the "things you wish you could say" thread

[mamselle]

+1

Pretend 'normalcy' (thanks, Pres. Harding, for that word) isn't really normal at all.

M.

[Stockmann]

(Word is that they'll be checking log-in ISPs, and anyone logging in from home will be up for a disciplinary/insubordination letter in their HR file.)

What a ridiculous policy! Time for everyone to start using a VPN-- you can always be "on" campus.

Remote access would also work.

[AmLitHist]

(Word is that they'll be checking log-in ISPs, and anyone logging in from home will be up for a disciplinary/insubordination letter in their HR file.)

What a ridiculous policy! Time for everyone to start using a VPN-- you can always be "on" campus.

This is a case where the faculty need to unite and push back.  Otherwise, look forward to more of same.

We (via our strong union) have done so, over the past 7=8 years.  This particular lunacy is actually one of the more mundane "more of same" things.

Morale has been horrible for the past decade, to the point it's nearly nonexistent these days.  Those who could, took the recent early buyout, but it was like the one a few years ago (i.e., laughable money and/or insurance incentives).  Still, if one was ready to retire anyway, it was a little cash on the way out. 

The rationale is that, clearly, if we aren't physically where they can watch us, then we can't be working and are obviously stealing from the company.  Of course, nobody wants to hear about all the time we're working at home on evenings, weekends, holidays, et al., beyond our scheduled office hours.

We did get a bit of a break this week:  a campus edict was delivered saying that for the remainder of Fall, we can do 6 of our mandatory 10 on-campus weekly office hours virtually (and English people, who must do 13 hours a week, can now do 8 of those virtually).  Woo-fucking-hoo.  For years I've kept a log of student office-hours visits/consults, and my last one was online in Spring 2018. I am not joking.

(I won't get into too much detail, but this same "you must be on campus so we can watch you" crap is the basis of their denial of my ADA request this fall. They can explain that one to the EEOC.)

Yes, friends, I know:  I've got to get out of here.  I could retire now, but at 60, it's too far from here to Medicare. My absolute earliest option (because if I wait, I will take a partial lump-sum of about $170K from my pension, and still have nice monthly payments) is January 2024, though I need to still wait until the following January til I can get Medicare coverage.

The thing is, I like my students, by-and-large.  There are always a few wingnuts, but especially during the pandemic, I've had mostly students who are earnest and focused and engaged--they know they need what we have to offer. (This hasn't always been the case at our CC.) But it's damned hard to keep giving my best to them with the constant Admin BS in the background.

TL; DR version:  be glad y'all don't work where I work.

[downer]

Presumably some faculty disobey. What has happened to them? Do some people get away with it? Are the deans going around from office to office with a checklist?

[fishbrains]

(Word is that they'll be checking log-in ISPs, and anyone logging in from home will be up for a disciplinary/insubordination letter in their HR file.)

What a ridiculous policy! Time for everyone to start using a VPN-- you can always be "on" campus.

This is a case where the faculty need to unite and push back.  Otherwise, look forward to more of same.

We (via our strong union) have done so, over the past 7=8 years.  This particular lunacy is actually one of the more mundane "more of same" things.

Morale has been horrible for the past decade, to the point it's nearly nonexistent these days.  Those who could, took the recent early buyout, but it was like the one a few years ago (i.e., laughable money and/or insurance incentives).  Still, if one was ready to retire anyway, it was a little cash on the way out. 

The rationale is that, clearly, if we aren't physically where they can watch us, then we can't be working and are obviously stealing from the company.  Of course, nobody wants to hear about all the time we're working at home on evenings, weekends, holidays, et al., beyond our scheduled office hours.

We did get a bit of a break this week:  a campus edict was delivered saying that for the remainder of Fall, we can do 6 of our mandatory 10 on-campus weekly office hours virtually (and English people, who must do 13 hours a week, can now do 8 of those virtually).  Woo-fucking-hoo.  For years I've kept a log of student office-hours visits/consults, and my last one was online in Spring 2018. I am not joking.

(I won't get into too much detail, but this same "you must be on campus so we can watch you" crap is the basis of their denial of my ADA request this fall. They can explain that one to the EEOC.)

Yes, friends, I know:  I've got to get out of here.  I could retire now, but at 60, it's too far from here to Medicare. My absolute earliest option (because if I wait, I will take a partial lump-sum of about $170K from my pension, and still have nice monthly payments) is January 2024, though I need to still wait until the following January til I can get Medicare coverage.

