The Fora: A Higher Education Community

I've been asked to take over the supervision of courses handled by a colleague who resigned to take another position, and so far, everything I've dug into has huge problems: no budget filed for the fiscal year, outdated curriculum, fully-enrolled courses with no faculty, and more. Aargh!

Vent over. Back to (extra) work.

No, really. Everyone needs to take note that the unemployed folks in the family are generating--out of nothing--95% of the drama.

And the kids aren't the problem.

So I have a lab that meets every Tues and Thurs from 12:10 until 2:00 PM. Last week, on Tuesday, at 1:57 PM a faculty member I did not know key cards himself into the lab and starts herding his students in the lab. I was finishing up, was still talking to my students because the first day always runs to the last minute because of all the things I have to introduce.

I asked the faculty member what time his lab started. He said 2:10 and said I had the room until 2:00 and in the future would he please not enter until after that time if my class was still in session. I logged out of the instructor's station, picked up my things, and left. Also, earlier in my lab, when I was in the middle of a demo, the same faculty member let himself in, approached the instructor's podium, and I asked if I could help him. He said no, he was just looking at the computer to see if there were USB slots on the front. I said "Okay..." and went about what I was doing with my students. I thought it was a bit odd, not to mention rude, but, whatever.

Then yesterday I received an email from an administrator berating me for being rude to a colleague in front of students, that the students were horrified, their professor was upset, etc., and that I needed to learn to share space and time with my colleagues. I was SO ticked off. I told the administrator my version of events and also told him that it was not good of him to assume that I was the offending party and that whenever my class followed another colleague's class, even with a 10 minute switchover time, I never entered the room if they were still in there with their students until at least 5 minutes had gone by because I knew that sometimes things ran late. I also told him about the faculty member interrupting my lab to look at the podium computer.

All I received in response was that the faculty member was new and still learning. But even if they were fresh out of grad school (they looked older, but who knows?), they should have some basic manners. Ugh. I thought our students were increasingly immature, but for a faculty member to go running to an administrator when they feel a colleague was being mean? And not even approach me first? Oh for f*** sake. Also, the lab schedule is posted outside the lab door for anyone and everyone to see. I'm especially annoyed that this new prof probably feels he was indeed the aggrieved party. Not that I'll see him on a regular basis, he's in another department, but still...

That prof was a jerk, Edna! And the Admin doesn't sound much better. 

Running to Admin? What a big baby!

When I first started teaching the class before mine would let out. A few would come tearing out of the room but most were rather sluggishly putting their books in their bags, checking their phones, etc.

Mine, as soon as the first few started exiting, would come bouncing into the room and start taking their seats. I dunno, they were more energetic.

The other teacher started yelling at me after a few times. "CAN YOU ASK YOUR STUDENTS TO WAIT UNTIL MINE HAVE LEFT???" My students started letting her have it. "Hey, we can't help it if yours are lazy, class is over, get the heck out of your seats..."

I said "Well, class is over at 2:00. What time can we come in?" She said "NOT RIGHT AT 2:00!" I said, "Shall I hold them until 2:05?" "YES!"

So we would stand out in the hall until 2:05 as hers started moseying their way out. Of course, half were still in there but I would wait a few minutes to come in and set up.

She retired soon after. I still see her around town from time to time and she won't look me in the eye.

Quote from: AmLitHist on August 30, 2023, 08:43:02 AMThat prof was a jerk, Edna! And the Admin doesn't sound much better.

Thanks, I was having an "Am I the a**hole?" moment but  no, common courtesy seems to be lacking. I did some searching on our website and the administrator is housed in the same department as the new faculty even though the admin doesn't teach. If he wants to look out for the new wee ducklings in his 'home' department, he could at least be more polite about it. Oh well. For me, it's in the past, but my respect for that particular administrator has gone down a few more notches when I didn't think that was possible.

Quote from: ciao_yall on August 30, 2023, 09:08:03 AMRunning to Admin? What a big baby!

When I first started teaching the class before mine would let out. A few would come tearing out of the room but most were rather sluggishly putting their books in their bags, checking their phones, etc.

Mine, as soon as the first few started exiting, would come bouncing into the room and start taking their seats. I dunno, they were more energetic.

The other teacher started yelling at me after a few times. "CAN YOU ASK YOUR STUDENTS TO WAIT UNTIL MINE HAVE LEFT???" My students started letting her have it. "Hey, we can't help it if yours are lazy, class is over, get the heck out of your seats..."

I said "Well, class is over at 2:00. What time can we come in?" She said "NOT RIGHT AT 2:00!" I said, "Shall I hold them until 2:05?" "YES!"

