Velvet Sleeves: A Letter of Lessons Learned in the Ivory Tower

Authors

  • Jenny A. Piazza Colorado State University-Pueblo Teacher Education Program, T268 2200 Bonforte Blvd. Pueblo, CO 81001
  • Pamela A. Richmond Colorado State University-Pueblo Department of Social Work 2200 Bonforte Blvd. Pueblo, CO 81001

Keywords:

Relationships, Bullying, Ivory Tower, Assistant Professor

Abstract

The manuscript is a narrative letter of reflective examination of lived experiences in academia. The letter is a qualitative approach using narrative writing to represent the lived experiences of two female professors from different disciplines and varied institutions as they learned to navigate working in higher education, with all its promises and compromises. It explains and describes events, conflicts and results of navigating the system in a letter format using the framework of a previously published qualitative study on bullying behavior in academia, and offers insightful analysis and critique of the system while explaining the unique benefits of working in academia. The letter opens up a reflective dialogue about academia as it exists in the proverbial ivory tower while demonstrating why the career is valued.

Author Biographies

Jenny A. Piazza, Colorado State University-Pueblo Teacher Education Program, T268 2200 Bonforte Blvd. Pueblo, CO 81001

Dr. Piazza teaches graduate and undergraduate courses in elementary methods, research design and children’s literature for the Teacher Education Program at Colorado State University-Pueblo.  She has been teaching in higher education for 26 years.

Pamela A. Richmond, Colorado State University-Pueblo Department of Social Work 2200 Bonforte Blvd. Pueblo, CO 81001

Dr. Richmond teaches undergraduate students in the introductory and upper division intervention courses for the Department of Social Work at Colorado State University-Pueblo.  She has been teaching in higher education for 13 years.

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Published

2017-05-16

How to Cite

Piazza, J. A., & Richmond, P. A. (2017). Velvet Sleeves: A Letter of Lessons Learned in the Ivory Tower. Reflections: Narratives of Professional Helping, 22(2), 17–22. Retrieved from https://reflectionsnarrativesofprofessionalhelping.org/index.php/Reflections/article/view/1467