Colleen Harris in conversation with Koketso Marishane
1. In your present capacity as ‘’Assistant Professor’ who’s soon to be promoted to a higher level provided you satisfy the relevant bodies, how will your nomenclature affect effects in your profession and lifestyle? Could you take us on a narrative journey of the whole process, please?
Title changes do not mean much to me, and I expect to work just as hard once I achieve tenure as I do without it. I am, however, hoping that there might be a lifestyle change if there is a salary raise involved, as I would love to buy a home. I very much desire the ability to paint my walls whatever color I please whenever I please, which is not an option with apartment living. The process is fairly simple and (luckily, at my institution) forthright. After so many years of working at the assistant professor level, I am eligible for tenure and promotion. A committee of my peers reviews my dossier, which includes materials showcasing my experience and growth in librarianship, research and service. Should they approve and want me to remain, they will recommend me for tenure. That recommendation then goes to the library Dean, the University provost, the Chancellor, then to the University Board. Should there be approval all the way up that chain, I will have achieved tenure. Many universities and departments do not have as clear guidelines as my own library does, where we spell out the expectations very clearly.Essentially I have worked hard to demonstrate not just competence but growth as a practitioner, scholar, and servant.
2. Appropriated the chance to justify yourself for all you’ve made throughout your life, how are you positioned and how is the room for improvement and the chances of your occupancy in it?
I am very lucky, and with a tenure-track position in a career field I love (librarianship), I am able to engage in meaningful research as well as to satisfy my own desire to work on creative writing. I certainly have room for improvement in time management – I currently work a 12-month tenure track job, am a full-time doctoral student, I teach as an adjunct in various departments across campus, and I also pursue my creative writing in my free time. Creative writing usually gets the short shrift when priorities start competing, and I would like to make more space for it in my life.I also have not yet set down roots, as I have been too interested in exploring the different facets of life and work, and I hope to improve in my ability to truly integrate into my community.
3. Based on the current trend of living in a global village via digital divisions, how is your work and lifestyle affected professionally and personally?
I find computers to be incredibly distracting. I do my best creative writing work by hand and in quiet – usually outdoors. I work on the computer with creative writing only to play with line breaks and so I can store and print multiple copies easily. Because I work at a university that serves a very diverse group of students, many of them economically disadvantaged, I maintain a consciousness about how I use technology, and how I assume others use it. I also work very hard to make sure that I use technology as a tool to solve particular problems as opposed to choosing technologies based on the shiny-shiny-ooh factor.
4. In terms of language development in an information society that has emerged with the 21st century generation, what’s your take on digitising data with relevance to archaeological and anthropological treasures meant for clandestine disclosure and; how do you decide which direction to take with technology as an advancing mechanical tool?
I think that digitizing information is an incredible opportunity to make it available to those who might not otherwise have been exposed to it. Aside from top secret government information and personal information, there is not a lot in terms of archaeological treasure that I would posit should be clandestine. Information is the essential weapon against ignorance, and if we can harness digital technologies to expand access to information, particularly about other cultures, I think we should do so with no delay. In terms of my own use of technology and my advocacy for it in my work, I try to make sure we match the tool to the need. Sometimes pen and paper are as advanced as I need to get; other times I require server access. It is all about the end result of what we want to accomplish. I do think that we as humans need to be more conscious of the decisions we make with regards to our technology choices.
5. Based on your life’s experiences in academia, how would you classify your work on a global scale and what message would you convey to the newcomers aspiring your accolades?
On a global scale my impact is probably very small; I work hard to improve services, experience, and the skills of the students at my local university. I try to present my work and research at conferences and have done so nationally and internationally, which I hope impacts other librarians’ and teachers’ practices for the better. My hope is really that my influence somehow either helps people become more effective at finding the information they need or helps libraries be more effective in the work that they do. My goal for my creative writing is that it touches someone somewhere, and that they remember my words with comfort and/or inspiration at some point in their lives. My message to any newcomer in either academia or creative writing is just this: you must do what you love. Only that will make you happy, only being happy will allow you to throw yourself heart and soul into your work, and only working with that sort of dedication will bring you satisfying success.
