The Fora: A Higher Education Community

Congratulations on the good report. Just politely explain why suggested revisions X and Y are not the direction you want to take the book. Was there only one reader's report? In my experience there are often two. If a second report did not mention X and Y, you can note that and say that these things are obviously something on which opinions may differ, but you thank the reader for their suggestions and will take all of them except for these two.

So, the good news is that the first page of the reader's report is glowing, talks about the importance of the work, and recommends publication with revision----exactly what I had been hoping for.

English literature monograph, BTW.

And the critique is frighteningly good.  Since my topic is a very small subfield, my list of readers were all the top experts on the subject, and all were very impressive scholars in their own right. I suspect my reader was one of these.

The reader of the manuscript confirmed some of my own worries about the manuscript and went to extraordinary lengths to point out where hu thought I could make elisions, emendations, and rewrites with excellent details----very, very helpful and I am very grateful to them, whoever they are.  The book will be much better thanks to their diligence.  Needless to say, I am humbled by their expertise.

However, the reader recommended several large revisions, most of which I think are very good suggestions, but there are two large revisions which I disagree with.

Has anyone responded to an acquisitions editor and politely disagreed with a reader?  How can I push back politely and respectfully but say that I want to keep my ideas in the book?

Thanks all.  I hope to have a response back by Monday at the latest.

Quote from: Parasaurolophus on May 17, 2024, 08:23:25 AMAiming for 14 pages today.

Managed twenty.

Got the report back for T2. Good to go, but I need to add a section to the introduction, ideally by mid-June. Ugh. A section on stuff I don't know much about, no less.

I can't fire TAs directly since they were hired by the department, not by me. 
I can document & report them to the chair.  And say that they are not qualified to teach that particular class again.

https://www.hollywoodreporter.com/movies/movie-news/dabney-coleman-dead-9-to-5-mary-hartman-tootsie-1235902521/

Dabney Coleman.
I saw most of his movies.

Quote from: jimbogumbo on May 17, 2024, 01:07:24 PMI have made clear I think claims of violence and occupation have been overstated. It is reminiscent of the hysteria in the suburbs and rural America that BLM and Antifa were coming for the shopping malls en masse. Here is a take on the "outside agitator" narrative, with a discussion of what I think diamalist was getting at with the ownership comment: https://thehill.com/homenews/education/4663670-colleges-police-outside-agitators-campus-protests-students-israel-hamas-gaza/

That article basically defends outside agitators.

I have made clear I think claims of violence and occupation have been overstated. It is reminiscent of the hysteria in the suburbs and rural America that BLM and Antifa were coming for the shopping malls en masse. Here is a take on the "outside agitator" narrative, with a discussion of what I think diamalist was getting at with the ownership comment: https://thehill.com/homenews/education/4663670-colleges-police-outside-agitators-campus-protests-students-israel-hamas-gaza/

Quote from: bio-nonymous on May 17, 2024, 09:48:28 AM

Quote from: Ruralguy on May 16, 2024, 08:06:47 AMOur phased retirement plan is basically just a delayed buyout at 1 yrs. salary. Honestly, if I am ready to teach for 10 years, I'd start by asking for 10 years salary. I'd be laughed out of the office for that, but that's my initial bargaining position.

Yeah we do have a phased retirement plan which I think is actually pretty good (everyone is eligible when the time comes)- it is 3 years at 50% salary--with no service. I think it is a great plan, a colleague just recently finished up with this program and is "officially" fully retired (no teaching, no service), but is still here for a couple more years, only on their 25% research salary as their R01 winds down.

Beware of "no service" offers in phased buyouts. Even if you are not supposed to do any service, you will be guilted into doing service and your contributions in the area of guilt-service will be un-officially considered when "they" determine budgets that support your remaining duties. One of my former chairs learned this the hard way.

I saw James Greggory in Florence SC while he was touring.  I enjoyed his humor then.  Wow... That was over 20 years ago, so he was under 60 then.  I would look at his tour page every now and then, but he didnt seem to be where I was, when I was near. 

Quote from: Ruralguy on May 16, 2024, 08:06:47 AMOur phased retirement plan is basically just a delayed buyout at 1 yrs. salary. Honestly, if I am ready to teach for 10 years, I'd start by asking for 10 years salary. I'd be laughed out of the office for that, but that's my initial bargaining position.

Yeah we do have a phased retirement plan which I think is actually pretty good (everyone is eligible when the time comes)- it is 3 years at 50% salary--with no service. I think it is a great plan, a colleague just recently finished up with this program and is "officially" fully retired (no teaching, no service), but is still here for a couple more years, only on their 25% research salary as their R01 winds down.