the "things you wish you could say" thread

[AmLitHist]

No, I will not use Skype or Zoom or whatever else to speak to my chair or secretaries* "during this difficult time."  I will email him or them, as I always do when off-campus and needing something; if necessary, I'll pick up the phone and call the secretaries.  But I will not Skype, Zoom, or whatever else.

Yes, I know how to use Skype, Zoom, and similar programs. I've used them for years, particularly when interviewing with other schools, and as part of my "service to the discipline/academe" activities. No, I am not a luddite or a dinosaur; I've been teaching online here since 2005, before 90% of y'all even knew what online ed was.  But I am NOT Skyping etc. with you.

Similarly, no, I am not using Collaborate in Blackboard or recording and uploading audio and/or video lectures for my 2 F2F classes going online. They know what I look like and what I sound like. Hell, most of them spend most of every class period as it is either sleeping, staring out the window, or otherwise ignoring me, and those that don't, will be fine without visual/vocal contact.  Besides, over half of these Comp II students don't have any tech beyond their (expensive) cell phones--no latptop or desktop at home--and at least that many also don't have internet access at home.**  Public libraries have been closed for over a week; our campus is in our second week of extended spring break and is shut down to all but essential personnel; and regardless of what y'all say, our Bb doesn't work worth a damn with phones/tablets.

How have I managed to teach multiple sections every blessed semester, including summers, for 15 years without Skype, Collaborate, etc. and consistently have better grade results from my online classes than from my F2F sections--AND than most of my colleagues F2F's, too? More importantly, College, how about being concerned just a little bit about your employees' privacy and our agency in deciding what electronic/tech tools we will and will not use?  I mean, you already oversaw a breach of 5,000+ personnel records --including DoB's, SSN's, and more--earlier this spring. And you wonder why I don't want to give you any kind of access to anything more? Y'all could screw up a junkyard, as you've proven time and again.

* Secretarial staff is required to work for the duration (despite not being considered "essential" workers in the recent Stay at Home order from the local authorities--the governor is too stupid to have issued one for the entire state).  The chairs, deans, and higher-ups, and faculty, can work at home. Nice message to the secretaries, huh?

**If Admin knew the first damn thing about our students, they'd already know this and wouldn't be pushing us to upload audio/video lectures, conduct classes synchronously via Collaborate, etc.

TL; dr version:  Just get out of the way and let me teach. This "difficult situation" would be a lot less difficult if you'd just trust your faculty to do what you hired us for.

[fishbrains]

No, I will not use Skype or Zoom or whatever else to speak to my chair or secretaries* "during this difficult time."  I will email him or them, as I always do when off-campus and needing something; if necessary, I'll pick up the phone and call the secretaries.  But I will not Skype, Zoom, or whatever else.

Yes, I know how to use Skype, Zoom, and similar programs. I've used them for years, particularly when interviewing with other schools, and as part of my "service to the discipline/academe" activities. No, I am not a luddite or a dinosaur; I've been teaching online here since 2005, before 90% of y'all even knew what online ed was.  But I am NOT Skyping etc. with you.

Similarly, no, I am not using Collaborate in Blackboard or recording and uploading audio and/or video lectures for my 2 F2F classes going online. They know what I look like and what I sound like. Hell, most of them spend most of every class period as it is either sleeping, staring out the window, or otherwise ignoring me, and those that don't, will be fine without visual/vocal contact.  Besides, over half of these Comp II students don't have any tech beyond their (expensive) cell phones--no latptop or desktop at home--and at least that many also don't have internet access at home.**  Public libraries have been closed for over a week; our campus is in our second week of extended spring break and is shut down to all but essential personnel; and regardless of what y'all say, our Bb doesn't work worth a damn with phones/tablets.

How have I managed to teach multiple sections every blessed semester, including summers, for 15 years without Skype, Collaborate, etc. and consistently have better grade results from my online classes than from my F2F sections--AND than most of my colleagues F2F's, too? More importantly, College, how about being concerned just a little bit about your employees' privacy and our agency in deciding what electronic/tech tools we will and will not use?  I mean, you already oversaw a breach of 5,000+ personnel records --including DoB's, SSN's, and more--earlier this spring. And you wonder why I don't want to give you any kind of access to anything more? Y'all could screw up a junkyard, as you've proven time and again.

