tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-2883226237165701608.post695778917031470461..comments2023-10-15T04:23:50.187-04:00Comments on College Misery: Friday Thirsty (not a light-hearted one, I'm afraid). From Cassandra.Unknownnoreply@blogger.comBlogger6125tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-2883226237165701608.post-80547162431244018112016-01-19T17:31:22.379-05:002016-01-19T17:31:22.379-05:00Many thanks for the suggestions, and the sympathy....Many thanks for the suggestions, and the sympathy. Once again, I find myself feeling lucky, both because my real-life school community seems relatively kind and functional compared to many of yours (though I will still tread carefully; it is, after all, a workplace, and a big and sometimes somewhat impersonal one at that), and because I have the support of this community. I'm also aware Contingent Cassandrahttps://www.blogger.com/profile/08161652083031423415noreply@blogger.comtag:blogger.com,1999:blog-2883226237165701608.post-69430999311135593572016-01-16T21:46:54.670-05:002016-01-16T21:46:54.670-05:00"I value my mother too much to involve people..."I value my mother too much to involve people who don't know her or love her." Hear, hear. I'm going through much the same right now--very sudden and unexpected, and now devastating--and I hated, hated, hated having to tell my sleazy shit-head of a boss and listen to his faux "sympathy." I felt as though I'd violated her dignity in some way by even mentioning herSurly Templehttps://www.blogger.com/profile/01928952492387247356noreply@blogger.comtag:blogger.com,1999:blog-2883226237165701608.post-38099026450874790492016-01-16T18:01:00.235-05:002016-01-16T18:01:00.235-05:00Cassandra, I'd like to turn the question aroun...Cassandra, I'd like to turn the question around. I have a couple of colleagues who are managing family crises right now. <br />They're both mentors to me and have always been available to help me learn this job. I owe them and would like to make a down-payment. What—beyond being there to willingly and uncomplainingly take up any temporary slack on the job—could a colleague do to help you?dmckeehttps://www.blogger.com/profile/18052641757203089416noreply@blogger.comtag:blogger.com,1999:blog-2883226237165701608.post-27237755719137557502016-01-16T06:57:31.260-05:002016-01-16T06:57:31.260-05:00Cassandra, I have made it a point to never discuss...Cassandra, I have made it a point to never discuss my mother's situation (or my roll in it) with anybody at work, except <i>informally</i> with a few people I genuinely like and trust (which happens to includes a few students). I have never wanted any fucktard colleagues or administrators to say that I wasn't up to the task (whatever the task might have happened to have been) because I Southern Bubba, Ph.D.https://www.blogger.com/profile/12050992903794385204noreply@blogger.comtag:blogger.com,1999:blog-2883226237165701608.post-74514480491408166652016-01-15T22:24:01.031-05:002016-01-15T22:24:01.031-05:00This is so difficult, Cassandra. I am so sorry yo...This is so difficult, Cassandra. I am so sorry you and your family are going through this. I was there 3 years ago, fortunately-not-fortunately mostly during a sabbatical.<br />I think it's so brave of you to think about telling your students. I'll be honest: I kept it from my students, though not from my chair and dean. As a faculty member over 50, constantly accused of being "Ego in Arcadianoreply@blogger.comtag:blogger.com,1999:blog-2883226237165701608.post-87233069422253139262016-01-15T13:15:25.722-05:002016-01-15T13:15:25.722-05:00Schedule catch-up days in the syllabus. If you don...Schedule catch-up days in the syllabus. If you don't need them, you can always do workshopping or review or a movie, but my experience is that you'll need themJonathan Dresnerhttps://www.blogger.com/profile/04356112719229675996noreply@blogger.com