Today was our department's retention, promotion and tenure meeting. This is the most serious forum in an academic department - the place where careers are made or not. As chair I attend in a purely listening and question answering capacity. So when I hear things such as what I am about to recount, I CAN SAY NOTHING. They were discussing someone up for a crucial review. The candidate has an absolutely exemplary record. There is much praise and discussion of the candidate's stellar research and phenomenal teaching and then one of my thoroughly unreconstructed male colleagues (someone my friend Catherine would describe as "out of compliance with North American standards" remarks: "And she is an excellent mother. She has those two small children and is just superb at balancing all the demands of her life."
I noticed one of my senior and feminist colleagues approaching the minutes taker after the meeting and I am sure it was to suggest that certain comments wouldn't be missed if they never appeared in the formal minutes of the meeting...
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We had an "away day" yesterday. Our Head of School brought in the admin staff to be introduced (as many are new), and referred to it as "the beauty line-up." Yeah. I have been chosen to speak to said Head about this. I'm actually looking forward to it, and contemplating recording it on my iPhone...
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