How much does "face time" matter in today's digital world?

[Aster]

Most of the operational faculty service work at Big Urban College's is either paralyzed or dead.

Most of the administrative work requiring collaboration with other administrators is also mostly paralyzed or dead. The most critical work is being performed, but extremely slowly and inefficiently.

Communication within the college is very low and very unreliable.

Hovering around my computer all day, every day (including weekends) waiting for random email responses from random students, professors, administrators, techs, vendors, insert anyone here is becoming an enormous waste of time and energy. Over half of the time I get no responses back. This creates unnecessary delays getting things done.

[Parasaurolophus]

With zero face time for the last month, I have to say that I feel entirely alienated from the products of my labour. And that translates into unwarranted irritation with my students.

[Aster]

Yeah, I think that everyone is going stir crazy. Even the forums here are starting to show several "cranky" sounding posts. I'm a bit concerned that I will be next.

[polly_mer]

I also miss getting the chance to interact with people during periods of time when I need to take screen breaks.  Walking around my backyard is far less productive use of my screen breaks compared to just stopping by people's offices and the lab to see how their work is doing.

Agreed.  Setting up phone appointments is not the same as just dropping in.