tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-2883226237165701608.post7801474846017863370..comments2023-10-15T04:23:50.187-04:00Comments on College Misery: A Thirsty on SchedulingUnknownnoreply@blogger.comBlogger34125tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-2883226237165701608.post-64264104096251302232011-04-05T18:43:38.693-04:002011-04-05T18:43:38.693-04:00My university runs classes from 7:30 a.m. to 10 p....My university runs classes from 7:30 a.m. to 10 p.m. (or maybe it's 10:30 p.m. -- late, anyway). The job ad I answered required me to be available at *all* of those times, but, in practice, we tend to be called on to teach either early or late classes, but not both. I've done my share of 7:30 a.m. sections in the past decade, though fewer lately, since I'm now teaching the newest Contingent Cassandrahttps://www.blogger.com/profile/08161652083031423415noreply@blogger.comtag:blogger.com,1999:blog-2883226237165701608.post-63401502514768498412011-04-05T11:20:42.941-04:002011-04-05T11:20:42.941-04:00Thank you, Frog and Toad. My point precisely. As...Thank you, Frog and Toad. My point precisely. Asking people if they'd like to VOLUNTEER to teach at 7 am or 9 pm is one thing. Hiring people specifically to teach evening classes, who don't teach during the day, is also fine if understood in advance. Insisting that people should simply accept that their workday is however the hell long the administration feels like making it, and if Merely Academichttps://www.blogger.com/profile/00452389428113097744noreply@blogger.comtag:blogger.com,1999:blog-2883226237165701608.post-30664988290061471612011-04-05T10:50:35.252-04:002011-04-05T10:50:35.252-04:00I'm sorry, but it's ridiculous to expect p...I'm sorry, but it's ridiculous to expect people to teach at 7 AM or 9 PM. That has nothing to do with parents. It has to do with institutions' willingness to take student dollars way past their own capacity to seat those students in classes during regular business hours. Or it has to do with tuition prices so high that you need to work a 40-hour week, 9-5, to pay for college. Or itFrog and Toadhttps://www.blogger.com/profile/06377542172335502858noreply@blogger.comtag:blogger.com,1999:blog-2883226237165701608.post-17872181397661674102011-04-05T09:23:57.061-04:002011-04-05T09:23:57.061-04:00MA: I’ll second English Doc on this one. I’m afr...MA: I’ll second English Doc on this one. I’m afraid those class times are pretty common at some universities, particularly very large ones that struggle with access to rooms for classes.<br /><br />My intention was, of course, not to say that blaming parents is in any way warranted. However (and I know people have interpreted this thread and the previous one differently than I do), it seems toProf Glabellahttps://www.blogger.com/profile/03830370204177419583noreply@blogger.comtag:blogger.com,1999:blog-2883226237165701608.post-60232395114128637252011-04-05T03:24:50.497-04:002011-04-05T03:24:50.497-04:00@Stella, isn't that always the way, though? So...@Stella, isn't that always the way, though? Some jerk is loving the fact that the computer put both his classes for the class that meets bi-weekly on the same day, while the rest of us gnash our teeth at the requirements to be teaching in 2 different buildings at the same time.WhatLadderhttps://www.blogger.com/profile/11603489349164511704noreply@blogger.comtag:blogger.com,1999:blog-2883226237165701608.post-28858387608823927722011-04-05T02:03:19.270-04:002011-04-05T02:03:19.270-04:00I will take a short thread drift here on Merely Ac...I will take a short thread drift here on Merely Academic's comment:<br /><br />re: being forced to teach at 8 am and 6 pm - it's entirely unreasonable that classes are being scheduled at those hours at all, unless faculty are genuinely volunteering to teach at those times. this is not the fault of the parents. It is the fault of an administration that's perfectly happy to take EnglishDochttps://www.blogger.com/profile/12046114978214062491noreply@blogger.comtag:blogger.com,1999:blog-2883226237165701608.post-1155888004503453902011-04-05T00:26:55.113-04:002011-04-05T00:26:55.113-04:00Yeah, WhatLadder. Your metaphor doesn't work,...Yeah, WhatLadder. Your metaphor doesn't work, you know. Mostly because some people actually LIKE taking it up the ass.StellafromSparksburghttps://www.blogger.com/profile/17584701718285662953noreply@blogger.comtag:blogger.com,1999:blog-2883226237165701608.post-69106445961785590762011-04-04T22:57:50.144-04:002011-04-04T22:57:50.144-04:00@whatladder: you could have articulated that last ...