tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-2883226237165701608.post5378482602044836270..comments2023-10-15T04:23:50.187-04:00Comments on College Misery: Fritz from Framingham is Frustrated.Unknownnoreply@blogger.comBlogger21125tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-2883226237165701608.post-8334179507748012262011-02-27T11:06:51.723-05:002011-02-27T11:06:51.723-05:00For God's sake close your door. I leave it op...For God's sake close your door. I leave it open a crack during office hours; the rest of the time, I'm not here. If someone knocks, I don't answer.<br /><br />If your department has an 'open door' policy - when you're in, you must leave your office door open - then develop a "I'm working at home" policy.<br /><br />When your chair wants to put you on yet Merely Academichttps://www.blogger.com/profile/00452389428113097744noreply@blogger.comtag:blogger.com,1999:blog-2883226237165701608.post-26414833084397502222011-02-26T10:24:09.208-05:002011-02-26T10:24:09.208-05:00I hate to break it to you, but it sounds like Hal ...I hate to break it to you, but it sounds like Hal has cracked the code and you haven't. <br />At my (former) R1, the three deciding factors for tenure were research, research, and research. <br />As long as you showed up for classes, didn't take money for grades, and were discreet about taking sex for grades, that was good enough for the teaching piece. <br />If you're sitting Anonymousnoreply@blogger.comtag:blogger.com,1999:blog-2883226237165701608.post-2191233746089835112011-02-26T07:52:14.281-05:002011-02-26T07:52:14.281-05:00Turning the lights off stopped working for me when...Turning the lights off stopped working for me when some of the students figured it out. The student newspaper even told everyone to keep knocking.Vog3lfr3ihttps://www.blogger.com/profile/07498874776211940606noreply@blogger.comtag:blogger.com,1999:blog-2883226237165701608.post-75289683489374764462011-02-25T21:57:05.414-05:002011-02-25T21:57:05.414-05:00This comment has been removed by the author.Anonymousnoreply@blogger.comtag:blogger.com,1999:blog-2883226237165701608.post-47633737638271049952011-02-25T17:40:06.852-05:002011-02-25T17:40:06.852-05:00The easiest way to remove stress from your life is...The easiest way to remove stress from your life is to not give a flying f*ck about your job. Stop caring about whether or not you're doing good work, and stop striving to do a good job. Since you'll never have to ask any of your colleagues or any other staff for anything at all, everyone will like you a lot and that might be enough to stave off getting fired (or not hired, as it were). <Programming Pattyhttps://www.blogger.com/profile/03838328277067778125noreply@blogger.comtag:blogger.com,1999:blog-2883226237165701608.post-21911504112627687942011-02-25T17:28:49.766-05:002011-02-25T17:28:49.766-05:00@Frod: :-)
!!!!!!!!!!@Frod: :-)<br />!!!!!!!!!!Southern Bubba, Ph.D.https://www.blogger.com/profile/12050992903794385204noreply@blogger.comtag:blogger.com,1999:blog-2883226237165701608.post-11970481730528910282011-02-25T17:27:02.626-05:002011-02-25T17:27:02.626-05:00P.S. When I was department chair, I had a blast. ...P.S. When I was department chair, I had a blast. I drank all the brandy, and smoked all the cigars.Anonymousnoreply@blogger.comtag:blogger.com,1999:blog-2883226237165701608.post-16271163774779667252011-02-25T17:26:01.741-05:002011-02-25T17:26:01.741-05:00Ed Nather, in his essay, "Advice to the Young...Ed Nather, in his essay, "Advice to the Young Astronomer," says this:<br /><br />Committee assignments: the theory here is that everybody should share in the burden of administration, taking time away from their research work in the process. If you are very good and conscientious about this stuff you will be given more and more of it, since you get things done, to the lasting benefit ofAnonymousnoreply@blogger.comtag:blogger.com,1999:blog-2883226237165701608.post-22072211356871375102011-02-25T12:32:51.578-05:002011-02-25T12:32:51.578-05:00Yep, I commute to school, not by choice but becaus...Yep, I commute to school, not by choice but because of the rest of my family's situation. When it's office hours, my door is open. Otherwise, not. I answer e-mail within 24-48 hours. I make appointments with students who can't make my office hours. I write a ton of recommendations. I do a lot of department- and campus-level committee work. I do a lot of service to the Frog and Toadhttps://www.blogger.com/profile/06377542172335502858noreply@blogger.comtag:blogger.com,1999:blog-2883226237165701608.post-17646804999571641392011-02-25T12:23:31.938-05:002011-02-25T12:23:31.938-05:00Do you happen to know how the last person to get t...Do you happen to know how the last person to get tenure in your department -got- that tenure? Was it someone who was in her office all the time? Was it someone who did a ton of committee work? In short, was it a Fritz who got tenure, or was it a Hal? If it was a Fritz, keep doing what you're doing. If it was a Hal...well, follow that advice about shutting your door and doing your stuff. <cmthttps://www.blogger.com/profile/03814447289455034068noreply@blogger.comtag:blogger.com,1999:blog-2883226237165701608.post-54388706703092467922011-02-25T12:10:40.976-05:002011-02-25T12:10:40.976-05:00Oh well, my feeling is if you have good students y...Oh well, my feeling is if you have good students you should not complain.<br /><br />My office mate is Hal. Except he is always here, napping. He brags about how he is never stressed out, because he has learned to manage his work load. He has been an English professor here at Inner City Community College since they opened their doors, in 1967, a year before I was born.