The thing is, I like my students, by-and-large.  There are always a few wingnuts, but especially during the pandemic, I've had mostly students who are earnest and focused and engaged--they know they need what we have to offer. (This hasn't always been the case at our CC.) But it's damned hard to keep giving my best to them with the constant Admin BS in the background.

TL; DR version:  be glad y'all don't work where I work.

I have sometimes wondered how long it would take for them to fire me if I just quit following stupid policies. Not being belligerent about it, but just not really paying much attention to them while teaching my classes like I always have and avoiding student complaints. I'd eventually have some "correction plans" in my file, but I'm not sure how much I really care what my file looks like when I leave. My current guess would be around 5 years.

I'm not advocating for any action. Just sayin'.

We have been fortunate at my CC that things have improved over the last 4 to 5 years.

[ergative]

I'm so sick of doing your job for you. You aren't being conscientious every time you ask me to double-check your spreadsheets. You're just making more work for me when this is something that is solely your responsibility. If you need someone to double-check your work, find someone in your unit. Quit asking me! I don't have time for this! Learn how to use Excel and stop asking me to be your safety net.

[OneMoreYear]

I disagree with the premise that college must always be comfortable.

[ergative]

Look, the student said explicitly that she had difficulties based on the information in the announcement that you sent out. Don't try to criticize the way I put that information on the CMS. And especially don't criticize it by claiming that the links don't go to the right place. Did you click the links? They go to exactly the place you lamented they didn't go.

I'm going to assume that your silence after I pointed this out indicates that you recognize that you were wrong and I was right. Because I'm getting so sick of your perpetual criticism and passive aggressive complaining about the way I'm organizing this, and Absolutive is getting really sick of hearing me complain about these aggressively boring points of friction between us, and yet the mice are still nibbling me to death, and they're coming from your house.

[fishbrains]

No. The solution is for you to drop the class. Get a refund motherf*cker.

[downer]

You cheated. I'm not going to hurry to even read your emails, let alone reply.

[downer]

Dear College President

Thanks for your email about the Chair of the Board of Trustees suddenly stepping down without any explanation.

I have to say I admire your creativity in interpreting this as an expression of confidence in your leadership. Other people might have interpreted it as a king rat leaving a sinking ship. It is great that your positive message will put everyone's mind to rest on that point.

[downer]

What the hell, let's make it a double post.
-------

Dear student,

Yes I know that you got an email apparently from me saying "please contact me to learn how to improve your grades." I didn't know that would happen. I just filled out a form alerting the administration about students who are at risk of failing.

In your case, you are not at risk of failing. You are failing. You will fail. You will not pass. Give up now.

[arcturus]

What the hell, let's make it a double post.
-------

Dear student,

Yes I know that you got an email apparently from me saying "please contact me to learn how to improve your grades." I didn't know that would happen. I just filled out a form alerting the administration about students who are at risk of failing.

In your case, you are not at risk of failing. You are failing. You will fail. You will not pass. Give up now.

Downer - do we work at the same place, or is it just a common thing for administrators to think it is ok to send email to students in our names? I only learned of my institution's policy of sending such emails after a student wrote back to me, just as yours has done. If you find this process unethical (spoofing faculty), I suggest contacting your administrators (and also your faculty colleagues, as they may not be aware that students have received email communication that is nominally from them). The uproar I caused at my school has resulted in them revising the policy (not clear what they will do next semester, but it will definitely NOT be emails sent nominally from the instructor without prior consent).

[downer]

It's a Starfish thing.

I don't really care about it since this is a school with a lot of problems. I was trying to find their academic calendar for this semester and I found that they don't have one posted online. They have a lot of students who don't do any work. I think they are pretty concerned about re-accreditation.

I've decided to focus on the students who do good work and devote little of my time to the students who shouldn't be in college.

[paultuttle]

<unrelated>

Once upon a time, you may have carried around with you in your package of "what makes you human" a little item called "ethics." However, well in advance of when I met you, you apparently lost that little item and have not gone back to find it, nor have you purchased its putative replacements: "morality," "principles," or "ideals." Still, somehow you continue to be able to convince others that an alternative--"smoke and mirrors"--look a great deal like that little item.

You seem not to miss its absence. Congratulations on your success at moving forward entirely without that little item, which I had earlier in my career (somewhat naively) thought was necessary!