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?

That's so cool! I'm a rather lonely anomaly in a non-English speaking university so don't tend to have those kind of encounters, but it looks like a bit more imagination would pay off!

I'm in STEM but one of my (now retired) colleagues specialised in the history of our field which was fascinating.

@user198434798, interesting question. In my case one thing I did years ago is get internal funding for a workshop around a big concept I was interested in that has lots of connections to a variety of disciplines. Think, say, a workshop on epidemics (made up example), which could attract public health, hydrology, biology (zoonosis) social science, history, geography, etc. That led to a special issue of an interdisciplinary journal, which led to invitations to be a discussant at a different field’s conference, and more connections after that (joint PhD supervisions and grant applications). Once you get a name for being willing to collaborate in this way, other interesting connections can follow, such as invitations to join a consortium network etc. You do have to be willing to explain your ideas to audiences who might be hostile to your invasion of their expertise, but mostly it’s a great way of keeping on your toes intellectually speaking.

Sorry to ask a teaching question when I'm sure those of you who've been doing it all year are bored sick - but I've been on a research fellowship so haven't yet really taught during pandemic. I have an MPhil course and one of my students has just let me know she'll be using her phone for zoom as the internet connection is better. I do not want to put any pressure on her, obviously, and understand the issue, but I'm trying to think logistics. There's a graded participation component, so she can't sit listening the whole time.

I would usually want students to do bits of reading and writing and I'd want to drop links into the chat function in zoom - nothing large, but the occasional bit if it seemed relevant to the discussion. We have two hours; if we're just talking all the time, I am worried it'll get stale.

Do you think that'll work?

Two hours is a long time to spend in front of a screen; I wouldn't do that in person without a break and varying activities. Will you use breakout rooms?

Your student on the phone should be able to join in the discussion. I don't know about other functions. Can she login simultaneously?

It's really up to her to work out the phone vs laptop logistics. I have students who pop into a half hour Q&A on their phones but for anything longer they use their laptops.
Breakout rooms are good for participation/reading and writing.

@ghislane - yes, in person I'd have a break in the middle and would vary things up; this is what I want to do online, but I'm working out the logistics. I've never used breakout rooms but thank you, will check out whether she can use those on her phone.

@worstofbothworlds - yes, sort of it's up to her, but I am sympathetic given covid and the fact she's dyslexic so may be finding the tech challenging.

My hunch was two hours on a phone wasn't going to work well.

I would warn them you'll be using breakout rooms, don't take responsibility for her tech, as even if you find out it works on X version of e.g. Android she might have Y.

I need to vent. I’m currently doing 3 peoples jobs and the stress is unreal. A colleague left in sept, her replacement has just started but first teaching role. As she’s started the PL has gone on long term sick.

So effectively I’m now the only member of staff though I’m sure the new starter will soon be up to speed but atm I’m spending time teaching her blackboard, etc.

All 70 students only email me for support, to look at drafts of assignments, etc. I’m doing the majority of the teaching and all the support. It’s quite a niche subject so not much scope for help from the wider school. While writing a new curriculum which I have no experience of. I’m just feeling so burnt out. Sept -Jan was bad enough but this is hell. I’m working 14 hours a day 6 days a week. If the PL doesn’t come back for some time which is a real possibility then I can’t see this improving soon.

Oh I do feel for you. I don't know what to suggest. Is there anything not on that programme you can offload? Give the new person an idiot's guide to basic queries so they can triage?

I’ve just finished for the night. Colleague has said she’s unlikely to be back next week, going to get another sick note. I’m literally having palpitations and chest pain. I feel so close to going off with stress but I know it isn’t an option.

Covidcorvid, this sounds awful. Can you outsource any of this? Eg:

Blackboard training - send your colleague to university e-learning/academic support;
Set up an FAQs on your VLE landing page directing students who to see for what - that might minimise queries;
Refuse to look at drafts - if they need help with writing, can they go to writing tutors (if your institution has any. Or direct them to the extensive guides to academic writing provided by the Royal Literary Fund: www.rlf.org.uk/resources/writing-essays/.)? It is inequitable to advise some students on drafts and not others.

Is the new curriculum absolutely necessary or just a nice to have? Does it need a total overhaul or just a touch-up? Why are you doing it if you have no experience? At my place, lots of extras have been dropped while we concentrate on teaching and getting through the year. Can it be postponed or a research assistant engaged (I know, I laugh drily as I write that but it's worth a try) to do the grunt work of collecting resources?

