PhDictionary

A Glossary of Things You Don't Know (but Should) about Doctoral and Faculty Life

Childress Herb

Navigating academia can seem like a voyage through a foreign land: strange cultural rules dictate everyday interactions, new vocabulary awaits at every turn, and the feeling of being an outsider is unshakable. For students considering doctoral programs and doctoral students considering faculty life, "The PhDictionary" is a lighthearted companion that illuminates the often opaque customs of academic life. With more than two decades as a doctoral student, college teacher, and administrator, Herb Childress has tripped over almost every possible misunderstood term, run up against every arcane practice, and developed strategies to deal with them all. He combines current data and personal stories into memorable definitions of 150 key phrases and concepts graduate students will need to know (or pretend to know) as they navigate their academic careers. From "ABD" to "white paper" – and with "buyout", "FERPA", "gray literature", and "soft money" in between – each entry contains a helpful definition and plenty of relevant advice. Wry and knowledgeable, Childress is the perfect guide for anyone hoping to scale the ivory tower.

About the Author

Herb Childress is cofounder of the consulting firm Teleidoscope Group LLC. He has extensive professional experience as a teacher and administrator in higher education, most recently as dean of research and assessment at the Boston Architectural College. He is the author of "Landscapes of Betrayal, Landscapes of Joy: Curtisville in the Lives of Its Teenagers". He lives in Middletown Springs, Vermont.

Reviews

"Beautifully vivid and well-written, 'The PhDictionary' pulls back the curtains of higher education to those of us, like myself, who have come to the academy from first generation, blue-collar families. Childress delivers a valuable view of the organizational landscape by blending human stories with national trends and wisdom from the field. Balancing the unforgiving realities of faculty life in higher education today with a good dose of humor, this book is an important addition to 'the Straddler's' library for those new to the field and anyone who mentors them" – Jeanne Mekolichick, assistant provost for academic programs and professor of sociology at Radford University

"This book is very funny. Though not a satire, at times it feels like Gulliver describing Yahoos in the land of Houyhnhnms: the perspective of outsider-to-outsider allows for some laugh-out-loud observations about the world of higher education. New or prospective faculty will find it helpful, even reassuring, to have the stresses and occasional daffiness presented with such accuracy and candor" – Ken O'Donnell, senior director of student engagement and academic initiatives & partnerships at California State University

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