* Secretarial staff is required to work for the duration (despite not being considered "essential" workers in the recent Stay at Home order from the local authorities--the governor is too stupid to have issued one for the entire state).  The chairs, deans, and higher-ups, and faculty, can work at home. Nice message to the secretaries, huh?

**If Admin knew the first damn thing about our students, they'd already know this and wouldn't be pushing us to upload audio/video lectures, conduct classes synchronously via Collaborate, etc.

TL; dr version:  Just get out of the way and let me teach. This "difficult situation" would be a lot less difficult if you'd just trust your faculty to do what you hired us for.

Amen. It's like administrators have put all their stock into Zoom or something. Or, as usual, they are pushing complicated solutions for problems that don't actually exist.

[Antiphon1]

related to the above -

Double Amen. 

I'm not doing Zoom meetings, either.  You didn't want any input from us up until this point.  Why do I need to pretend to give a damn on camera?  Learn to compose a coherent email.  I can read just fine. 

[archaeo42]

I said in the future you stupid bint. I didn't say right now. IN THE FUTURE...think about how you explain things to people. You're not clear.

[AmLitHist]

Admin, PLEASE stop sending multiple (i.e, I counted 8 yesterday) daily emails about taking classes online, and let us just DO it.  Those of us who teach online find a lot of your advice to be absurd (the Zoom rant I made earlier is the least annoying suggestion), and those who are struggling to figure it out are not going to be helped by any of your BS. 

Also, instead of bombarding us with this nonsense, how about getting REAL, usable information out to us ASAP.  For instance, the little fact that students can withdraw from any class and retake if for free in the future would be a nice thing for faculty to know, esp. with students who are already on the grade bubble and/or in personal crisis because of the upheaval.  And burying the word about that really good page of resources our librarians made up--which includes information on how anyone in the area can get 60 days' worth of free home internet--at the bottom of the weekly campus newsletter that nobody reads, pretty much encapsulates how Admin is handling this whole situation.

I get it:  unexpected times, figuring it out as you go, etc.  But that doesn't give license to turn this into the sh*tshow it's become.  Of course, at the end, the Chancellor and OE director will likely get contract extensions with healthy raises and a bonus. 

[Myword]

 it is unfair for me to wait years for you to publish my very short book review, nor to wait months without any communication for your readers to critique my articles and do their unnecessary fault-finding and opining that does no one any good.

[apl68]

Why yes, you can still make appointments to come to the library to fax, use computers, and check out books that we bring to you.  And our recently-modernized web site offers a dazzling array of virtual services as well.

[AmLitHist]

Just let it go.

[sprout]

To everyone posting ideas for "what to do when you're stuck at home doing nothing": I hate you all.

[AmLitHist]

STOP sending all the stupid and repetitive emails about how to do our work, and let us do our work!  You don't get brownie points for micromanaging, especially when you clearly don't have a clue about what you're talking about.

[the_geneticist]

STOP sending all the stupid and repetitive emails about how to do our work, and let us do our work!  You don't get brownie points for micromanaging, especially when you clearly don't have a clue about what you're talking about.

This +1000


Our classes start in FOUR DAYS.  While it's nice (I guess?) that the "keep teaching" folks are willing to meet and chat tomorrow about what we are "planning" to do for Basketweaving labs, I had to restrain myself from yelling "We are past planning!  We have been past the planning/brainstorming/looking for resources stage for at least a week.  Right now, if you aren't actively testing our your materials, it's too late!  Leave me alone so I can do my job."

[downer]

You chose to post publicly about how you have been traumatized by another person and by your college. It seemed a bid to elicit sympathy from others.

To be honest, I don't feel a lot of sympathy. In my experience you are a hard person to deal with, and it is not surprising that others are worn out by you and do not accept your ideas.

Clearly you have been hurt by others and you have taken it very personally. But I don't see you acknowledging your own role in your life course.

[Vkw10]

Please stop telling me what we should be doing, instead of what university has mandated that we do. I don't have any ability to change the mandates, as I've explained multiple times this week. You could have finished the idiotic paperwork in half the time you've spent complaining.

[polly_mer]

As Sheldon would say, I informed you thusly.

I'm sad for all the people now actively being hurt because you refused to act years ago when those actions could have led to a different outcome.

It sucks to be right.

[Vkw10]

The President talked about it in her daily update on website, so why are you trying to keep budget freeze quiet?