Dear Dr. Noelle: Sensitive Request

By Dr. Noelle Sterne

Q: How do I tell my chair I don’t want his suggested topic for my dissertation?

— Scared of Retaliation

A: As an advanced graduate student, you face many hard situations: finally writing the dissertation, explaining to your family why you can’t spend any time with them, and breaking up fistfights between your chair and committee members. More students than you’d imagine encounter another high-anxiety-making scenario: when your chair suggests your dissertation topic.

Whose Topic?

Early in the dance, your professor’s “suggestion” could be a replication of the study he just had rejected, the study she’s just started, his secondary research interest, or her department head’s major obsession.

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2025 TAA Conference Bookstore Featured Book, ‘The ‘Getting to Yes’ Guide for ESL Students and Professionals’

The “Getting to Yes” Guide for ESL Students and Professionals, by Barrie J. Roberts, guides non-native English speakers though Getting to Yes, the international bestseller on “win-win” negotiation. Each chapter provides a lesson plan and activities along with page-by-page explanations of words, idioms and concepts. Use this book to help non-native English speakers negotiate on an equal footing with fluent English speakers. Published by the University of Michigan Press.

Purchase in the 2025 TAA Conference Bookstore

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Three Actions You Can Take to Feel Happier as a Writer This Year

I’m sure many people wished you “Happy New Year.” But what does it mean when it comes to writing? In other words, what can you do to feel happier in your writing practice? To address this question, it’s essential to first define what happiness means.

According to Sonja Lyubomirsky, author of The How of Happiness and The Myths of Happiness, happiness is to be happy in and with our lives, meaning that you (a) experience more positive emotions than negative ones, (b) feel that your life is good and meaningful, and (c) are satisfied with the progress you are making toward your life goals.

In this article, I outline specific actions you can take to cultivate a greater sense of happiness as a writer, based on these three aspects of happiness.

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What Authors Need to Know About Cengage Class Action Lawsuit Settlement

On November 24, 2024, the federal district court in New York granted preliminary approval to a $20,990,000 settlement of claims of royalty underpayment by Cengage Learning, Inc., in a long-running lawsuit brought on behalf of Cengage textbook authors by the class action law firm Susman Godfrey. There is a January 22, 2025 deadline for any authors wish to opt out of the class or to object to the settlement.

Cengage authors have asked us various questions about the settlement. Zick Rubin, attorney at the  Archstone Law Group and long-time TAA member (zrubin@archstonelaw.com), has provided some answers.

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The Latin American Section of the WAC Clearinghouse’s International Exchanges on the Study of Writing Book Series Seeking Editors

The Latin American Section of the WAC Clearinghouse’s International Exchanges on the Study of Writing book series is looking for two associate editors to collaborate with the section editors in organizing review processes, book launch events, and other activities for the section. This position offers the opportunity to participate in an exciting and supportive network of scholars committed to promoting transnational equity and high-quality scholarship in writing studies across borders.  Learn more

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