| Abstrakt: |
Faculty members, by the nature of their scholarly training programs, tend to be experts in a narrow field of study. In graduate school, this is a rich and rewarding experience as they are surrounded and supported by peers with similar interests, backgrounds, and curiosities. Once graduate school is over, however, many leave this experience behind as they transition to new roles as faculty members in institutions where they become the sole expert in their particular field or discipline. This transition can be academically isolating and lonely, making it difficult to continue to feel engaged and connected to one's scholarly roots. In this reflective paper, we offer insight into this often-felt, but not often-discussed, challenge faced by many faculty members. Specifically, we propose that forming intentional cross-campus collaborations can reap benefits far beyond the scholarly arena. We first offer an example of a cross-campus collaboration using our own personal success story and then briefly discuss the various elements of a cross-campus collaboration. We then provide a discussion of the benefits and challenges of cross-campus collaboration, and importantly a mashup of tips and advice for starting and maintaining your own cross-campus collaboration. Our goal is to empower faculty to break out of their academic isolation and find meaning, value, and purpose in their own cross-campus collaborations. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR] |
