- University pilot program may eliminate print texts
- U.S. copyright holders receive notice of rights in Google Book Search Settlement
- Professor Destressor sponsoring the 2009 TAA Conference
- Salkind Literary Agency sponsoring 2009 TAA Conference
- TAA thanks Contributing Member
- Listen to recording of TAA Teleconference on writing and editing effectively
- Listen to recording of TAA Teleconference on royalties
- TAA thanks Contributing, Sustaining Members
- New TAA Conference Roundtable Discussion: 'Service Learning Through Applied Projects'
- Listen to recording of TAA Teleconference on taxes and authors
- TAA hires new foundation executive director
- Book Review: Robert Boice, Professors as Writers: A Self-Help Guide to Productive Writing
University pilot program may eliminate print texts
By Kim Seidel
Northwest Missouri State University is test piloting a program that would eliminate print textbooks in favor of digital versions.
"We think that an electronic approach to course materials is a more efficient way to teach and learn," said Paul Klute, assistant to Northwest President Dean Hubbard. "There are many 'tools' that eTextbooks have that can help students and instructors. Another advantage is the cost - adopting eTextbooks will help Northwest control costs associated with the acquisition of course materials."
Through the pilot, Northwest is looking into ways to increase the value of two related, long-standing programs - the Electronic Campus, which provides laptops to students and tablets to faculty, and the Textbook Rental Program, which rents books to students rather than requiring them to purchase texts.
The year-long pilot started last fall, and continues this spring with testing the concept of eTextbooks. The university worked with publishers to acquire electronic content for about 500 students formally involved in the pilot. These students are in courses with no access to printed textbooks. In addition, several thousand students are informally involved in the pilot. These students are using printed textbooks, but they have access to the eTextbooks.
The university is testing three concepts: first, moving away from traditional textbooks; second, the utility of eReading devices like Amazon Kindle or Sony eReader; and third, the utility of eTextbooks as delivered on the students' laptop computers.
The pilot began when President Hubbard asked the faculty for volunteers to use Sony eReaders in their classrooms. "We anticipated five volunteers but instead received over 50 volunteers - out of 220 faculty," Klute said. "We, of course, were not able to accommodate all requests, but were able to use about 200 eReaders in four courses."
Data was collected on the use of eReaders from the fall pilot phase. Results were varied. "Students like the concept of eReaders, but found the device (Sony's PRS-505) we were piloting to have limitations," Klute said. "The PRS-505 was not designed for the higher education market. It was fine for reading 'front to back' but few students read textbooks in that manner. Students are more likely to jump from page to page, looking for key concepts, charts, and graphs. The PRS-505s also wouldn't allow students to annotate the text, highlight, or search."
The university shared those results with Sony. The company then suggested that the university try out one of its newer models, PRS-700, that hit the markets in December. The university is testing that device on a much smaller scale this spring, and preliminarily, it's a much better model for higher education, Klute said.
Currently, Northwest is evaluating the spring pilot phase, such as the use of eTextbooks on laptops. "So far, the response has been split - 50 percent of students and faculty like the eTextbooks and 50 percent do not," Klute said. "One thing that will factor into our data collection is the fact that eTexts are significantly less expensive than printed text."
Northwest has long been known for those two progressive initiatives - Electronic Campus and its Textbook Rental program. Students pay a nominal fee that's included in their tuition for services associated with both programs.
"The Electronic Campus was 'switched on' in 1987 when the campus was wired with fiber to transmit voice, video and data to terminal in faculty offices and student dorms," Klute said. "Today the Electronic Campus has evolved to provide laptop computers to all students and tablet computers to faculty for use in the classroom."
Since the school was established in 1905, Northwest has "rented" textbooks to students. "The cost of the laptop program is $10 per credit hour," Klute said. "The textbook rental fee is $6 per credit, providing students with combined savings totaling hundreds of dollars per semester."
Kim Seidel is a writer in Onalaska, Wis.
U.S. copyright holders receive notice of rights in Google Book Search Settlement
U.S. copyright holders are being asked to decide how they want their works to be handled if the Google Book Search Settlement (http://www.googlebooksettlement.com) is approved by the court on June 11, 2009.
