CFDE Research Roundtables and Networking
Networking and Informal Discussion Opportunities
“This Wasn’t Supposed to Happen”
Flops, Screw-Ups, Derailments, Unexpected Twists, Catastrophes, and Joy
A Brown-Bag Friday Conversation Series with the CFDE
An academic career inevitably involves a few rough patches. And they can derail us — a grant suddenly and unexpectedly terminated, harsh comments from external readers on a book manuscript, a day in the classroom that goes uncontrollably sideways.
Progress through tough moments is usually not linear. But then again, progress generally is not; some days are just better than others. One thing that does help is plugging into our support and mentoring communities, to help us move through difficult times and keep frustrations in perspective.
To that end, this fall the CFDE will host a three-part brown bag conversation series titled “‘This Wasn’t Supposed to Happen’: Flops, Screw-Ups, Derailments, Unexpected Twists, Catastrophes, and Joy.”
In these 75-minute sessions, we will share and listen to stories from colleagues of when things did not go exactly as planned – and what happened next. We will begin each session with a brief reading or two, hear and share tales of misfortune and disappointment, then turn to a few questions and prompts to help guide the discussions.
Our goal with these conversations is to provide companionship on the journey:
- to support and commiserate
- to remove the taboo
- to be reminded that every academic career suffers a setback
- to experience those setbacks fully but perhaps feel less alone and dejected.
- to learn to see a way through.
Anonymously Share Your Setback Story!
If you have a story of a flop, screw-up, derailment, unexpected twist, or catastrophe you’d like to share, tell us about it via this link. We will compile them into a powerpoint of commiserations that will be displayed during the sessions.
When
- Session 1: Friday Sept 12, noon-1:15
Setback Stories – The “CV of Failures” and removing the stigma
Storytellers: Wes Longhofer (Goizueta Business School Organization and Management and CFDE) and Regina Shih (Rollins School of Public Health Epidemiology and Health Policy and Management) - Session 2: Friday Sept 19, noon-1:15
Failing Joyfully – Examining the relationships among imagination, creativity, passion, and failure
Storytellers: Jeff Lesser (Emory College History) and Jennifer Ayres (Candler School of Theology)
- Session 3: Friday Oct 3, noon-1:15
Keeping Going – Responding to risk, uncertainty, and failure
Storytellers: Karen Stolley (Emory College Spanish and Portuguese) and Kevin Carnes (Emory College Music)
- Bonus! Sept. 26: More details to come.
Book Launch for The War on Tenure, by Associate Professor of Law Deepa Das Acevedo, in conversation with Karen Kelsky (The Professor Is In), and Wes Longhofer, Director, CFDE
Where
Center for Faculty Development and Excellence, Suite 216 Woodruff Library (In-Person Only)
Bring your lunch! CFDE will provide drinks.
Anonymously Share Your Setback Story
If you have a story of a flop, screw-up, derailment, unexpected twist, or catastrophe you’d like to share, tell us about it via this link. We will compile them into a powerpoint of commiserations that will be displayed during the sessions.
Bonus Don’t Miss!
September 26 – Book Launch for The War on Tenure, by Associate Professor of Law Deepa Das Acevedo, in conversation with Karen Kelsky (The Professor Is In), and Wes Longhofer, Director, Center for Faculty Development and Excellence and Assistant Vice Provost for Faculty Affairs, and Associate Professor of Organization & Management in the Goizueta Business School. More details to come!