@whatladder: you could have articulated that last point without using such problematic language...buddhaontheroadhttps://www.blogger.com/profile/03839390074273473377noreply@blogger.comtag:blogger.com,1999:blog-2883226237165701608.post-46895472341524473522011-04-04T21:39:57.250-04:002011-04-04T21:39:57.250-04:00Our scheduling is now being done by a "more e...Our scheduling is now being done by a "more efficient" scheduling software thingummy instead of by humans. The result of this is that everyone is now taking it up the ass.WhatLadderhttps://www.blogger.com/profile/11603489349164511704noreply@blogger.comtag:blogger.com,1999:blog-2883226237165701608.post-56525086940619788882011-04-04T18:45:33.706-04:002011-04-04T18:45:33.706-04:00AM - your first response to this thread was "...AM - your first response to this thread was "<i>What, so this was just rewritten to emphasize that the new parents are precious snowflakes to be approached with great delicacy and full knowledge of CC's inadequate status as a non-new-parent?</i>"...? - <br /><br />Since there is nothing in this post that seems to me to emphasize that parents are "precious snowflakes to be Merely Academichttps://www.blogger.com/profile/00452389428113097744noreply@blogger.comtag:blogger.com,1999:blog-2883226237165701608.post-35116893195563049172011-04-04T18:39:21.687-04:002011-04-04T18:39:21.687-04:00Prof Glabella - I'd be delighted to believe th...Prof Glabella - I'd be delighted to believe that nobody hates parents, but there seems to be one hell of a lot of very personal animosity floating around here.<br /><br />Rather than blaming the colleagues or the chair, I would blame a system that does not guarantee a reasonable amount of maternity leave (6 weeks is not reasonable), sufficient that adjuncts could be hired in for a term or theMerely Academichttps://www.blogger.com/profile/00452389428113097744noreply@blogger.comtag:blogger.com,1999:blog-2883226237165701608.post-16236806143277179032011-04-04T18:11:34.336-04:002011-04-04T18:11:34.336-04:00I'm glad to see people starting to edge closer...I'm glad to see people starting to edge closer to the common ground center. Of course no one hates parents! <br /><br />And the best way to convince someone to hear you out is to refrain from the accusations, relying instead on causal explanation.<br /><br />This thread has been super interesting to me though, confrontations notwithstanding.<br /><br />(and, Merely, yes I said a few times in Academic Monkeyhttps://www.blogger.com/profile/07086078244493768565noreply@blogger.comtag:blogger.com,1999:blog-2883226237165701608.post-51787836422162812052011-04-04T17:36:12.120-04:002011-04-04T17:36:12.120-04:00Burnt Chrome: I think your post illustrates somet...Burnt Chrome: I think your post illustrates something important. In the corporate world, they hire temps (I wish we could!) and get overtime (wouldn’t that be nice). <br /><br />No one hates parents. I can’t say I even resent parents because all the ones in my own department are so fantastic. However, what people universally do not like is feeling shafted or doing what they feel is extra Prof Glabellahttps://www.blogger.com/profile/03830370204177419583noreply@blogger.comtag:blogger.com,1999:blog-2883226237165701608.post-35342885112320147882011-04-04T17:23:34.363-04:002011-04-04T17:23:34.363-04:00This thread has been very useful for me. The peop...This thread has been very useful for me. The people without children do not hate the parents. But, I understand their feelings, "hey, you get to pull the parent card to get a better schedule, not fair, what card do I get to play?" It is clearly an unfair balance if we ask the childless faculty to de-facto help us raise our kids. There does need to be some sort of give back to the abysshttps://www.blogger.com/profile/07262945566870649768noreply@blogger.comtag:blogger.com,1999:blog-2883226237165701608.post-66804192065026867602011-04-04T17:10:53.440-04:002011-04-04T17:10:53.440-04:00I read the fertility thing and then this thing. Al...I read the fertility thing and then this thing. All I can say is, holy shit. A lot of people on this board seem to resent working parents and "the problems they create for scheduling". WTF????<br /><br />It's obvious that none of you have ever worked in the corporate world, where people have kids all the time and get time off (unpaid, usually, but they still have a job to come back BurntChromehttps://www.blogger.com/profile/06055976331443607569noreply@blogger.comtag:blogger.com,1999:blog-2883226237165701608.post-53245176210144486592011-04-04T16:45:54.252-04:002011-04-04T16:45:54.252-04:00AC = ACademic Monkey; make it AM.AC = ACademic Monkey; make it AM.Merely Academichttps://www.blogger.com/profile/00452389428113097744noreply@blogger.comtag:blogger.com,1999:blog-2883226237165701608.post-77826775225665357872011-04-04T16:02:04.397-04:002011-04-04T16:02:04.397-04:00Who is AC?Who is AC?Academic Monkeyhttps://www.blogger.com/profile/07086078244493768565noreply@blogger.comtag:blogger.com,1999:blog-2883226237165701608.post-75226523473268090482011-04-04T15:42:08.649-04:002011-04-04T15:42:08.649-04:00@AC - it sounded way more personal than just "...