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Title changes do not mean much to me, and I expect to work just as hard once I achieve tenure as I do without it. I am, however, hoping that there might be a lifestyle change if there is a salary raise involved, as I would love to buy a home. I very much desire the ability to paint my walls whatever color I please whenever I please, which is not an option with apartment living. The process is fairly simple and (luckily, at my institution) forthright. After so many years of working at the assistant professor level, I am eligible for tenure and promotion. A committee of my peers reviews my dossier, which includes materials showcasing my experience and growth in librarianship, research and service. Should they approve and want me to remain, they will recommend me for tenure. That recommendation then goes to the library Dean, the University provost, the Chancellor, then to the University Board. Should there be approval all the way up that chain, I will have achieved tenure. Many universities and departments do not have as clear guidelines as my own library does, where we spell out the expectations very clearly.Essentially I have worked hard to demonstrate not just competence but growth as a practitioner, scholar, and servant.
2. Appropriated the chance to justify yourself for all you’ve made throughout your life, how are you positioned and how is the room for improvement and the chances of your occupancy in it?
I am very lucky, and with a tenure-track position in a career field I love (librarianship), I am able to engage in meaningful research as well as to satisfy my own desire to work on creative writing. I certainly have room for improvement in time management – I currently work a 12-month tenure track job, am a full-time doctoral student, I teach as an adjunct in various departments across campus, and I also pursue my creative writing in my free time. Creative writing usually gets the short shrift when priorities start competing, and I would like to make more space for it in my life.I also have not yet set down roots, as I have been too interested in exploring the different facets of life and work, and I hope to improve in my ability to truly integrate into my community.
3. Based on the current trend of living in a global village via digital divisions, how is your work and lifestyle affected professionally and personally?
I find computers to be incredibly distracting. I do my best creative writing work by hand and in quiet – usually outdoors. I work on the computer with creative writing only to play with line breaks and so I can store and print multiple copies easily. Because I work at a university that serves a very diverse group of students, many of them economically disadvantaged, I maintain a consciousness about how I use technology, and how I assume others use it. I also work very hard to make sure that I use technology as a tool to solve particular problems as opposed to choosing technologies based on the shiny-shiny-ooh factor.
4. In terms of language development in an information society that has emerged with the 21st century generation, what’s your take on digitising data with relevance to archaeological and anthropological treasures meant for clandestine disclosure and; how do you decide which direction to take with technology as an advancing mechanical tool?
I think that digitizing information is an incredible opportunity to make it available to those who might not otherwise have been exposed to it. Aside from top secret government information and personal information, there is not a lot in terms of archaeological treasure that I would posit should be clandestine. Information is the essential weapon against ignorance, and if we can harness digital technologies to expand access to information, particularly about other cultures, I think we should do so with no delay. In terms of my own use of technology and my advocacy for it in my work, I try to make sure we match the tool to the need. Sometimes pen and paper are as advanced as I need to get; other times I require server access. It is all about the end result of what we want to accomplish. I do think that we as humans need to be more conscious of the decisions we make with regards to our technology choices.
5. Based on your life’s experiences in academia, how would you classify your work on a global scale and what message would you convey to the newcomers aspiring your accolades?
On a global scale my impact is probably very small; I work hard to improve services, experience, and the skills of the students at my local university. I try to present my work and research at conferences and have done so nationally and internationally, which I hope impacts other librarians’ and teachers’ practices for the better. My hope is really that my influence somehow either helps people become more effective at finding the information they need or helps libraries be more effective in the work that they do. My goal for my creative writing is that it touches someone somewhere, and that they remember my words with comfort and/or inspiration at some point in their lives. My message to any newcomer in either academia or creative writing is just this: you must do what you love. Only that will make you happy, only being happy will allow you to throw yourself heart and soul into your work, and only working with that sort of dedication will bring you satisfying success.
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