http://crookedtimber.org/2003/10/26/a-head-of-departments-job/ Out of the crooked timber of humanity, no straight thing was ever made Thu, 24 May 2012 19:03:02 +0000 hourly 1 http://wordpress.org/?v=3.3.2 http://crookedtimber.org/2003/10/26/a-head-of-departments-job/comment-page-1/#comment-6787 Miriam Sun, 26 Oct 2003 21:59:41 +0000 http://crookedtimber.org/wp/?p=480#comment-6787 'Twas ever thus, as a reading of, say, the classicist F. M. Cornford's satire <a href="http://www.uq.edu.au/philosophy/microcos/"><i>Microcosmographia Academica</i></a> suggests. Speaking of classicists, Sir Kenneth Dover's memoir <i>Marginal Comment</i> features one of the most...er...interesting discussions I've yet seen of the "difficult colleague" problem. ‘Twas ever thus, as a reading of, say, the classicist F. M. Cornford’s satire Microcosmographia Academica suggests. Speaking of classicists, Sir Kenneth Dover’s memoir Marginal Comment features one of the most…er…interesting discussions I’ve yet seen of the “difficult colleague” problem.

]]> http://crookedtimber.org/2003/10/26/a-head-of-departments-job/comment-page-1/#comment-6786 E Young Sun, 26 Oct 2003 13:56:39 +0000 http://crookedtimber.org/wp/?p=480#comment-6786 And these are the adults that are supposed to be passing the flame onto the next generation. It sounds as though these faculties are no more than grandiose 'day care' centres, with a shortage of 'care-takers'... That these folk are considered to be an elite, and presume to tell the rest of us how we should behave, is to say the least, presumptious and arrogant. And to think that teachers, educators, or whatever they like to call themselves, used to be pillars of the community. And these are the adults that are supposed to be passing the flame onto the next generation. It sounds as though these faculties are no more than grandiose ‘day care’ centres, with a shortage of ‘care-takers’… That these folk are considered to be an elite, and presume to tell the rest of us how we should behave, is to say the least, presumptious and arrogant. And to think that teachers, educators, or whatever they like to call themselves, used to be pillars of the community.

]]> http://crookedtimber.org/2003/10/26/a-head-of-departments-job/comment-page-1/#comment-6785 Munch Sun, 26 Oct 2003 12:08:16 +0000 http://crookedtimber.org/wp/?p=480#comment-6785 "One of the things you realize almost immediately as a new department head is that you are going to learn a lot more about your colleagues than you really want to know. " How very true. When I was hired in my department about ten years ago I was the most junior faculty member by about 12 years. Since then almost all of the original members have been replaced (demographics of 1960's and 70's hires being what they are). I "volunteered" to be Chair since it was clearly my turn; everyone else more senior than I having had the position recently. In the past 18 months I've seen it all. No need for the details, but the unexpected flood of information was a revelation to me. The very faculty member who was strongly in opposition to my tennure application was now confiding to me aspects of his private and professional life that I wasn't really sure I wanted to know. Interestingly, my experience with the senior administration, the University Senate, etc. has revealed that the university actually runs on the hard work of very few people. Others do just enough to add or interfere in any venture so that their name is on the record. I am still learning. “One of the things you realize almost immediately as a new department head is that you are going to learn a lot more about your colleagues than you really want to know. ” How very true. When I was hired in my department about ten years ago I was the most junior faculty member by about 12 years. Since then almost all of the original members have been replaced (demographics of 1960’s and 70’s hires being what they are). I “volunteered” to be Chair since it was clearly my turn; everyone else more senior than I having had the position recently. In the past 18 months I’ve seen it all. No need for the details, but the unexpected flood of information was a revelation to me. The very faculty member who was strongly in opposition to my tennure application was now confiding to me aspects of his private and professional life that I wasn’t really sure I wanted to know. Interestingly, my experience with the senior administration, the University Senate, etc. has revealed that the university actually runs on the hard work of very few people. Others do just enough to add or interfere in any venture so that their name is on the record. I am still learning.

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