Authors and publishers of in-copyright written books (such as novels, textbooks, dissertations, and other writings) and inserts (text and other material such as forewords, essays, poems, quotations, letters, song lyrics, children's book illustrations, sheet music, charts and graphs if independently protected by U.S. copyright, contained in a book, a government work or a public domain book) that were published or distributed in hard copy format on or before January 5, 2009 and have been registered with the U.S. Copyright Office, need to decide whether they should:
- Remain in the settlement. If they do so, they will be bound by the Court's rulings, including a release of their claims against Google.
- Object to or comment on the settlement. They must object/comment in writing by May 5, 2009.
- Opt out of the settlement and keep their right to sue Google individually. They must opt out in writing by May 5, 2009.
- File a claim for a cash payment (if they are eligible to do so). They must file their claim by January 5, 2010.
The settlement, if court-approved, will authorize Google to scan in- copyright books and inserts in the United States, and maintain an electronic database of books. For out-of-print Books and, if permitted by rightsholders of in-print books, Google will be able to sell access to individual books and institutional subscriptions to the database, place advertisements on any page dedicated to a book, and make other commercial uses of books. At any time, rightsholders can change instructions to Google regarding any of those uses. Through a Book Rights Registry ("Registry") established by the settlement, Google will pay rightsholders 63 percent of all revenues from these uses.
Google also will pay $34.5 million to establish and fund the initial operations of the Registry and for notice and settlement administration costs, and at least $45 million for cash payments to Rightsholders of Books and Inserts that Google scans prior to the deadline for opting out of the settlement.
For more information on this settlement, including how to taken action on your copyrighted works, visit http://www.googlebooksettlement.com
Download Class Action Notice (PDF)
Previous TAA Articles on the Google Book Settlement:
Major universities see promise in Google Book Search settlement (Nov 2008)
Authors, publishers, and Google reach landmark settlement (Nov 2008)
Google Settlement Agreement less relevant to in-print textbook authors (Nov 2008)
Professor Destressor sponsoring the 2009 TAA Conference
Professor Destressor provides coaching services to individuals and organizations to help them deal with work-life balance and leadership issues. Susan Robinson, Ph.D., is a psychologist, coach, consultant, and speaker with more than 30 years experience whose deepest satisfaction is inspiring and educating professionals, business owners, and executives who want to create lives of success and significance. Robison will be presenting a session on time management, "Time Management: Why You Don't Need It, Can't Do it Anyway — and What To Do Instead" (click for info), at the 2009 TAA Conference in San Antonio, June 26. She will also be moderating a Roundtable Discussion on this topic (click for info). Visit the Professor Destressor website: Click here
Salkind Literary Agency sponsoring 2009 TAA Conference
The Salkind Literary Agency is sponsoring the 2009 TAA Conference at the $200 level. As a division of Studio B. Productions, Inc., the Salkind Literary Agency, headed by bestselling author and noted literary agent, Neil J. Salkind, works with general non-fiction trade and textbook authors. The staff of Salkind Literary Agency has extensive experience running imprints for major trade and textbook publishers, and Neil has personally written over 100 books including the best-selling Statistics for People Who (Think They) Hate Statistics. The agency has placed over 4,500 books with virtually every trade publisher, and is experienced in putting together large and complicated transactions. Visit the Salkind Literary Agency website and thank them for supporting your association: Click here
TAA thanks Contributing Member
TAA thanks Contributing Member David C. Lay.
Listen to recording of TAA Teleconference on writing and editing effectively
TAA members can now listen to a recording of the February 19th TAA Teleconference "Writing and Editing Effectively Using 'Fast Writing' and 'Slow Editing'" by Dr. Sonja Foss, Professor of Communication, University of Colorado, and Dr. William Waters, an assistant professor of English at the University of Houston-Downtown. Listen to recording
Listen to recording of TAA Teleconference on royalties
TAA members can now listen to a recording of the February 17th TAA Teleconference "Royalties: Are You Unknowingly Losing Money?" presented by Gail R. Gross, President, IP Royalty Auditors LLC: Listen to recording
TAA thanks Contributing, Sustaining Members
TAA thanks Contributing Member Walter Savitch and Sustaining Members Robert Christopherson and Susan Fawcett. Contributing and Sustaining Member categories are voluntary. Contributing Members pay $100 if their royalty income exceeds $10,000, and Sustaining Members pay $150 if their royalty income exceeds $25,000. These funds are used to provide additional member benefits and services.
