Fed the Motherfuck Up

I understand that the course of true academia does not run smoothe.  I understand that there are snags and kerfuffles and miscommunications and problematic situations.  And, for the most part, I accept all of that. But I am motherfucking fucking done with this semester, for the following reasons: 1) When I object to sloppy argumentation [...]

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In Which I Play the Role of Uncompromising Bitch

So I made a mistake last spring.  I thought I was being a good department citizen, when I made this mistake.  A good teacher, a generous scholar.  The warning signs were there that it was a mistake, and yet, I made the mistake anyway. The long and the short of it is this: I agreed [...]

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In Which I Find the Push and Pull of Academic Culture Tedious

I wish this were the first time I’d found myself in this situation, but sadly, it’s very, very familiar. I am, whether I like it or not, a capable person.  That means that I am often put in positions in which I have responsibilities.  And sometimes those responsibilities are above and beyond the norm for [...]

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You’re Holding Me Hostage!!!!!

Let’s say that you’re going to hold a day-long event for faculty that is about teaching.  The spirit that drives the event is entirely good, and those organizing it have absolutely the best intentions.  Yes, such events are often… disappointing in a lot of ways, for a lot of different reasons.  That said, I’m not [...]

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Passing the Buck

So my institution, like many others, has some reporting requirements that people must satisfy after sabbatical.  One of these is monitored by the Provost’s office, so it typically gets done.  That said, this one is also one that anybody with half a brain can fudge.  The other is, apparently, not monitored by anyone.  It’s in [...]

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Let It Snow, Let It Snow, Let It Snow

Let’s say you work at a university.  The student population is primarily commuter, and you live in an area of the country that apparently has some sort of selective amnesia about the fact that it snows every freaking winter, and thus there is not adequate snow removal and the people, they don’t know how to [...]

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Groundhog Day

So, yesterday I got to send my twice yearly email in which I explain to the person who does the scheduling in the department that the days of the week on which I teach are not negotiable.  Or, rather, if someone wants to change the days of the week on which I teach, then that’s [...]

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You Know What I Think?

I think it’s garbage when new faculty members are given terrible teaching schedules (or extra-heavy or inappropriate service commitments, or whatever) because the people in charge  are too fucking timid to make people with tenure carry their weight.  Brand new colleagues should not be shit on so that the rest of us can be comfortable.  [...]

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No Thank You, Really, I Don’t Ever Want to Be Department Chair

In recent weeks, this topic keeps coming up.  The topic of, “Omgwhowilltakeoveraschairwhencurrentchair’stermisupomgCRAZY!”  Now, I think this is happening for a number of reasons, few of which actually have to do very much with me, my career aspirations, or my abilities.  I think it’s happening because of a style issue with our current chair (who really [...]

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Things That Really Shouldn’t Be That Hard

I have no idea what my teaching schedule is.  I mean, I know what I’m teaching next semester and when (at least for the moment).  But I do not know what I will teach in the future.  At all.  Well, that’s sort of a lie.  I’m likely teaching from a selection of about 15 – [...]

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