Friday, August 23, 2013

Marti from McMinnville Is All Done Having Fun.

Does anyone among actual faculty really like it when the opening week meetings are described as "fun activities" that "get us moving and getting to know each other better"?

Does anyone really get off on skits, or hands-on exercises to explore our metaphorical teaching philosophy animal or whatever other bullshit they make us write on a notecard and pass around?

Does anyone think any of this time wasting is fun or worthwhile? Is this dancy-prancy crap really to improve morale, or is it just to prove that the people in authority can make us do humiliating shit at a meeting (Hey, let's all do jumping jacks while singing the fight song!)?

What an awful humiliating waste of time this goddamned week has been.

Monday, I was even a little bit excited about classes starting soon. Now, I just want to drink. Great job, admin. You just killed my enthusiasm with your "fun."


8 comments:

  1. Warner BelangerAugust 23, 2013 at 3:26 PM

    To quote Bartleby, "I'd prefer not to."

    And I wouldn't. Let us keep a scrap of dignity.

    ReplyDelete
    Replies
    1. BellaAugust 24, 2013 at 10:07 AM

      Amen. What is this shit? I am appreciating my college a bit more now.

      Delete
  2. Southern Bubba, Ph.D.August 23, 2013 at 3:35 PM

    Where is Strel when he's needed? He would probably be glad to go all Russian Gulag on those adminiflakes.

    ReplyDelete
  3. Contingent CassandraAugust 23, 2013 at 4:20 PM

    Oh, Lord. Jonathan Rees has a thoughtful post up about telling the bullshit jobs in the ever-proliferating administrative ranks from the ones that actually have some value. It sounds like you've just hit on another winnowing criterion: anyone who does this sort of thing is a bullshit-spreader, and should be demoted to camp counselor (thus returning hir to hir sphere of competence, a la the Peter Principle), or perhaps simply assigned to spread actual well-rotted bull (or horse or whatever) shit on the campus landscaping (mind you, if it paid decently, I'd be happy to do the latter job myself -- well, at least part of the time. I'm getting past the age when I could hold down a full-time manual-labor job.)

    ReplyDelete
  4. StellafromSparksburgAugust 23, 2013 at 4:56 PM

    Everyone hates these bullshit exercises, everywhere. Whether you work in a bank, or a Target, or go to church, everyone hates this bullshit.

    ReplyDelete
    Replies
    1. Contingent CassandraAugust 23, 2013 at 5:01 PM

      Except somebody must enjoy them, or at least enjoy leading them, or they wouldn't happen. But I've yet to meet any of those people.

      Delete
  5. Peter KAugust 23, 2013 at 5:54 PM

    Wait...there are places where faculty have to do this crap? What would happen if nobody showed up?

    ReplyDelete
  6. Charlotte IssyvooAugust 23, 2013 at 9:42 PM

    I fell exactly the same way. I avoid it all as much as I can.

    ReplyDelete

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