Academics Chat Thread

[LRDtheFeministDragon]

I believe the old Chat thread has fallen off the front page of this section, and I thought it might be time to reinstate it. I know it's only sporadically useful, but sometimes it's nice, right?

I am a lowly postdoctoral English Lit type. Finished my PhD in 2014, teaching associate for a couple of years, and now part-time while DD is a baby. I'm currently working frantically to get my book manuscript to the publisher by my deadline (October), and also trying to regain enthusiasm for the job market.

Who else is lurking around here?

Sorry - I'm very tired and that wasn't clear! My big exciting paper we are working towards (aim to submit early next year)

ah - i sympathise. I worked on that type of paper durimg my phd... i had nightmares my work would become obsolete.

It technically did not - the competing groups did not get there and my own findings were a bit half baked, but the field shifted massively with new flashy techniques that revolutionised our tiny field. So my findings were redundant 2 years post publi.

I now work on less competitive topics - easier ride!

This is the law change:

en.wikipedia.org/wiki/General_Data_Protection_Regulation

Does anyone really care about names ffs

supposed to report every single file we have on our computers that has any name of anyone in i.e. anything from a student with a name in, anything with a list of students or colleagues, any journal article

Does that include their names in bibliographic references? Like if I cite Jo Smith and Edie Jones in all 16 versions of an article. And I might have their names replicated in 3 or 4 different end note libraries. Plus several versions of an excel file if Jo and Edie authored stuff my systematic review search strategy dredged up.

I'd like to see the exact instructions on this one.

What if I downloaded 60 pdfs of interest... do I have to mention all the people cited in them?

It is personal data that is the issue. Citations of names in a professional context would not be relevant under this directive.

Saving an email from a student discussing personal issues is under this directive. Letters relating to special circumstances of students (health etc) are under this directive. Mark sheets could be viewed as falling under this directive. Information about addresses/phone numbers of staff and students would be under this directive. Etc etc.

The admin office issuing the directive seem not to have thought that journal articles have names and emails in. This seems only to have occurred to them once I pointed it out.
All the lists I have e.g. of project students' names, CVs to write references etc were given to me/made by me in a professional context. So surely unless I'm keeping a list of students to send Christmas cards to, none of the information is relevant.

Surely I only have information on students' health issues due to my profession?
They aren't telling me because I'm a frIendly face they see on the bus. They're telling me because I'm their tutor.

Surely I only have information on students' health issues due to my profession?

Yes, that's true, but the issue is data storage.

Confidential information on health issues given to health professionals follows strict rules on storage and access. Universities have not been following such protocols for data storage of sensitive information.

Woah, I can't make sense of the wikipedia article. Is there anything that explains it in plain language?

But it seems worst's admin people aren't quite managing what I'm understanding from this thread - it would be 'only in an email' where I might have health info of a student - they'd email me with it requesting an extension or meeting or whatever. It's not like I'd keep a file of that on my machine anywhere else! And then journal articles are publicly available (or via an expensive subscription...), so anyone could get it, so why should anyone care about storage? And anything with collaborators, like paper drafts, is also on their machines. Although it could be their email servers already follow the rules, and they just are freaking out about hard drives...

At our Uni we all have encrypted hard drives and password protected access, so maybe we're covered already?

i had nightmares my work would become obsolete

Heh, this is I work on the eighteenth century! Obsolete before it's even started

I've been FB friended by two colleagues in the last 24 hours, so maybe things are looking up socialising-at-work wise.

Ah fuck, a grant rejection. Happy 2018 ☹️

Us too, Marie Curie so only one more round EVER.

Oh I'm sorry for you too.

Mine wasn't really good enough and I knew it (although I had been triaged by the university and selected to apply). I'm really cross with myself. All the big wigs know. Bah

Anyone else really confused/panicking about the strikes?
I'm striking (most of the days anyway). But have loads to do. So working my socks off before then!
Also have a Saturday open day during the strike period so I think I will work that day and "stay home in solidarity" on one of the strike days. Not sure I can afford to strike every single day but obviously I want it to work.
Bumped into a friend who says she's planning to paint their bedroom!

Short version: Grrrr.

Long version: I direct a research centre in an area which is new to my discipline (although not to others). We are part of a consortium of universities across Europe which organises intensive interdisciplinary courses in this area. Each university gets to send two PhD students to each course. I selected the students for the most recent one and on their return invited them to come to our postgrad interest group of students working in this area. I get this reply from one of them: "I have decided I will not participate in this group." She received a free flight, accommodation for a week, and exposure to key scholars working this area.... I point this out to her and say it's a shame she won't give anything back. Her reply? "I'm a bit disappointed to receive your email....."

Am I hopelessly out of touch with my expectations?

Ummm, no! Blimey. I can't imagine having the gall to say no to that now, as faculty! Let alone as a student

No you aren't. I don't understand some people at all.

Argh Ghislaine. Sounds like the entitled madam I had to deal with a few weeks back. Bloody kids these days ;-)

I was summoned to a meeting last week that was all professors except for me. I could only pop in between two classes, which I did point out ahead of time. One of the professors fucking arsehole openly sneered when I asked if I, as a lowly senior lecturer, needed to sign the attendance sheet. DON'T FUCKING ASK ME TO COME TO THE MEETING THEN NEXT TIME, YOU DICK.

ghislaine you must be fuming! I'd file it away though and bear that in mind when she comes begging for a reference 24 hours before her deadline.

n.b. for future reference, I'd suggest you make it a requirement that students who receive funding must make a presentation. If they don't, they're ineligible to apply to the next course. If you're feeling really daring, you could write back and say that while you cannot force her, she shouldn't expect to be considered in the future, but she sounds like an arrogant trouble-maker, so perhaps best not.

Update!

Interestingly, I've since had two emails from her (one in the dead of night....). The first one offers to come along to the meeting, but only for twenty minutes or so. The next one says that on further reflection, she would like to 'tag along' to the interest group meetings.

I will definitely be making participation in the interest group a requirement of future attendees. it never occurred to me that a student would have such front! What a way to make friends and influence people, for sure.

Sadly (or maybe not) I am not her supervisor but she definitely won't be getting any future favours from me.

Very interesting. Sounds as though she's realised what a twit she's been.

You could always just schedule in the two students to give feedback, phrasing it as if you are assuming they will!

I've just applied for a new job. Eek!

Good luck!