New TAA Conference Roundtable Discussion: 'Service Learning Through Applied Projects'
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Nancy Volkman, associate professor in the department of landscape architecture and urban planning at Texas A&M University, College Station, will moderate a Roundtable Discussion at the 2009 TAA Conference (San Antonio, June 25-27) on "Service Learning Through Applied Projects."
During this 30-minute roundtable, Volkman will discuss how to involve groups, particularly students, in active, realistic learning experiences through the use of service learning projects.
"These projects are typically done for not-for-profit groups, small communities, minority groups, and others who could benefit from professional quality research or applied projects but cannot afford them," she said.
Volkman will discuss and illustrate some of the types of projects that her undergraduate and graduate students have worked on over the years in the field of landscape architecture. She will also draw from the experiences of colleagues in the natural sciences, social sciences and planning to cover the variety of service learning that can be done. Strategies for success, challenges, and potential outcomes will also be discussed.
Volkman is a graduate of Beloit College, Beloit, WI and University of Illinois, Urbana, IL. She currently serves as an associate professor in the Department of Landscape Architecture and Urban Planning at Texas A&M University, College Station, Texas. Her principal areas of teaching have focused upon landscape history, cultural landscape studies, design and planning for historical landscapes, and community design. She is widely published, particularly in the area of landscape history, including the leading text and reference in that field, Landscapes in History, co-authored with Phil Pregill, now going into its 3rd edition. Professor Volkman is a member of several honor societies, including Phi Kappa Phi, and a registered landscape architect in the state of Texas. She is also in her third year as co-editor of ARRIS — The Journal of the Southeast Chapter of the Society of Architectural Historians.
Register for the TAA Conference
Listen to recording of TAA Teleconference on taxes and authors
TAA members can now listen to a recording of the February 10th TAA Teleconference "Taxes and Authors - What You Should Know" presented by Robert M. Pesce, Partner, Marcum & Kliegman, LLP: Listen to recording
Peter Jason Riley, author of New Tax Guide for Writers, Artists, Performers, & Other Creative People, has a website that includes an expense checklist for writers, an income worksheet for writers, and a 12 month expense worksheet for writers, in addition to some other great information. http://www.artstaxinfo.com/writers.shtml
TAA hires new foundation executive director
By Kim Seidel
 Jay Matteson |
Professional educator Jay Matteson has been hired as the TAA Foundation's new executive director. He will replace Richard Hull, who is stepping down to devote more of his time to TAA. Hull is executive director of TAA.
“My responsibilities as executive director of TAA have grown considerably in the last four years as TAA has grown in size and scope," said Hull. "The TAA Foundation needs a separate executive director who can concentrate on its goals and operations. I will continue to work closely with the Foundation to further our organizations' common interests in promoting diversity among textbook and academic authors."
Matteson brings a wealth of relevant experience to the organization, said Hull, having served in a lead role as both grantmaker and grantseeker. He has 40 years experience as a professional educator. For 20 of those years, he has provided operational and instructional leadership to medical and allied health care academies, associations, and businesses in the study and clinical practice of pain management and physical medicine and rehabilitation. Matteson has been an independent entrepreneur, responsible for obtaining and negotiating contracts with diverse organizations interested in the education of recipients of social services. He has had extensive experience from the grant recipient side, in administering grants for the state of Florida’s Department of Education. Matteson's grant writing experience includes working with Principal Investigators (PI) and Co-PI’s in winning significant grants for state of Florida institutions of higher education.
"Working closely with medical and allied health practitioners on a day-to-day basis gave me a unique perspective in how doctors and therapists communicated with each other and their patients," said Matteson. "Over time one thing became abundantly clear – a very small percentage of professionals could communicate effectively in writing across the disciplines. It was this insight that renewed my interest in academic authorship and textbook design and development, a skill I had put aside since the early 1970s as a practicing instructional designer. I am fortunate to have found an organization of text and academic authors who understand the power of the written word in our lives; especially as it directly ties in with TAAF’s mission to advance the cause of diversity in education, or what Richard Hull has envisioned as TAAF’s Mentor Educator Diversity Initiative (MEDI).”
