Busy TAA People: Kent Kauffman Authoring Book on Legal Issues Facing College and Graduate Faculty

TAA member Kent D. Kauffman, J.D. has signed a contract with Rowman & Littlefield to author a legal, professional development book on the key legal issues that college and graduate faculty face in their academic lives. The book will be published in late 2024 or early 2025 and is tentatively titled, Navigating Choppy Waters: Key Legal Issues College Faculty Need to Know (Before the Semester Ends).

Kauffman is an Associate Professor of Business Law and Ethics and MBA Programs Faculty Liaison at the Doermer School of Business at Purdue University-Fort Wayne, and was a recipient of a 2019 TAA McGuffey Longevity Award for his textbook, Legal Terminology.

From the Archives – Articles on ‘Textbooks as Scholarship’ From TAA Report, Compiled by TAA Member Phil Wankat

The ninth installment of TAA Member Phil Wankat’s curation and commentary of the archival issues of the TAA Report (now The Academic Author), Textbooks as Scholarship, is now available. Articles include ““Textbooks as Scholarship: An Editorial”, and “Textbook/Materials as an Academic Field of Inquiry: An Introduction and a Selected Annotated Bibliography”.

2024 TAA Council Elections – Cast Your Vote

Six candidates are running for two open positions on the TAA Council, the association’s governing board. Terms begin July 1, 2023.

Members received an email with a link to the ballot on March 8. To be eligible to vote, individuals must be members in good standing. If you are a TAA member and cannot vote electronically, contact Kim Pawlak at Kim.Pawlak@TAAonline.net or (507) 459-1363 to request a paper ballot.

The deadline for voting is Friday, March 22.

TAA Announces 2024 Textbook Award Winners

Fifty-seven textbooks have been awarded 2024 Textbook Awards by the Textbook & Academic Authors Association (TAA). Fourteen textbooks received William Holmes McGuffey Longevity Awards, 25 textbooks received Textbook Excellence Awards, and 18 textbooks received Most Promising New Textbook Awards.

The McGuffey Longevity Award recognizes textbooks and learning materials whose excellence has been demonstrated over time. The Textbook Excellence Award recognizes excellence in current textbooks and learning materials. The Most Promising New Textbook Award recognizes excellence in 1st edition textbooks and learning materials.

The awardees will be recognized during an awards ceremony on Friday, April 26, 2024, at 7:00 pm ET. Register to attend.

4/9 TAA Webinar on Artificial Intelligence

AI is impacting many areas of higher education, and textbook and academic authors want to know more. Caitlin O’Brien, an expert in this ever-changing field, will provide an overview of AI, its capabilities and limitations, and what authors need to know to use these tools safely and ethically.

Join us Tuesday, April 9 from 3-4 p.m. ET for the TAA webinar, “Artificial Intelligence 101 – Basics for Textbook and Academic Authors,” presented by Caitlin O’Brien, Director of Permissions for XanEdu Publishing.

TAA to Hold Member Appreciation Day on Wednesday, March 20

TAA is holding a Member Appreciation Day on Wednesday, March 20 as a way for staff and Council members to thank members for being part of the TAA authoring community. Members will receive special discounts on association products and services, a hands-on writing workshop, and a new eBook on AI & Authoring. They will also have the opportunity to purchase a TAA-logo t-shirt at a discounted price and free shipping.

Learn more and save the date for this one-day only event.