This reminds me of the department I used to teach in. Most of my colleagues tended to be petty and were quick to be offended by the smallest slight, no matter how trivial or whether it was real or imagined.
I remember how someone took umbrage when I decided not to go to a traditional end-of-term luncheon. That gave her a perfect excuse to heap abuse on me for having a Ph. D., claiming that I behaved like a snob for having one and that I should grow up or some such thing. After her verbal barrage had ended, I sat in my office chair wondering what the dickens all that was about, particularly since that happened nearly a year and a half after I received my degree.
That incident was mild compared with some of the other nonsense I either saw or put up with.
That place reminded me of where I went to high school in Podunk Corners, complete with many of the same characters and antics, except everyone was 20 or 30 years older.
When I started grad school, I had a high opinion of professors, believing them to be the elite of my profession. A few months later, I got roped into being the grad student representative in the department's faculty meetings. Instead of seeing proceedings in which scholars conducted themselves with the utmost of discipline, courtesy, and mutual respect, I saw frequently saw how well-educated grown men, many of whom were registered professionals, behaved not much better than children in a schoolyard sandbox.
Most of the students in my Intro Astronomy class have never seen the film, "2001: A Space Odyssey." (It's been over 43 years since it was in the cinemas.) I show them the scene where the ape throws the bone into the air and it turns into a spacecraft. In the preceding scenes, which show apes beating eat other with bones, I get a laugh by saying, "Now you see what goes on in a typical faculty meeting."
Many Americans love to complain about the miserable time they had in high school. It strikes me how, in such a similar way, many American academics love to complain about the miserable time they had in grad school.
I like your movie analogy as it's closer to the truth than most people realize.
One reason I found my early days as a grad student such a letdown was that I'd spent 2 years in industry before returning to university. I found it hard to tell the difference between how people behaved while working for a company and how academics conducted themselves.
As department grad student rep, one of my duties was to attend the university's grad student association meetings. No, it wasn't any better there, either.
("2001: a space odyssey": my all-time favourite movie!)
Every once in a while I'm reminded that I'm reading the right damn blog.
ReplyDeleteAnd was that a Denise Austin ad in the sidebar? Where has she been?
And now a Kardashian ... where HASN'T she been?
DeleteArrgh ... circling the drain!
Is it missing a panel??
ReplyDeleteNo, I keed, I keed.
How much do you guys *smoke* there in Oxford anyway?
I know Dr. Blue Pants. Asshole.
ReplyDeleteHow did they get such nice pants,
ReplyDeleteyet such bland sweaters?
Ooooh. I hope it's a new series!
ReplyDeleteThis reminds me of the department I used to teach in. Most of my colleagues tended to be petty and were quick to be offended by the smallest slight, no matter how trivial or whether it was real or imagined.
ReplyDeleteI remember how someone took umbrage when I decided not to go to a traditional end-of-term luncheon. That gave her a perfect excuse to heap abuse on me for having a Ph. D., claiming that I behaved like a snob for having one and that I should grow up or some such thing. After her verbal barrage had ended, I sat in my office chair wondering what the dickens all that was about, particularly since that happened nearly a year and a half after I received my degree.
That's unfair of her. If you have a PhD, then you've suffered from enough abuse already.
DeleteThat incident was mild compared with some of the other nonsense I either saw or put up with.
DeleteThat place reminded me of where I went to high school in Podunk Corners, complete with many of the same characters and antics, except everyone was 20 or 30 years older.
This comment has been removed by the author.
DeleteWhen I started grad school, I had a high opinion of professors, believing them to be the elite of my profession. A few months later, I got roped into being the grad student representative in the department's faculty meetings. Instead of seeing proceedings in which scholars conducted themselves with the utmost of discipline, courtesy, and mutual respect, I saw frequently saw how well-educated grown men, many of whom were registered professionals, behaved not much better than children in a schoolyard sandbox.
DeleteIt was downhill for me after that.
This comment has been removed by the author.
DeleteMost of the students in my Intro Astronomy class have never seen the film, "2001: A Space Odyssey." (It's been over 43 years since it was in the cinemas.) I show them the scene where the ape throws the bone into the air and it turns into a spacecraft. In the preceding scenes, which show apes beating eat other with bones, I get a laugh by saying, "Now you see what goes on in a typical faculty meeting."
DeleteMany Americans love to complain about the miserable time they had in high school. It strikes me how, in such a similar way, many American academics love to complain about the miserable time they had in grad school.
Frod:
DeleteI like your movie analogy as it's closer to the truth than most people realize.
One reason I found my early days as a grad student such a letdown was that I'd spent 2 years in industry before returning to university. I found it hard to tell the difference between how people behaved while working for a company and how academics conducted themselves.
As department grad student rep, one of my duties was to attend the university's grad student association meetings. No, it wasn't any better there, either.
("2001: a space odyssey": my all-time favourite movie!)