The Venting Thread

[Langue_doc]

ALH, sorry to hear about your metatarsal fracture. Could you get sick leave? I fractured mine some years ago and remember that even taking a shower was an ordeal.

[evil_physics_witchcraft]

I'm so sorry ALH, it looks like the Shit Fairy has been making a lot of deliveries this year.

[OneMoreYear]

I'm sorry to hear ALH; I hope things start looking up for you and ALHS, and that ALHS's surgery goes well.

My vent: I'm sick and my body is basically rebelling against me. I feel like crap so my attention is blown, and I'm now a week behind in basically everything. Since we're barreling through to the end of the semester, this is not a good thing to be behind as there's limited time to get things done. And, to top it all off, it's hubby's birthday this weekend, and all I want to do is crawl into bed in a dark, cool room and sleep for a week. I feel like I'm letting everyone down at this point, and all attempts to power through have not worked.

[paultuttle]

I'm so sorry, ALH and OneMoreYear (and everyone else who's having tremendous difficulties right now).

I hope things get better for you very soon!

[AmLitHist]

I love that characterization, EPW!  She's been here too often, and it sounds like she's been hitting other forumites, too.

At least today I'm less angry and more resigned to the situation.  Looks like I'm going to be off the final 3 weeks of the semester, one way or the other; my chair is going to try to sell "work days and conferences" to the dean and not even dock me for the sick days.  (Even that's not a problem--I have a semester's worth built up.)

[Langue_doc]

Yet another branch of the drugstore bites the dust. Just got a letter from the pharmacy that owns the chain that they are closing the branch which is a pain to get to, but which I can still get to, at the end of next month. They closed the one with the parking lot a few years ago, so now I'll have to look at the map and choose one that might be even farther away, but which I could still get to/find parking nearby.

[Parasaurolophus]

The other day I got a crown, which maxed out my yearly dental insurance.

Today I dropped my mouthguard, stepped on it, and broke it in two.

Aaaaaaargh.

[FishProf]

Is it really so hard for GRADUATING SENIORS!!! (maybe) to put there name on a paper, and use a prescribed file format and naming convention?!?

Apparently, it is, b/c 1/3 of my class can't do it.  And then, when they get zeros until they do it correctly, they go to the chair to complain instead of just fixing their own mistake.

[AmLitHist]

Getting Admin approval for covering the remaining 5 meetings of my F2F classes is, as expected, a clusterf&ck. My chair and I agreed on a simple, sensible plan (essentially independent work days and availability on Teams if students need me--they're already scheduled for 3 of those days to be independent work days anyway).  But NO, Dean and/or VPAA are insistent that the modality can't change once a class is scheduled, even in an emergency like this. There are NO adjuncts or other FT people who can cover for me--all are teaching at those same times. 

I don't much care; my butt is not leaving this house, period.  I did talk to a new woman in HR, who was surprisingly nice and competent, and she advised I take intermittent FMLA to protect myself; she also agreed with our proposed plan to actually cover the classes and said it sounded great to her.  I don't mind taking the 6 days' leave; I have over a semester of sick days built up, so no big deal. Of course, in theory, if I'm making up the remote lectures and being available for consultation during those F2F class times, I shouldn't have to use the sick days, but it's not a battle I feel up to fighting.

I'm reminded once again that the smaller the academic pond, the larger each duck wants to be.

Mainly I'm just aggravated because I notified my chair and dean last Friday morning of what's going on, provided the doctor's note, and proposed a plan--yet here it is, Tuesday morning, and I still don't have an answer.  I posted lectures and class cancellation announcements myself, since no one had gotten back to me before class time--and I fully anticipate getting chewed out for doing so.  Jerks.

[Parasaurolophus]

"A further signature is required."

So... I should sign it twice, then? Fine.

[AmLitHist]

Good news about the previous vents: I honestly gave up caring around 2 p.m. yesterday.  That was after the plans that had been finalized were then UN-finalized when the campus president got her fingers in it, then those new plans got changed again, and finally changed yet two more times.  Whatever. No longer my monkeys, not my circus.

And since I got roundly slapped around in that process and rudely told that I absolutely cannot do a single thing related to either of the two F2F classes in question (among other rude and unkind swipes), I'm taking that to heart.  Let them (chair, dean, president) deal with a couple of shit-storm situations with clueless/entitled/probably mentally ill students that I've worked with closely all spring. Y'all want me completely out, I'm out. They're all yours now. Nope, I can't share notes or assignments or anything else:  you've taken my Canvas access for both classes, do WTF you will. The schedules and syllabi and assignments are all there.

I do feel better, after having my feelings a little hurt (mainly because of the way things were handled).

[FishProf]

In Sympathy to AmLitHist:  Sometimes, the best* thing to do is give people what they say they want, especially after you've calculated the blast radius and made the necessary steps to evacuate it yourself.  Malicious compliance at its best.


*best can also mean pettiest, which might be the same thing

[AmLitHist]

I like the way you think, Fish Prof!

I'm feeling much better about it today. My secretary let me know that one of the PitA students came in to see me yesterday and, when Chair and Dean were already gone for the day (at 1 p.m.), student headed for the President's office.

Now I'm just waiting for the panicked,"Wait, what can you tell me about this student?" emails from Chair and Dean.  Who, me? I don't know nuthin'. I tried to share background and documentation with them about these problems earlier this week and got told, "You know, you're not the only person who's ever worked with students. We really can run this department without you for a few weeks."  So, run it, a$$holes; knock yourselves out. And don't expect me to answer any questions: I got told I can't do anything whatsoever in connection with those two classes involved with my FMLA time. Far be it from me to "disobey an Admin directive and get a letter of insubordination" in my personnel file. 

Being petty is really kind of fun, especially when Admins have brought it on themselves.  Karma be a bitch, as they say. <<evil grin>>

[FishProf]

Please tell me you have that in an email.....

[sinenomine]

Really, admincritters — you sent an email at 3:15 on Friday asking us to record and upload promotional videos before Monday? Ain't gonna happen. Perhaps you should be more proactive and less reactive, and then you wouldn't put faculty up against untenable deadlines.