minorities receive less [useful] mentoring, they aren't sponsored, but this book doesn't really help manage that.
August 1, 2009
I quit reading this page by page after the first couple of chapters. While I hate being one of those people that says "it sounds great, but it won't work for me" I think that is where I stand. Tackling big projects like teaching, writing and service in smaller packages on a somewhat daily sounds good to many people, but it is something that I am not good at. I feel like I get in such a rut and don't really get anything done. And that I am jumping around from thing to thing, which gets exhausting. I may try to work in smaller, more regular paces to see how it goes, but I am just not too sure.
June 3, 2012
When I read this book, much of the advice struck me as counter-intuitive. But I decided to give Boice's system a shot, and the results were simply life-changing. The book is written in a dry style, and I don't recommend reading it in one sitting. It's probably best to read this book in the way that Boice recommends doing all academic work: in brief, regular sessions. And by the way, although this book is intended for junior faculty, almost all the advice is equally applicable to grad students.
April 9, 2020
I read this book after making tenure. While I made tenure without any concerns, I did so by becoming extremely stressed and miserable. This book is providing me with a road map to staying in academia and finding happiness there. If not for the ideas and guidance suggested, I would likely be looking for a new career.
July 30, 2007
this book is indispensable! even though i'm not heading off to a new job yet this fall, it's really helped me think about my writing and my teaching as i finish up the diss and get ready to head back out on the job market.
Want to read
June 10, 2011At first I thought it was too touchy-feely, but I'm a little impatient sometimes. I've since grown to appreciate the advice for freewrites and for conscientious inquiry into what I want to accomplish.
December 31, 2011
It provides applicable guidance for new faculty members with respect to teaching, research, and service. The rules are based on the emprirical observations and filed studies accumulated over years by the author.
Very useful and easy to follow.
Applicable to different disciplines.
Very useful and easy to follow.
Applicable to different disciplines.
November 14, 2008
Helpful advice for people new to my career.
February 21, 2009
I love this book. It applies mindfulness concepts to the practices of teaching, writing, and researching. Has dramatically affected my daily routines.
October 29, 2011
Advice for New Faculty Members by Robert Boice (2000)
June 15, 2012
Great reference book for any faculty that cares about their teaching.
Want to read
August 25, 2017Thought I'd read this while still in grad school, in case it helps prepare me for the academic job market. But seems to be mostly about (1) teaching, which I've already done and won't do again before I graduate, or (2) writing, which I'm doing but isn't my stumbling block (the math proofs and computer sims are), or (3) service to the department/university, which I'm volunteering for a wee bit but not being evaluated on. So, I will postpone reading this and revisit if/when I actually land an academic job.
Displaying 1 - 28 of 28 reviews