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Session 3575

Balancing Your Life (Boat) in the Tenure Stream Andrew T. Rose University of Pittsburgh at Johnstown

Abstract

This paper presents a narrative describing my experiences in choosing to leave a career in consulting engineering to accept a tenure stream faculty position in Civil Engineering Technology, my adjustment to the demands of this position on my personal life, and my attempts to balance my professional and personal activities. The decision to accept this position was a realization of one of my career goals. The decision involved not only me, however, but my wife as well. Her support in accepting this position and moving to Johnstown, along with our striving to prioritize and organize our time have been significant in my attempt to achieve a balance between my professional and personal life.

Also discussed is the use of a first-person narrative format and my reasons for using that format in this paper, rather than the conventional expository form of writing, so common in professional journals and conference proceedings.

I. Introduction

This narrative relates my experiences and observations associated with my accepting an engineering technology faculty position and my attempts to balance my personal and professional life during my first semester. In writing this paper, I chose to present my experiences and observations in a first-person narrative format, rather than from the point-of- view of a detached observer. Writing in a first-person narrative format is the preferred way to relate to others about one’s personal experiences1. Through effective narration, a writer may give meaning to personal experiences, which may be of benefit to others.

II. Meaning in Narration and the First-Person Point-of-View

Narration involves the presentation of a sequence of events explaining how or why something happened2. By using narration, an author can take a series of actions and events and create a coherent story in which these actions and events gain meaning through their contribution to the final outcome3.

In narrative writing, two key elements are necessary: careful and accurate sequencing of events and a consistent point-of-view2. The story or experiences must be broken down into parts and presented in a meaningful order4. To establish this order, the writer must first analyze and organize the events and actions in their mind3, thereby providing the organization for the narrative.

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Rose, A. T. (2000, June), Balancing Your Life (Boat) In The Tenure Stream Paper presented at 2000 Annual Conference, St. Louis, Missouri. 10.18260/1-2--8180