So we would stand out in the hall until 2:05 as hers started moseying their way out. Of course, half were still in there but I would wait a few minutes to come in and set up.

She retired soon after. I still see her around town from time to time and she won't look me in the eye.

That actually made me laugh. I guess we've all had those colleagues before. When I was in grad school there was a prof who always overran and the prof of the class I was in would walk in a minute or two before our class started, with us following, and say "My room, my class. If you're not enrolled in [class] leave the room now." and just go about getting ready - he lectured from handwritten notes so there was nothing to set up and no computer to log into. The other prof never reacted, just got his stuff and left, along with his students. This happened multiple times during the semester.

I think it's part of my job as a prof to make sure I herd my students out of the room in a timely fashion if there's another class following mine. I tell them we can talk in the hall.

Quote from: EdnaMode on August 30, 2023, 11:30:39 AMThat actually made me laugh. I guess we've all had those colleagues before. When I was in grad school there was a prof who always overran and the prof of the class I was in would walk in a minute or two before our class started, with us following, and say "My room, my class. If you're not enrolled in [class] leave the room now." and just go about getting ready - he lectured from handwritten notes so there was nothing to set up and no computer to log into. The other prof never reacted, just got his stuff and left, along with his students. This happened multiple times during the semester.

I think it's part of my job as a prof to make sure I herd my students out of the room in a timely fashion if there's another class following mine. I tell them we can talk in the hall.

Ha! Not nearly so bad, but last year the prof before me would always be talking to lingering students at the front of the room as I was trying to set up. I just about started class with him still there chatting away a number of times. He seemed completely oblivious to this. The funny thing was, there was actually a nice lounge area *right outside* that classroom where he could have sat and talked with the students in comfort for as long as he liked.

How do you get things done on days when all you want to do is lie in bed and not move? I'm having a lot of days like that.

I had multiple fits of convulsions yesterday, and now everything hurts. My muscles are sore, my head aches, and my stomach is resisting all attempts to feed it. I just want to curl up and vegetate, but my dissertation defense is two weeks away so I really shouldn't.

I also have a ton of other stuff to do to prepare for finishing up school, switching health insurance and finding new providers, getting ready to move, and figuring out next steps career-wise.

I don't know if it's the stress of all this that's making me feel sick so often, but I need a way to work through the pain and weakness so I'm not even more stressed from falling behind.

Quote from: smallcleanrat on September 01, 2023, 01:59:34 PMI don't know if it's the stress of all this that's making me feel sick so often, but I need a way to work through the pain and weakness so I'm not even more stressed from falling behind.

All I can tell you is that when I myself have been in those times of life where simply taking care of ordinary daily life seemed beyond my strength, I have depended upon the prayers of others and my own relationship with God.  It was only strength outside my own that enabled me to continue.  Praying now for you to have strength from outside yourself, smallcleanrat.

Are you able to "just" focus on the thesis defense for the next 2 weeks and worry about all the rest of these things after that?  I understand if you aren't doing well the thesis defense itself is a lot.  But perhaps letting go of the other topics could help in the short term.

Usually students do their defense and then have some minor corrections to their thesis etc that they complete after the defense.  As a result, you usually don't graduate (lose health insurance and income) the hour the defense is done. I don't know what arrangement you have with your PI but its not uncommon for students at my university to spend a few months post-thesis defense looking for jobs or wrapping up a last project.

Quote from: smallcleanrat on September 01, 2023, 01:59:34 PMHow do you get things done on days when all you want to do is lie in bed and not move? I'm having a lot of days like that.

I had multiple fits of convulsions yesterday, and now everything hurts. My muscles are sore, my head aches, and my stomach is resisting all attempts to feed it. I just want to curl up and vegetate, but my dissertation defense is two weeks away so I really shouldn't.

I also have a ton of other stuff to do to prepare for finishing up school, switching health insurance and finding new providers, getting ready to move, and figuring out next steps career-wise.

I don't know if it's the stress of all this that's making me feel sick so often, but I need a way to work through the pain and weakness so I'm not even more stressed from falling behind.

Quote from: smallcleanrat on September 01, 2023, 01:59:34 PMI just want to curl up and vegetate, but my dissertation defense is two weeks away so I really shouldn't.

Congratulations on being so close! I'm so sorry you are struggling with this. How much do you actually need to do for the defense? Is there a presentation to write or a slide show to create?

I defended in the humanities overseas, so I know my process was a little different from yours, but I had the benefit of having a job interview the day before my defense, so I spent the 3 weeks before both preparing for the interview and then re-read my dissertation on the train home afterwards. My advisor said he wouldn't let me defend until I was ready, and I assume yours has also assured you that you are ready. Can you make a list of the bare minimum you must do (e.g. if you are required to make slides) and give yourself a a few designated blocks of time for the preparation?