Prior to Matteson's appointment as TAA Foundation executive director, he worked closely with Hull in writing a grant in partnership with Palm Beach Community College (FL) to create the “Mentor Educator Diversity Initiative” (MEDI), a project that will have great potential for realizing measurable and meaningful change in minority representation in textbook and academic authorship. Grounded in national initiatives designed to breakdown barriers to diversity in education (e.g. STEM disciplines), MEDI will provide innovative technology and instructional experiences for students and teachers (grades 8 to 20) and faculty of higher education.
TAAF’s partnership with Palm Beach Community College includes writing a cooperative grant application for the Florida Department of Education’s Governor’s Summer Program in support of MEDI. For more information about this TAAF initiative, visit the TAA Foundation website at http://www.taafonline.net
Book Review:
Robert Boice, Professors as Writers: A Self-Help Guide to Productive Writing
Reviewed by Anna Adachi-Mejia
 Robert Boice Professors as Writers: A Self-Help Guide to Productive Writing Stillwater, OK: New Forums Press, Inc., 1990 ISBN: 1-58107-13-X 186 pages |
In academia, a key metric by which professors are measured – prolific writing – is not formally offered in academic training. When I have asked productive scholars to describe their method, they typically articulate a singular strategy rather than a process: scheduling a set time, locking yourself in a room until the work is done, or working when you are fresh. In search of ways to increase my own output, I began to read what others had written about academic writing, and noticed that all but of one of the books in my growing collection had something in common: they cited Robert Boice. So, when the opportunity came to review Boice’s Professors as Writers, I jumped at the chance. But I also wondered – had more recent books rendered Professors as Writers obsolete?
Boice has clearly thought a lot about professors as writers. Not surprisingly, the themes in Professors as Writers appear in the books which have followed it: write regularly to avoid binge writing, keep track of your writing time, revise a lot, find a writing buddy, and accept that writing is hard work. But Professors as Writers uniquely helps willing readers self-identify and eliminate poor, typically unintended, work habits. In spite of its unattractive cover, thin margins, and lack of an index, Professors as Writers offers readers the gift of Boice’s wisdom and experience.
Professors as Writers provides strategies to correct writing problems and to prevent relapse. It includes a fully-annotated bibliography of “hindrances” to productivity. I appreciated Boice’s guide for avoiding excessive and unchecked spontaneous writing, which leads not only to “emotional upheavals” but also to a physical “disarray” of writing copy. I laughed out loud while brainstorming possibilities for contingency management to facilitate regular writing. My favorite contingency: sending a check “to a despised organization.”
The Appendix contains the gem: “The Blocking Questionnaire: An Instrument for Assessing Writing Problems.” This tool enables readers to quickly identify specific problem areas. You may find, as I did, that you are blocked in areas you did not want to recognize. As you uncover areas to specifically address, Professors as Writers can help your individual needs.
Boice offers a means to “make life feel less harried.” For me, the power of Professors as Writers grew with each re-reading. Though brief, it is not a quick read: Boice offers readers an individualized process to iteratively explore. He explains, “You’ll have to see what works most reasonably and reliably for you. And, you’ll need to use good sense. Writing made too high a priority – so that it excludes a social life or proper attention to teaching is doomed to failure.” Professors as Writers should be required reading for anyone involved in academic writing – writer, teacher, or mentor.
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Reviewed by Anna Adachi-Mejia
Anna Adachi-Mejia is a Research Assistant Professor in the Department of Pediatrics at Dartmouth Medical School, and Assistant Director of the Community Health Research Program at the Hood Center for Children and Families at Dartmouth Medical School in Lebanon, New Hampshire. She received both her M.S. and her Ph.D. from The Dartmouth Institute for Health Policy and Clinical Practice at Dartmouth Medical School. Dr. Adachi-Mejia has extensive experience in survey research methods. As a behavioral health scientist, her primary areas of investigation include obesity and tobacco prevention in rural youth, promotion of physical activity in rural mothers, and promotion of healthful eating in the workplace. As an editor and writing coach, she reviews and edits manuscripts and grants, supports graduate students navigating the challenges of academia, and helps motivate blocked writers. She can be reached at mywritingpartner@gmail.com.
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