CHE: Administrators unfairly disparaged

[Hibush]

That is unfortunately the point in some places. Sometimes they have the stated learning criterion of "Takes four hours."

Yes, this is why it helps to have two computers, so that one can be used to run out the clock on thes "training programs."

If the students can automate their homework, surely the faculty cannot be expected to be less resourceful.

[Hibush]

It is not a settled question that America is in need of a 'racial reckoning' or has been having one. People disagree. Educated people, less educated people, scholars in fields of political science, sociology, history and race, STEM disagree.

In my part of the country, when you get away from the colleges, the enthusiasm for racism, oppression and sedition is great and publicly expressed. The contrast between campus and countryside is remarkable, and both groups act as if everyone is of like mind.

[mahagonny]

It is not a settled question that America is in need of a 'racial reckoning' or has been having one. People disagree. Educated people, less educated people, scholars in fields of political science, sociology, history and race, STEM disagree.

In my part of the country, when you get away from the colleges, the enthusiasm for racism, oppression and sedition is great and publicly expressed. The contrast between campus and countryside is remarkable, and both groups act as if everyone is of like mind.

Not sure I get this. Can you clarify.

[Wahoo Redux]

Those of us who have deal with abusive relationships are so sorry we have to importune you to learn about what you will probably never experience yourself, but might have to help someone else deal with.
<****>

I'm very glad the policeman who got me to fill out my first of three restraining orders had a different attitude towards the training he'd received.

M.

I'm so sorry you had to go through this.  Good on you for getting out.

But respectfully, most of the "training" I have received told me things I already knew, and I was pretty unconvinced that it would stop people's pathological behaviors.

As someone said upstream, we know it does nothing but checks a box. 

I think the thread has been hijacked. 

All power to you, M.

[apl68]

I'm "administration" myself, although not in the academic world.  So I have a certain sympathy for admins.  Something that admins in all sorts of fields have to deal with is making unpopular decisions for reasons that are not under their control, despite their status as "the boss."  We KNOW people don't like some of the things we mandate, and we know why.  And yet we also have very good reasons why it has to be done.

One problem that we've seen a lot of complaints about here is university admins who don't come from any sort of academic background.  They're professional managers who are well-versed in managerial fads and jargon and the bottom line, yet know little about what the people they're supervising do.  It's easy to see where that could go wrong.  In the library field you pretty much have to have a library degree to run a library.  Even big library systems who hire a professional CEO will make that person run through library school so that he or she has some idea of what librarians actually do.

[Sun_Worshiper]

With regards to our deanlets: Some of the disparaging is fair, but sometimes they're just communicating mandates from the dean or provosts. 

[marshwiggle]

I'm "administration" myself, although not in the academic world.  So I have a certain sympathy for admins.  Something that admins in all sorts of fields have to deal with is making unpopular decisions for reasons that are not under their control, despite their status as "the boss."  We KNOW people don't like some of the things we mandate, and we know why.  And yet we also have very good reasons why it has to be done.

I'm glad you brought this up. It's a subset of general dislike of authority figures (which includes things like law enforcement) who are the parents who have to explain why you can't have a pony for your birthday, which gets you identified as a meany.

One problem that we've seen a lot of complaints about here is university admins who don't come from any sort of academic background.  They're professional managers who are well-versed in managerial fads and jargon and the bottom line, yet know little about what the people they're supervising do.  It's easy to see where that could go wrong.  In the library field you pretty much have to have a library degree to run a library.  Even big library systems who hire a professional CEO will make that person run through library school so that he or she has some idea of what librarians actually do.

My guess is this partly goes with the point above. People from "inside" who know how things work, also realize how unpopular they will be when they make the inevitable decisions that administration requires, and so many capable ones won't go for it. Thus it winds up easier to hire outsiders who aren't so unwilling to receive the criticism.

[ciao_yall]

I'm "administration" myself, although not in the academic world.  So I have a certain sympathy for admins.  Something that admins in all sorts of fields have to deal with is making unpopular decisions for reasons that are not under their control, despite their status as "the boss."  We KNOW people don't like some of the things we mandate, and we know why.  And yet we also have very good reasons why it has to be done.

One problem that we've seen a lot of complaints about here is university admins who don't come from any sort of academic background.  They're professional managers who are well-versed in managerial fads and jargon and the bottom line, yet know little about what the people they're supervising do.  It's easy to see where that could go wrong.  In the library field you pretty much have to have a library degree to run a library.  Even big library systems who hire a professional CEO will make that person run through library school so that he or she has some idea of what librarians actually do.

Our problem is the opposite. Our administration rises up from the academic ranks with no business or management experience. They then make bad decisions and condescend to the business faculty, with Master's degrees in this stuff, that we couldn't Possibly Understand The Complexities of Leadershipl.

[mahagonny]

It is not a settled question that America is in need of a 'racial reckoning' or has been having one. People disagree. Educated people, less educated people, scholars in fields of political science, sociology, history and race, STEM disagree.

In my part of the country, when you get away from the colleges, the enthusiasm for racism, oppression and sedition is great and publicly expressed. The contrast between campus and countryside is remarkable, and both groups act as if everyone is of like mind.

Not sure I get this. Can you clarify.

I've read your comment about a dozen times. Now I get it. You see your town as racist. I wonder if I would agree. Nearly any thought or utterance is considered racist by people on the left today as long as it is white people expressing it. And those same people consider black racism to be non-existent. I imagine if we converse further we'll just bump heads.
Even so I still maintain -- a state university administrator who uses group email to opine from their political soapbox is not doing what they should do, because they should assume they are communicating with a diverse crowd while their position of authority creates pressure to conform or shut up.
Are these people unfairly disparaged? No. For the most part, they are exempt from the push back they should be receiving.
And it's really time for conservatives in academia to stop hiding and make some noice. There's no other choice.

for reference:

My main complaint about provosts and chancellors at this time is I wish they would refrain from sending emails to the entire faculty that either (1) presume we are all aligned with them politically (left-of center democrat), as to our take on current events, or (2) convey, for whatever reason, that they think we ought to be. It is disrespectful and divisive. To wit:

It is not a settled question that America is in need of a 'racial reckoning' or has been having one. People disagree. Educated people, less educated people, scholars in fields of political science, sociology, history and race, STEM disagree.

Union administrators, and most especially Randi Weingarten, can be guilty of the same mistake/offense.

if you're just stirring up enthusiasm to send donations to tsunami victims, that's different. We all feel the same way about things like that. That's fine.

Do your job, but refrain from taking undue advantage of your position.

ETA: Hey look! As I live and breathe, here's an example of conservatives (people whose views used to be called moderate) coming out of the closet. A hopeful sign.

https://www.city-journal.org/mit-caves-to-wokeness?wallit_nosession=1

[mahagonny]

More validation

https://www.newsweek.com/political-problem-campus-opinion-1645065?eType=EmailBlastContent&eId=45ca2021-7769-4600-aa83-50f57f925eb8

[Wahoo Redux]

This movement will also take conservatives being self-aware and reasonable, mahagonny.  It is not a one-sided coin.