ha ha

http://www.smbc-comics.com/?id=2502

Oh, so I am not the only one

Recall cryptic reference to difficult colleague demanding unearned perks.... Here's a gem from said colleague's fall course evals:

1. strongly suggest new line of work. prison guard? 2. the. worst. ever. why is this "perfessor" teaching university, esp. req. course? not enough space here to say how unprofessional. ugly cloud over classroom for 14 wks. why bother with survey like this? she said in class that she's tenured and could not care less what anybody says thinks or does. disrespectful, dishonest, deliberately hurtful,screams insults at students,students crying during class, mandatory unscheduled saturday 8 hr. class to make up for the wasting time during semester, classes went pass deadline, slutty attire. perhaps needs professional help? issues with father, mother? god only knows. pathetic.

Saturday

Happy Saturday! I survived the end of the week. Meeting on department future Thursday afternoon was pretty awful. Some of my colleagues really have no institutional memory, suggesting solutions which they rejected just a few years ago. Their plan for curricular reform merits a metaphor someone used at a summer seminar a couple of years back: "its the equivalent of a bad combover." My friends, the head is still bald.

By contrast yesterday's meeting to talk explicitly about the Language Center rocked. We had excellent presentations from people outside the department and there was a level of energy and excitement that I have found missing within the department for a long time.

It is a rainy, weirdly mild day today. We seem to have England's weather and we would like ours back whoever has taken it. There has been a dearth of snow. I have yet to ski this year.

Just in time

Rachel sent me an absolutely fantastic T-shirt which arrived yesterday. Shall I wear it to the bound to be contentious faculty meeting today?

tick tock, when am I no longer chair?

Things at work are coming to a head; unfortunately I cannot post much that isn't terribly cryptic because I wouldn't want to get myself into trouble. One of my colleagues at another school uses the acronym: FBB (faculty behaving badly) and I can just say that there is quite a bit of that going on. My favorite was someone taking umbrage at us for impugning her integrity, after she had tried to leverage her famous husband's position and grant money to get something out of us she didn't earn on her own merits...

I momentarily misplaced my straight face.

Two big meetings tomorrow and Friday that will reveal a little more of how the department and language center will move forward.

I should provide pictures

Today Ellen and Zack came over to hang out while stuff they needed to be out of their house for was happening. While I made tabouleh for Craig to take to a jam session this evening and Zach watched Monster Trucks, I could tell Ellen was itching to tidy. She has "the gene" as Daniel calls it. I was teasing her and she said she didn't want to offend me but.... So I said have at it. And now our kitchen looks unlike it ever has. She cleaned out two whole cupboards in addition to washing dishes, cleaning countertops, washing out the thing we keep spatulas and spoons in, etc. You get the idea. Heaven.

new term, more fun

Perhaps some beginning of term vignettes to paint a portrait of life in the chair's office.

1) New meaning for TMI: checking in on faculty member off last term for prostate cancer treatment and I receive this email.

dear jane:

thank you for the e-mail asking me about my situation.

i hope that i will be fine. i still have problems such as feelings of urgency, frequent urination and occasional bladder spasm (you do not want to hear all about these). despite the side effects, i am positive that i will be able to perform the duties.

2) Continued interaction with student who believes there are FBI spies in her Arabic class.

3) Asked colleague who needs to go out of town for family meeting to make plan for elderly mother if there is anything I can do to help. Response: "place pillow over my sister's face."

So, all in all, things are off to a rousing start.