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Musings of a science professor at a large research university.
About Me
- Female Science Professor
- I am a full professor in a physical sciences field at a large research university. I am married and have a teenaged daughter. I have the greatest job in the world, but this will not stop me from noting some of the more puzzling and stressful aspects of my career as a science professor. E-mail (can't promise to reply): femalescienceprofessor@gmail.com
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9 comments:
What goes around comes around. Treat emeriti the way you would like to be treated when you achieve that stage of your career.
whoa--this is the first post of yours I didn't like at all.
Ann's comment is as useful as a teaching evaluation that says "I didn't like your class" but doesn't say why.
i felt like it was a rather mean spirited post in its lack of sympathy for the elderly
It certainly wasn't meant to be mean-spirited. I think there are all kinds of emeriti, just as there are all kinds of professors (and even people). I agree with the comment about treating emeriti as you would want to be treated when you are in that position. However, I don't think someone should be automatically respected just for their advanced age and years of service if they are cruel. And I don't have a lot of patience for those who wander often into my office, don't ask if I am busy, and expect me to be able/willing to listen to their monologues (these don't tend to be conversations). And I was very annoyed about the one who routinely wrecked things in my lab, used expensive consumables, and destroyed the work of my grad students, especially since the chair at the time just told me to suck it up and let the guy do whatever he wanted. OK, so maybe I do have Issues.. but I have also encountered very kind emeriti, so my experiences are mixed, which is what I was trying to convey in that post.
I definitely enjoy these posts on Scientopia. I wonder if you could link directly to the post in question, though (in this case http://scientopia.org/blogs/science-professor/2010/11/23/emeritus-issues/) - that way someone like me, who doesn't always keep up with the RSS feed well, can still get to the Scientopia post easily even if they're 2 months late in finding the FSP post.
Actually, most of the people who wander into my office and frequently expect me to listen to their rants and monologues without asking if i have time are regular members of the faculty. I have gotten better at telling them to go away. Once in a while a retired faculty member wants to ask a me question or chat about something and unless I have a pressing deadline it seems like common decency to talk with them.
Sure, but what if it's 2-3 days/week (sometimes every day), and the conversation could easily go on for an hour or more, even if you say that you have to get ready for your class or work on a proposal that is due soon? One of the emeriti in one of my departments was like that. An occasional conversation -- great. The talkative retired faculty I have encountered have all been very nice and kind men, and I am glad to have known them. When I have time, I am interested in their stories. I am friends on Facebook with the most ancient one of all, and that is fun. With all due respect to my retired colleagues, it annoys me that they ignore my protests about having something urgent to do (whereas they respect it when my husband makes a similar statement).
You spend several hours a week listening to lonely retired professors tell monologues? Even when you need to write a proposal or prepare for a class? I take back my disapprobation. You have the right to feel resentful.
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