There's a stress scale I found some time back called the Holmes-Rahe stress inventory. I'm not a psychologist; I don't know if it's a real thing or just an internet gimmick, but it helps me think about how much life changes, even positive ones, can bring stress (for instance, a promotion at work can still be a source of stress!). It sounds like most of your changes are positive ones, but there are a lot of unknowns, and that is hard! My advice would be to schedule a few days (as many as possible!) to let yourself rest and recuperate from all the stress. Hire movers if you can afford them, even if just to load the truck (because they are SO much more efficient than us mere mortals). Take a day to go visit your favorite spot in Current City before you leave. Plan an afternoon to have coffee with a friend, or to read a book in a quiet spot, or whatever rejuvenates you. Or let yourself actually stay in bed for a few days: that's allowed too. I would contend that you have been working flat-out for a long time, completing a challenging degree despite a major physical difficulty, in the face of several other external pressures. That's amazing! --but your body needs time to recuperate, and my suspicion is that the desire to vegetate is your body telling you that it is very, very  tired. It's okay to let it rest.

AR.

Quote from: EdnaMode on August 30, 2023, 07:09:24 AMSo I have a lab that meets every Tues and Thurs from 12:10 until 2:00 PM. Last week, on Tuesday, at 1:57 PM a faculty member I did not know key cards himself into the lab and starts herding his students in the lab. I was finishing up, was still talking to my students because the first day always runs to the last minute because of all the things I have to introduce.

I asked the faculty member what time his lab started. He said 2:10 and said I had the room until 2:00 and in the future would he please not enter until after that time if my class was still in session. I logged out of the instructor's station, picked up my things, and left. Also, earlier in my lab, when I was in the middle of a demo, the same faculty member let himself in, approached the instructor's podium, and I asked if I could help him. He said no, he was just looking at the computer to see if there were USB slots on the front. I said "Okay..." and went about what I was doing with my students. I thought it was a bit odd, not to mention rude, but, whatever.

Then yesterday I received an email from an administrator berating me for being rude to a colleague in front of students, that the students were horrified, their professor was upset, etc., and that I needed to learn to share space and time with my colleagues. I was SO ticked off. I told the administrator my version of events and also told him that it was not good of him to assume that I was the offending party and that whenever my class followed another colleague's class, even with a 10 minute switchover time, I never entered the room if they were still in there with their students until at least 5 minutes had gone by because I knew that sometimes things ran late. I also told him about the faculty member interrupting my lab to look at the podium computer.

All I received in response was that the faculty member was new and still learning. But even if they were fresh out of grad school (they looked older, but who knows?), they should have some basic manners. Ugh. I thought our students were increasingly immature, but for a faculty member to go running to an administrator when they feel a colleague was being mean? And not even approach me first? Oh for f*** sake. Also, the lab schedule is posted outside the lab door for anyone and everyone to see. I'm especially annoyed that this new prof probably feels he was indeed the aggrieved party. Not that I'll see him on a regular basis, he's in another department, but still...

I hope you copied your chair on your response. There was no excuse for the prof however new or inexperienced to barge into a lab or classroom when a class was in session, let alone interrupt the instructor to look at the computer you were using. Sounds more like an entitled student than faculty if he went running to the admins with his sob story.

Quote from: Langue_doc on September 06, 2023, 04:28:38 AM

Quote from: EdnaMode on August 30, 2023, 07:09:24 AMSo I have a lab that meets every Tues and Thurs from 12:10 until 2:00 PM...

I hope you copied your chair on your response. There was no excuse for the prof however new or inexperienced to barge into a lab or classroom when a class was in session, let alone interrupt the instructor to look at the computer you were using. Sounds more like an entitled student than faculty if he went running to the admins with his sob story.

I did indeed. I adore my chair, he stands up for all of us, and also, never fails to politely but firmly correct us when we are wrong. He was livid and told me in person, not in an email reply, that both the administrator and the faculty member failed to follow any sort of professional protocol and that he'd have a chat with the administrator. I'm looking forward to hearing the results of that chat.

I'm working from home today, and just popped into my kitchen to finish loading the dishwasher and start it — maybe all of a minute and a half. I returned to my computer to find eleven new emails had arrived in that time. Calgon, take me away! (1970s reference...)

Quote from: sinenomine on September 07, 2023, 07:10:33 AMI'm working from home today, and just popped into my kitchen to finish loading the dishwasher and start it — maybe all of a minute and a half. I returned to my computer to find eleven new emails had arrived in that time. Calgon, take me away! (1970s reference...)

You can't turn your back on email, even for a second.  Good luck keeping them in line.  I just used the Calgon line yesterday, BTW!