Questions for Administrators on Work Week and Commute

[newprofwife]

Perhaps you can change the culture for everyone. This is 2022 and most people don't need to be in an office 40 hours a week to get work done. If we are professionals who mainly do intellectual work, why do we need to face to face for 40 hours? You can just make yourself available via calls, virtual appointments, etc. Some students and some faculty even prefer email, phone or virtual calls. Also, if you are commuting and your partner is in another state, you should push for a better work-life balance so you can spend more time as a family. Not to mention how expensive gas is and how parking is such a pain.   

If academia wants to retain staff, there should be flexibility at all levels. Maybe if you come in and you lead the way in changing the culture, it will be more acceptable to accept that the future is here and we are not factory workers. Even if there are some busy days and busy times, there are also slow days and slow periods especially when most meetings can be a quick call or email.   

[Hibush]

One of the chief responsibilities of an administrator is to build strong relationships across campus and with the unit's stakeholders. And then to use those relationships to build support for new or continuing initiatives. We have not found a way to make that work remotely.

[apl68]

One of the chief responsibilities of an administrator is to build strong relationships across campus and with the unit's stakeholders. And then to use those relationships to build support for new or continuing initiatives. We have not found a way to make that work remotely.

I've never even tried to do any work remotely (Not that it would have been very feasible for anybody, given the poor internet service around here).  I just accept that I'm going to be here six days a week, with Thursdays and Saturdays shorter than usual to keep the overall hours from being too long.  And coming by every Sunday morning to make sure the utilities are running, and being on-call 24/7 in case an alarm goes off after hours.

A colleague in the state made the news sometime back after she gave notice that she would be retiring in some months' time.  Her health was somewhat vulnerable, and she received permission to work remotely.  Her library was large enough for her job to be more fully office-bound than mine.  She then moved two or three states away, and remoted in from there.  When word got out, it created such an uproar that there was a considerable shake-up in the membership of her Board of Trustees.  She was forced to move back in-state for the remainder of her term of employment. 

[Ruralguy]

Virtual meetings tend to be better for small groups who more or less know each other. That way, you don't feel like you are losing that much by not doing face to face all the time. I think a virtual general faculty meeting that includes new faculty can probably be good for basics, but for controversial topics or discussion.

Students prefer emailing just about any question in an intro class. I find that upper level students more often want a more complex explanation, usually face to face, but not always.

In any case, some appropriate combination can be worked out.

[mamselle]

One of the chief responsibilities of an administrator is to build strong relationships across campus and with the unit's stakeholders. And then to use those relationships to build support for new or continuing initiatives. We have not found a way to make that work remotely.

I've never even tried to do any work remotely (Not that it would have been very feasible for anybody, given the poor internet service around here).  I just accept that I'm going to be here six days a week, with Thursdays and Saturdays shorter than usual to keep the overall hours from being too long.  And coming by every Sunday morning to make sure the utilities are running, and being on-call 24/7 in case an alarm goes off after hours.

A colleague in the state made the news sometime back after she gave notice that she would be retiring in some months' time.  Her health was somewhat vulnerable, and she received permission to work remotely.  Her library was large enough for her job to be more fully office-bound than mine.  She then moved two or three states away, and remoted in from there.  When word got out, it created such an uproar that there was a considerable shake-up in the membership of her Board of Trustees.  She was forced to move back in-state for the remainder of her term of employment.

I'm confused.

How does being in- or out-of-state matter?

Or was this just some micromanager's idea of a good idea?

M.

[apl68]

One of the chief responsibilities of an administrator is to build strong relationships across campus and with the unit's stakeholders. And then to use those relationships to build support for new or continuing initiatives. We have not found a way to make that work remotely.

I've never even tried to do any work remotely (Not that it would have been very feasible for anybody, given the poor internet service around here).  I just accept that I'm going to be here six days a week, with Thursdays and Saturdays shorter than usual to keep the overall hours from being too long.  And coming by every Sunday morning to make sure the utilities are running, and being on-call 24/7 in case an alarm goes off after hours.

A colleague in the state made the news sometime back after she gave notice that she would be retiring in some months' time.  Her health was somewhat vulnerable, and she received permission to work remotely.  Her library was large enough for her job to be more fully office-bound than mine.  She then moved two or three states away, and remoted in from there.  When word got out, it created such an uproar that there was a considerable shake-up in the membership of her Board of Trustees.  She was forced to move back in-state for the remainder of her term of employment.

I'm confused.

How does being in- or out-of-state matter?

Or was this just some micromanager's idea of a good idea?

M.

As far as performing the letter-of-the-law administrative duties in that case, being out-of-state probably didn't matter.  But a librarian is a city official.  A city official who in this case had decided that she no longer wanted to be a member of, or participate in, the local community, while continuing to take the local community's pay.  I can understand why people were upset about it.  I know that as the city librarian I feel a responsibility to show myself in public, and be available to patrons when needed.  Even if I'm not the person whose job is to wait on people at the service desk.

Given the continued pandemic uncertainty and this colleague's age, I don't think that wanting an accommodation to limit possible COVID exposure was unreasonable in her case.  But moving a long day's drive away from the city whose library she had been entrusted to run, and everybody in it?  Really, really bad "optics," and I believe that she was foolish for not considering them. 

Anyway, she has now retired, and her place has been taken by a staff member whom they decided to promote from within to serve as the new director.  He's the first black library director in what is now a majority-black community, and he's been getting good notices for his level of community involvement.  I look forward to meeting him, when we finally get back to having face-to-face professional meetings in this state again.

With relevance to this thread, I believe that anybody in an administrative role would do well to consider appearances in trying to arrange a work schedule, however committed that person may be to the idea that face-to-face is just so yesterday.  Physical presence, at least some of the time, still matters to many people as a signal that one is truly committed to their community and its best interests.

[mamselle]

OK, got it....a city position is a different kettle of fish.

Good news about the new promotion-from-within.

M.

[apl68]

OK, got it....a city position is a different kettle of fish.

Good news about the new promotion-from-within.

M.

Yes, I'm happy for him.  The city's long-time librarian retired some years back.  He was followed by two late-career professionals who each stayed only a few years--although they did good work during their respective times.  The new director seems to have community roots, and the potential to serve the community for a long time to come.  It's a city that has seen much, much better days.  They recently built a new main library facility in hopes of helping to rejuvenate their downtown.  A well-managed library, with continuity of leadership, has the potential to make a difference there.