<br /><br />He never Anonymousnoreply@blogger.comtag:blogger.com,1999:blog-2883226237165701608.post-37492740296394645462011-02-25T10:23:49.891-05:002011-02-25T10:23:49.891-05:00We have a Hal, too. And my partner/spouse/signific...We have a Hal, too. And my partner/spouse/significant other teaches at a diff. school & has a Hal in the dept., too. Students grumble, but not too seriously. Both of our Hals are just as easy with doling out an A for no reason other than not having graded fuck-all this semester as they are to sidle away from any responsibility. So our Hals are rarely complained about. My chair has made an Ack-ademichttps://www.blogger.com/profile/07662600560663571219noreply@blogger.comtag:blogger.com,1999:blog-2883226237165701608.post-5974653277878396002011-02-25T10:21:56.193-05:002011-02-25T10:21:56.193-05:00I'm with Bubba, who is the only one besides St...I'm with Bubba, who is the only one besides Strelnikov who is real on this page. Fritz is an envious little man with no sense. Hal probably rocks that school. Who needs to attend class when you can rock a bear claw and be home by the time Oprah comes on. Fucking Fritz, what a loser, sitting in his office all day like a drone.<br /><br />GO MAN BUBBA, call 'em all out, at least the ones Anonymousnoreply@blogger.comtag:blogger.com,1999:blog-2883226237165701608.post-25616830766507457732011-02-25T10:21:24.604-05:002011-02-25T10:21:24.604-05:00I have a colleague like this. He's well known ...I have a colleague like this. He's well known for showing films in his class, so his students love him. Because he comes from a highly regarded school, admins thought it would look prestigious to put him on several important committees. He either can't come because of family obligations or shows up late, does a half-ass job, and leaves early. As a person, he's as sweet as can be. As aEnglishDochttps://www.blogger.com/profile/12046114978214062491noreply@blogger.comtag:blogger.com,1999:blog-2883226237165701608.post-25553870959165192442011-02-25T10:11:45.074-05:002011-02-25T10:11:45.074-05:00@Fritz: Do you actually like working there? Do y...@Fritz: Do you actually like working there? Do you really want to work at a place where everybody tolerates and loves this good-for-nothing idiot? Can you single-handedly change the culture of that place? Those are questions I would be asking. Do you actually want to be a tenured proffie at a place with a bunch of losers?<br /><br />Maybe Hal isn't really such a bum. Is he publishing? Southern Bubba, Ph.D.https://www.blogger.com/profile/12050992903794385204noreply@blogger.comtag:blogger.com,1999:blog-2883226237165701608.post-60600082625362962772011-02-25T10:09:52.582-05:002011-02-25T10:09:52.582-05:00I agree with Archie: Shut your door. If you office...I agree with Archie: Shut your door. If you office has a window on the outside world, leave your lights off. <br /><br />On the Devil's Advocate side of things--maybe Hal is available to his students via email, which they seem to prefer anyway. He may work at home (I have a number of colleagues who prefer their home office environments--they keep office hours, but do the bulk of their own BurntChromehttps://www.blogger.com/profile/06055976331443607569noreply@blogger.comtag:blogger.com,1999:blog-2883226237165701608.post-23081207586313644812011-02-25T09:36:03.954-05:002011-02-25T09:36:03.954-05:00Archie's right. Don't be available.Archie's right. Don't be available.Ovreductdhttps://www.blogger.com/profile/13961540854552566493noreply@blogger.comtag:blogger.com,1999:blog-2883226237165701608.post-14704754518355926392011-02-25T09:23:16.054-05:002011-02-25T09:23:16.054-05:00Sounds like my colleague across the hall. He just...Sounds like my colleague across the hall. He just got tenure...30 something snowflake with tenure. I second Archie's suggestion close your door. I started doing that a few years ago and it made all the difference.Snarkygirlhttps://www.blogger.com/profile/01067007187692484910noreply@blogger.comtag:blogger.com,1999:blog-2883226237165701608.post-65601503353278605692011-02-25T09:00:25.463-05:002011-02-25T09:00:25.463-05:00When it isn't office hours, keep the door shut...When it isn't office hours, keep the door shut and don't answer when someone knocks. Otherwise, resign yourself to being easy prey for the rock toting people.<br /><br />Hal is a fuckwit, no question, but unless you want to follow the Beaker's advice and try to get him jacked up for his fuckwittery, you have to figure out a way to ignore it. As you pointed out, his stress level is lowAngry Archiehttps://www.blogger.com/profile/07348431132289025339noreply@blogger.comtag:blogger.com,1999:blog-2883226237165701608.post-82531868320706763252011-02-25T08:51:25.826-05:002011-02-25T08:51:25.826-05:00Welcome to academia, Fritz. This is the story of ...Welcome to academia, Fritz. This is the story of my life. I do my job, and take it seriously, so I end up doing the work off all the fucking slackers who are home changing the font on their CV, or visiting their analyst, or whatever the hell they do all day. The person who is in their office when no one else is wastes their whole day answering questions from people who stroll by, and when Hellish Harpyhttps://www.blogger.com/profile/14187940052450516822noreply@blogger.comtag:blogger.com,1999:blog-2883226237165701608.post-84230833808113036052011-02-25T08:36:31.705-05:002011-02-25T08:36:31.705-05:00Time to get somebody outside your department to lo...Time to get somebody outside your department to look into this. If you trust your dean's office, that would be best. Since this impacts students, maybe the dean of students would be interested. <br /><br />Unfortunately, professional courtesy will prevail and they won't set up a sting operation to catch this joker in mid-bite of his bearclaw but at least he will reform his ways.<br /><Anonymousnoreply@blogger.com