Managing your manager

I have been reading Drucker quite a bit as part of a research project the last few days. In Managing Oneself [pdf], I found the following gem: “Bosses are neither a title on the organization chart nor a “function.” They are individuals and are entitled to do their work in the way they do it best. It …

Superb MCM October 2012 Residency concludes

What a successful, exciting week we had in communications management at McMaster. The record-setting October residency of the McMaster-Syracuse Master of Communications Management program came to a close – a week of learning, networking as well as personal and professional growth. We were joined by students from British Columbia, Saskatchewan, Québec, Ontario, the United States, …

Remembering Dr. Sue Vajoczki, the students’ champion

I recently received the sad news that our McMaster colleague, Dr. Sue Vajoczki, associate professor of geography and geology, has passed away, far too early. Her passing is profoundly sad news for McMaster’s students and faculty. As director of McMaster’s Centre for Leadership in Learning, Dr. Vajoczki was passionately committed to students and thought that …

A final concert at year’s end

I went to the final concert of the Hamilton Philharmonic Orchestra’s concert season last night. What a great night – guest soloist James Ehnes was splendid, playing Beethoven. He filled Hamilton Place with beautiful threads of sounds, woven around the hall. It really felt as though we were entangled in a web of sound that …

Co-Led Five Sessions at a Library Leadership Institute at the University of Hong Kong

I just came back from Hong Kong, where I co-presented, with McMaster University Chief Librarian Jeff Trzeciak, five workshops at the 10th Annual Hong Kong University Library Leaderships Institute. The institute was a smashing success, under the leadership of organizer, Peter Sidorko, University Librarian at the University of Hong Kong. Jeff and I presented on …

A Successful MCM February Residency!

Last week, I hosted my first Master of Communications Management (mcm.mcmaster.ca) residency as Program Director. It was a chance for me and our new program assistant, Janice Peltier, to have our initiation as the new management team. The residency went very well! Residency is a very special time in the MCM calendar. It is a period of five …

Students don’t read anymore. What does this mean for democracy?

I have spent most of the last week marking papers. As professors, we sometimes grumble and complain about this task, but it is important to consider how vital evaluation and feedback is to student growth. The thing is, marking work is a two-way street. I have been thinking a lot about the value of assignments …

The last day of class

Yesterday, I had my last day of class. This is always a bittersweet moment, since I love teaching and look forward to it as one of the highlights of my week! This has been a big term! I have been busy working on many different projects: a new journal, a program review, an election campaign, …