One of the amazing things about working in academia is learning day by day just how different that is to working in schools. For one thing, the work is either wildly enjoyable or like a treadmill – depending on your capacity to cope with university administrative processes, and your own predilection to reading deeply, engaging in research, and pushing the boundaries in learning and teaching if you are a teaching professional.
It’s much more complex than working in a school – I know! The hours are longer, the depth of knowledge engagement is wider, denser, and more exciting, and the pace is relentless, 52 weeks a year minus 4 weeks leave. But I would never trade places with the golden opportunity to work with educators near and far.
I can’t help being deeply interested in knowing more, and working with the current and future leaders in our library and education sectors. I can’t help looking innovation straight in the eye. I can’t help gasping in frustration at what I DON’T know, and being grateful for the wonderful professional colleagues with whom I work in the School of Information Studies at Charles Sturt University.
So it is with some amazement, and a tiny bit of pride, that I can say that I have been meeting the challenges thrown at me since coming to CSU in 2011. What I’ve been able to do has been unexpected, and exciting.
So in all this I’ve been quite busy in 2014 (new degree, program reviews etc), and though I have been sharing information via Twitter and Facebook, the blogging has definitely taken back seat.
Never mind – in a tough academic procedural battle, I have been successful in getting promoted to Senior Lecturer. Might seem easy – but it’s not. Things work very differently in academia compared to other organisations :-). Takes reams of paperwork to back-track everything you have done, a panel discussion, and also requires external referee support. Not every applicant is successful first time around. We were warned about this at a long seminar, and so I was not hopeful, being a CSU newbie (in academic terms).
Very special thanks to my external referees. You know who you are – and your input was actually essential to my promotion bid.
Now – off I go to the next challenge…..intrepid explorer boots on!
Image: creative commons licensed (BY-NC) flickr photo by Lisa Norwood: http://flickr.com/photos/lisanorwood/5968756701
judyoconnell.com 
Congratulations….what an achievement. Best wishes climbing the mountain, you will nail it for sure!
Congratulations Judy. A wonderful achievement to have successfully negotiated a new academic environment.
Well done! Well deserved too!
Congratulations Judy! Well deserved; I am in awe of your achievements … And your energy levels. The new degree is a coup in itself: relevant, current and thoroughly engaging.
It was a well deserved promotion that’s for sure! Onwards and upwards (and take the odd Sunday off!)
Congratulations Judy…having entered the academic world as a student, I am amazed at the knowledge lecturers have, and the way they grow us for knowledge. I’m sure you will do a terrific job
Seriously big achievement and well deserved. Not least as people can now get ‘real’ paper for what has up to now been considered ‘outside the job’ skills and knowledge. For the win.