You need to tell your HOD you are close to going the way of your colleague.

@worstofbothworlds

I would warn them you'll be using breakout rooms, don't take responsibility for her tech, as even if you find out it works on X version of e.g. Android she might have Y.

Very good point, thank you!

Thanks Gishlane and Worstofbothworlds. I’m up already, been answering the overnight emails.

I’ve already given the new starter a link to a blackboard help site and in fairness she’s managing to get to grips with that quite well. Just needs showing some stuff which isn’t clear. I guess it’s more the module specific stuff, assessments, etc which has taken time to go through it with her. There’s no one else at all to do that.

The students will go to the library for general writing support but the library can’t look at one of their assignment drafts and comment if they are writing enough for learning outcomes....so it’s me. New lecturer has never marked an assignment in her life but is going to have to learn fast.

The curriculum dev stuff can’t be put off. We’re a professional programme and won’t be validated if this isn’t done by summer.

It’s a nightmare, I’ve had 4 hours sleep. Got virtual OSCEs starting at 8am, going through till 6pm. Non stop. Back to back slots. And tomorrow. I feel physically ill.

I would knock answering emails early/late on the head right now.
Email answering hours are X-X+1 once a day.
You don't have time to answer emails outside that time.
If they have a query they are best placed to put it on Blackboard/Moodle first and if nobody else can answer it they can ask you.
Set up an auto reply saying you will answer emails at this time, if you don't get to theirs on a specific day, you will get to it in order, but include a link to the module handbook and state you won't be answering anything that is in there, and unless it is of a personal nature, you won't be answering anyone that hasn't asked on Moodle first. If one person asks you a question, answer on Moodle for everyone (not individually, and put in your auto reply that they should look for their answer on Moodle. Let them know the question will be anonymised on Moodle so they aren't shy about asking you).
We NEVER look at drafts - if your department doesn't insist, then say no more will be looked at. As others have said, it's totally unfair on other students.

how easy is it to learn blackboard? I will be new to HE from end of February. Is there anything I can look at from home to teach me? Also new to moodle (although used it as a student) so again need to get up to speed on this. I'm professional services but will be doing some online work with students.

I'll tell you when I figure it out. It's currently driving me absolutely fucking nuts.

Just popping to ask if some of you could kindly have a look at my just-bumped thread on applying for my dream job in this topic?

I’ve replied @KeflavikAirport, a bit garbled as I’m on a tiny phone screen. Good luck!

Thanks imposter!

@KeflavikAirport - I don't have any advice for your thread, but I wanted to send you good luck. I hope it goes well!

How are you doing Covidcorvid? That sounds very difficult. It is so hard now - people are dropping and the burden is just falling onto others.

I feel terrible being part of it: I'm now back at work, but clearly not completely well, and I really hope I can keep going. I've got a call with a Dr next week, and I'm scared they'll tell me I shouldn't be working - I actually put off contacting them for some time as I just HAD to do things these last weeks. If I can get through a few more weeks I'll have set up most things that will be self-running and much, much easier for another to take over if needed. But fingers crossed nothing like that is needed.

And then stuff keeps happening: a member of staff, who had been taking up a lot of slack, has just gone off as their spouse is suddenly terminally ill (not covid). We're still trying to figure out what has been accomplished and what needs to be done there. He's got two small kids. I'm still struggling to comprehend it.

And, in a lighter note: what I came to ask, I'm wondering if other people are experiencing the same phenomena I am with "lunch meetings". There are a lot of meetings/seminars we had over lunchtime, where either we brought a lunch and ate it, or they actually fed us. But in the new online world, I'm finding the timing of these meetings is the same (over lunch time), but it is much, much harder to actually eat lunch while wearing a headset and sitting in front of a computer. I find I'm getting lunch at 3 or 4pm some days! Because the meetings/teaching before/after lunchtime still happen too.

I don't eat on camera, cos I feel a twit, but probably don't have that many lunch meetings! I don't really like eating in person either, don't know why!

I deliberately had a Zoom lunch with a friend today but then there was a Teams meeting. My friend wasn't eating lunch (but she may have eaten beforehand?). Nobody in the subsequent meeting was eating lunch.

I do my best to refuse to have meetings over lunch. If they do have them I happily announce I’ll switch off mike and camera if they want me there. So frustrating though it’s even considered acceptable, especially as we’re doing longer hours, so need a proper break.