handling a work situation with non-academic center director

[mleok]

Looking back at your post history, you're supposedly a TT hire at a R1, with a 75% research and 25% extension appointment. Is the center affiliation associated with the research or extension component? In general, when we make such joint appointments, we have a MOU clearly spelling out which department is the tenure home, and how performance evaluations are conducted, and what happens if only one component supports tenure, for example.

[Vid]

My home department is my tenure home . The center is a non-academic unit doing research, education and outreach (relatively new center). I got adjusted and I am now mostly on Research (90%).

Thank you.

[mleok]

My home department is my tenure home . The center is a non-academic unit doing research, education and outreach (relatively new center). I got adjusted and I am now mostly on Research (90%).

Thank you.

So, I assume the center responsibilities are included in the 90% research appointment? I think your best hope is to see if your home department is willing to take over the entire tenure-track appointment, which would depend on what fraction of your appointment they're currently on the hook for.

[Vid]

mleok: Yes my home department I believe get around 28% of indirect. Yes, I can chair Ph.D. committees in my department, I even co-chair Ph.D. committees in other departments in my school.

I am not sure if I can move to my home department with a teaching appointment. Most teaching faculty have at least 50% teaching appointments. I do not feel that I can teach that many courses or at least my department do not have that many courses available for me to teach. 

Thank you.

I don't have a teaching appointment. I have mostly research appointments (to help the center) so the logic here is if you don't have a teaching appointment you don't get an office in your home department!! However, my home department provided us with a shared office (4 faculty share the same office!). Since Oct. 2020, I have brought around $1.6M grant money to my institution, I lifted my home department up, my grant brought my department up from the lower end in the college/university to the upper level...anyway I told my department chair if things don't improve I most likely leave! 

Very complex politics which I don't really have time to deal with!!! 

Thank you, folks.

It sounds like whether you like it or not, part of your appointment is tied to the center. Without knowing the specifics of how your position is structured, it's hard to provide useful advice. I take it that your home department does not typically have research only appointments? Do you ever run your grants through your home department (do they get a fraction of the overheads)? Do you have the right to chair PhD committees in your home department? What kind of job security do you have? Is it a soft money position, or is it tenure-track/tenured, and what fraction of your salary is guaranteed? Would you be open to moving into a regular faculty appointment in your home department in exchange for some teaching responsibilities?

[Vid]

mlok: my apologies, but what do you mean by MOU?

[mamselle]

mlok: my apologies, but what do you mean by MOU?

MOU means a "Memo of Understanding," which defines the relationship and requirements between (usually, at least as I've worked with them) a consultant or indirectly-connected professional and a larger entity.

For example, when a certain SE Asian country had a political changeover (about 20 years ago, now) and the new guy in charge of things was mad that he couldn't get rid of the director of a research group my boss oversaw (so he could put his unqualified uncle in that position), he tried to kick out all our ecology researchers.

I had to go in at midnight and pull all the MOUs and fax them to the main governmental office to prove that a) the researchers could not be legally removed that way, and b) we were paying for their housing, paying salaries to local assistants, supporting their food, etc., so they'd lose money and face if they kicked them out.

I had to wait until 3 AM to hear back that all was resolved, then call my boss, who was the PI on the project (who was waiting up at home).

So--significant documents, to say the least.

M.

[Vid]

Thank you, mamselle. I am not sure how to get a copy of MOU?

[mamselle]

Thank you, mamselle. I am not sure how to get a copy of MOU?

If you have one, you would have negotiated it before you joined, and have received the document(s) as a matter of course, once they were all signed and agreed on.

Maybe they were referred to as a "contract," or something else, but you should have some kind of documentation of your standing, responsibilities, and in this case, the % pay accruing to you from each entity you work with/support/teach for in the setup between the two parts of the school as you've described them.

It can't just be an oral contract, the school's legal team and HR folks should have drawn up something you all signed and got copies of when you joined the faculty.

Or else you're not legally joined to the school, which is probably not the case...look among your hiring paperwork files.

I'd go through and print up any emails they sent as well, just for backup.

M.

[Ruralguy]

The agreement could have been brief. Almost anything that obeys basic laws and is signed onto by relevant parties is binding until it isn't. It might have just been one or two sentences, leaving the details to general handbook statements. That's obviously not ideal, but could be what's going on here.

[Vid]

I don't recall if I signed any paperwork that says I am with that center or have % appointment with that center. I am the kind of person who reads word by word before signing any paperwork. This is why I am confused with my position. My hiring paperwork only  says Vid is a TT assistant professor with XXX department stationed in YYY center. They also use "affiliated faculty" when describing my connection with the center and don't say anything else.

Could this be an internal UOM agreement between my home department and the center? but I feel they need to get the faculty approval, correct?

[Kron3007]

To me it sounds like you were hired specifically to work with, and strengthen, the centre, so you are obligated to work there and interact with the director.  That dosn't mean their micromanaging is appropriate, or you have to comply with it (since tenure is decided by your home department) but it seems you need to work with them.

I have been a grad student for a prof in a similar situation, and it was a tough balancing act. 

If you are willing to move on (which is seems since you stated as much), I would probably just take a firmer stance with the director and tell them directly that you are an independent faculty member and will not respond to these requests moving forward.  This may cause problems, but at least it will bring it to a head and hopefully some sort of resolution.  Skirting around the problem will not help anything, but directly laying out your expectations will force their hand.   

[Ruralguy]

Yes, I'd be fairly firm with the center director: I am willing to hand over X% of my grant money, and as such I am willing to work with you on maintaining that grant flow and its relationship to the center, *but*, I won't be micromanaged. I can attend all meetings, etc.. But no "Hey, Vid didn't punch in at 8 am, so I guess Vid doesn't care about the center" and crap like that.

[research_prof]

I don't have a teaching appointment. I have mostly research appointments (to help the center) so the logic here is if you don't have a teaching appointment you don't get an office in your home department!! However, my home department provided us with a shared office (4 faculty share the same office!). Since Oct. 2020, I have brought around $1.6M grant money to my institution, I lifted my home department up, my grant brought my department up from the lower end in the college/university to the upper level...anyway I told my department chair if things don't improve I most likely leave! 

Very complex politics which I don't really have time to deal with!!! 

Thank you, folks.

Leave. With so much money, you will do fine on the job market.

[Ruralguy]

I'd say to think about leaving, but as you see from current position, that the sorts of positions you might get are far from ideal even with money. So, look into it,but be careful.

[larryc]

It is hard to tell from your post what the chain of command is between yourself and this person. I would ask my chair outright--via email so there is a record--if you work for this other person. If the answer is no, you just ignore their demands.