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Original poster

Academics Chat Thread

999 replies

LRDtheFeministDragon · 02/09/2017 22:32

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?

OP posts:
purplepandas · 04/10/2017 19:45

Ah sorry to hear that arbitrary. I sympathise. We had a research away day recently that sucked time. It was awful on so many levels and the facilitator (not uni based) managed to offend a number of people including me. I was angry and frustrated by the end of it and am still seething (he made some v inappropriate comments around baby loss).

I don't get the obsession with these things. Good for you in terms of doing something more useful with your time for the next one.

ArbitraryName · 04/10/2017 19:49

Wow. I don't think anyone managed to make inappropriate comments about baby loss. That may be a low even by away day standards.

My colleague counted the people in the room and calculated how much the day had cost the university based on the consultancy rate they charge for us. It was a ridiculous figure. I have no idea what they are supposed to achieve - other than making everyone disaffected and/or angry.

Yogafire · 04/10/2017 20:25

We have about 2 away days a year. I don't mind them at all! Am I weird? Normally half a day and the only time I see some colleagues. Why are yours so dreadful? We don't do corporate-style team building exercises or anything cringey

ArbitraryName · 04/10/2017 20:29

We have 6-8 a year. And they involve team building activities, demoralising corporate strategy lectures, and fiendishly designed activities that make you want to jack it all in.

ArbitraryName · 04/10/2017 20:31

And they come in various varieties: department away days, subject area away days, programme team away days. All as bad as each other.

bigkidsdidit · 04/10/2017 20:56

6-8 year! Bloody hell. We have one a year and everyone comes, all staff not just academics. Then we all get pissed Grin

NeverEverAnythingEver · 04/10/2017 22:34

I've only been to one away day. It was lovely and we drank a lot. Grin

NeverEverAnythingEver · 04/10/2017 22:35

6-8 a year is a bit much. I don't get drunk 6-8 times a year...

ArbitraryName · 04/10/2017 23:01

It appears that I get to go to really awful away days so you lot don't have to.

There's never any pub involved. Just everyone leaving as quickly as they can get away with. And a really stingy lunch. There weren't even any biscuits with the coffee this time.

NeverEverAnythingEver · 05/10/2017 08:25

Poor Arbitrary! Next time sneak one of us in and we'll go to the pub and get drunk and rant about the idiocy of the grant system until they throw us out.

ArbitraryName · 05/10/2017 11:42

That sounds much better. Grin

worstofbothworlds · 05/10/2017 13:05

until they throw us out.
Or until one of us remembers we have a train to catch/children to pick up/cat to let out...

NeverEverAnythingEver · 05/10/2017 13:07

We'll drink enough so we don't remember those tedious little details.

murmuration · 06/10/2017 07:29

Woah, LRD, that is weird. If it's something that you'd have to do, I can't see why (1) your colleague can't do it herself, or (2) the job-seeker can't do it. Surely all that one normally does is have an "informational interview" with someone interested in your area such that they can plumb your knowledge. Not you do research for someone else!

That sounds dire, arbitrary. We have away days - 2 a year, one teaching, one research (I think some other units in the dept have building-specific ones, but I'm pretty sure those are even more 'chums getting together'). They are completely run by us and it's mostly a chance for the head/DoT to update us on stuff, specific committees to remind everyone they exist, and such. Sometimes strategic decisions are discussed as a big group, or in small break-out sessions. Changes in the way things are run often come out of these. So it's actually where everyone gets a say in what goes on, so I really like going to them and get annoyed if I can't.

Okay, and the reason I searched out this thread: WTF did I just do?!! I was at a "women academic" meeting (moan session) and someone mentioned a leadership programme that the Uni selects people to attend. There was discussion about its visibility, how people not picked should get another chance the following year, how great it was, and how much work it is, and a variety of things. I casually looked it up afterwards, discovered the internal deadline had passed, but sent a message anyway saying I was interested. And apparently this year there must have been no competition, as now I'm signed up!! The Uni has just paid a bunch of money for me to do this. Fighting a massive cloud of imposter syndrome on the horizon. I thought I would have to apply internally first and there'd be some kind of selection process. Scanning through names of past attendees at our Uni - of those I recognise, only 2 - from last year - don't have major admin roles. I guess I tried to get one of those and failed this spring, so it is the direction I was heading... but... but... Not quite sure what more to say - can I really do this? Am I wasting the Uni's money?

ArbitraryName · 06/10/2017 08:18

You are NOT wasting the university's money. They should be providing you with training and opportunities for advancement.

user918273645 · 06/10/2017 08:29

For anyone worried about wasting a university's money: just think of all the extra work you do for them unpaid. How many people here work just regular full-time hours? How many of us do tasks that are thankless and don't help our careers but the university needs us to do?

Yogafire · 06/10/2017 09:17

murmuration is it aurora?

Yogafire · 06/10/2017 09:18

Just asking cos I did one of their programmes

murmuration · 06/10/2017 11:13

Yes, yoga, that's them! Was it good? Was it a lot of work? I'm worried I've gotten myself in over my head a bit. I think I'd be feeling more confident if there had been some selection process here - thinking someone else other than me thought it was a good idea. But I guess at least I don't have to feel like I took a place someone more deserving should have (which my imposter syndrome would probably be telling me had their been a selection that I passed... you can't win, can you? perhaps a good thing to remember...)

Yogafire · 06/10/2017 12:26

I don't recall doing any work! At least not beforehand. It was two years ago and I think they sent reading and prep but i didn't have time and I don't recall it being an issue. They run a few programmes I think and I would have been on a lower one I guess - we were all lecturers or senior lecturers, divided into groups with a more senior person/aurora mentor, who was an HoD or similar. I think there were 4 aurora days over the year or something. It wasn't hugely useful but perfectly pleasant and it was good for peer support. As in I enjoyed chatting to the people in my group and kept in touch with some for a while. It is worth doing for your cv and probably you get what you put in, and I didn't put much in, just went along for the ride really. It helped focus my mind on my career a bit (even just sitting in a room thinking about my career was novel) and they are really encouraging. But some sessions weren't useful. For eg they had a woman VC talking about being a woman VC but her husband lived in a different country and she didn't have kids. Nothing wrong in any of that but I would really have liked to hear from a woman who has made it in academia whilst juggling children. They also had a woman from the RSC speak. Fun talk but didn't relate either. It's probably pot luck who your keynotes are and I think it's a great idea but didn't change much

Yogafire · 06/10/2017 12:28

I did get paired with a mentor in my institution after and I really liked our meetings. So yes actually that, plus the friends I made (even tho I've been too busy to touch base for a while) and the thinking process is started - those things made it worth it. Definitely no need for imposter syndrome

Yogafire · 06/10/2017 12:29

Sorry a bit garbled. You get my drift!

murmuration · 06/10/2017 20:26

Could be similar, yoga - you're not allowed to be above SL/Reader for this one. Glad to hear not doing the reading wasn't a big issue :) I'm not sure how much prep I'll manage. I hadn't really expected it to happen, given all the talk about how competitive it was and how people who wanted it kept not getting in. Maybe they all did, or just gave up.

SoupyNorman · 06/10/2017 23:11

Quick q: how do you deal with students who miss a seminar, and want to come to your office hour so you can "go over with them what was covered"?

NeverEverAnythingEver · 07/10/2017 07:48

Eek. I've had students come asking about the whole course the week before exams before... Shock Grin

I say "I cannot cover the whole course/seminar for you in but if you have specific questions I am very happy to answer them."