@AC - it sounded way more personal than just "is frustrated at the scheduling problems parents cause". One can substitute "are completely enraged with" for "hate" if you like.<br /><br />Also @AC - I would not have guessed from your responses so far that you wanted to understand anything about the new parents' POV. But I'm delighted to hear it, of course.Merely Academichttps://www.blogger.com/profile/00452389428113097744noreply@blogger.comtag:blogger.com,1999:blog-2883226237165701608.post-21973786255054269122011-04-04T15:17:25.961-04:002011-04-04T15:17:25.961-04:00Before this continues, can we agree that no one &q...Before this continues, can we agree that no one "hates" whole groups of people? Come on, that's pretty disingenuous. <br /><br />There are problems, these problems are approached from different world views, and we are seeking to understand each other. <br /><br />@honest_prof, nice save. I think we can all get behind that.Academic Monkeyhttps://www.blogger.com/profile/07086078244493768565noreply@blogger.comtag:blogger.com,1999:blog-2883226237165701608.post-10132894973375146002011-04-04T14:51:30.534-04:002011-04-04T14:51:30.534-04:00CC doesn't hate parents, she hates the problem...CC doesn't hate parents, she hates the problems they produce for scheduling, chill.abysshttps://www.blogger.com/profile/07262945566870649768noreply@blogger.comtag:blogger.com,1999:blog-2883226237165701608.post-12436048124978011052011-04-04T14:47:38.870-04:002011-04-04T14:47:38.870-04:00No, this post wasn't meant to mock. It was int...No, this post wasn't meant to mock. It was intended to offer a different approach to the same problem. <br /><br />And yes, clearly there is a problem. I in no way condone parents of toddlers (mine is four now) continuing to receive the scheduling accommodations of the parents of newborns. At the same time, I think accommodating new parents for a term or two is the collegial, supportive thingDr. Snarkyhttps://www.blogger.com/profile/05927913541614307813noreply@blogger.comtag:blogger.com,1999:blog-2883226237165701608.post-34809440720645837422011-04-04T14:39:49.608-04:002011-04-04T14:39:49.608-04:00@ Contemplative Cynic - I've just reread your ...@ Contemplative Cynic - I've just reread your response: <br /><br /><i>"this seems to have been written to emphasize the fact that snowflake parents (why does everyone assume these parents are ONLY women?) should be accommodated and never held accountable because society/academia/the world doesn't cut them enough breaks as it is, and if they are too insensitive and narcissistic to Merely Academichttps://www.blogger.com/profile/00452389428113097744noreply@blogger.comtag:blogger.com,1999:blog-2883226237165701608.post-3212164046561905542011-04-04T14:37:19.129-04:002011-04-04T14:37:19.129-04:00If there was intent to mock, as Stella suggests (I...If there was intent to mock, as Stella suggests (I just saw this), then it was dickish; that didn't cross my mind. That could explain why you're pissed off, CC, but I still think you need to get out of the position you're in and take a lengthy break. Nothing in your job is worth this kind of anger.Merely Academichttps://www.blogger.com/profile/00452389428113097744noreply@blogger.comtag:blogger.com,1999:blog-2883226237165701608.post-29348761036522168022011-04-04T14:35:25.501-04:002011-04-04T14:35:25.501-04:00Contemplative Cynic,
When I first read this post...Contemplative Cynic, <br /><br />When I first read this post I missed the signature and thought you had simply restated your post from a couple of days ago in more neutral terms, minus the emotive language, and boiled it down so that the issues would be clearer and people would see what precisely you wanted advice on. <br /><br />So you can imagine my surprise at your vitriolic response, which Merely Academichttps://www.blogger.com/profile/00452389428113097744noreply@blogger.comtag:blogger.com,1999:blog-2883226237165701608.post-58563954239052405302011-04-04T14:29:28.109-04:002011-04-04T14:29:28.109-04:00I was very critical of CC's original post but ...I was very critical of CC's original post but I think "revising" it and reposting it without her permission or input is sort of a dick move, and intended to prolong and highlight the criticism of her outside of the original thread. <br /><br />It also seems to me an intent to mock, which seems to me to be also pretty dickish.StellafromSparksburghttps://www.blogger.com/profile/17584701718285662953noreply@blogger.com