The other point to be made is that doing things in the academically prescribed way: rushing, taking “shortcuts,” going through the motions superficially, saying things you do not believe — is boring. Things become interesting if you give them attention, and anxiety producing if you do not give them enough time. If I explained this … More …and furthermore, it is boring!
I have decided that all persons who entered my graduate program deserve veterans’ benefits, and that those of us who finished deserve decorated veteran status. It was like going through war. When I sat on my first PhD exam elsewhere, I ws amazed at how easy it was and more amazed at how pleasant the … More Decorated veterans
My student went home to another state for a routine medical procedure and his documentation turns out to come from a clinic on an Indian reservation! This is a first for me, so rare, finding Native Americans from the U.S. in college here! And his class says I have strange course goals for a foreign … More C’est fascinant
Every day I feel as though I have been beaten with a stick and I think it is my violent workplace. Anything having to do with academic senate, AAUP, or lower division students is cataclysmically violent, like going to war; building safety personnel are unpleasant, and most faculty in my main subunit are working hard … More Violent workplaces
Speaking as someone who does not particularly like to teach and only went into academic work because of having had it explained that this was all about research, and very little about teaching, I proclaim that: Contra what the professors say it does not save time or energy, or lead to happiness, health, or new … More Encore une fois
What my friend from those days said recently: “If you went to graduate school where we did, no United States academic job is of interest; nothing compares.” Axé.
When your institution grants or denies tenure and/or promotion, does the candidate see the documents generated, and are they given a reason for the decision? At one of my former institutions, for instance, you had to be good in research and teaching and at least adequate in service. They told you ahead of time how … More Survey
This site is visible in Firefox, but not in Google Chrome because of alleged (and not, to my knowledge, actually extant) malware on it from that now apologetic (for the malware) Mexican. What browser are you reading this in? Axé.
I have had three locked bicycles stolen from the campus area so now I put my bicycle in the office. Many do this. Today as I entered the building the building safety captain, who was smoking by the door, against the rules (and should be hanged contrary to custom) yelled nastily at me that I … More On work environments
The reason I feel chaotic and trampled upon all the time is that students and faculty are such chaotic tramplers. People with Ivy League degrees never had to organize their time, and working class people do not have enough freedom to organize their time. They are all chaotic and invasive. I get so tired from … More More on time
