tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-29059245.post1906515944049387499..comments2024-03-25T02:33:41.590-05:00Comments on FemaleScienceProfessor: Now Stand in the Place Where You WorkFemale Science Professorhttp://www.blogger.com/profile/15288567883197987690noreply@blogger.comBlogger38125tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-29059245.post-28161019117436274832012-08-22T20:39:44.703-05:002012-08-22T20:39:44.703-05:00My advisor had the arrangement in which he sat beh...My advisor had the arrangement in which he sat behind a desk, backlit by a window. In afternoon meetings, I'm sure I often appeared perplexed and confused in his presence. Actually I was squinting uncomfortably into the strong light-- it felt a bit like being brought in for questioning. As a new student I never remarked on this and by the time I became more senior he moved offices. Anonymousnoreply@blogger.comtag:blogger.com,1999:blog-29059245.post-74046012233950904902012-08-20T08:15:49.025-05:002012-08-20T08:15:49.025-05:00My office is 9' x 12', so I really don'...My office is 9' x 12', so I really don't have a choice. My 1870's office furniture wasn't designed for small offices, nor was it designed for computers. Plus I have a drafting table...It's not at all user friendly,(for me or anyone else) particularly since I have to wiggle around the furniture to get around to my desk. Window? ha! I'm in a sub-basement; I keep threatening to get an old window and paint soil and roots and pebbles on it to simulate a real window...Anonymousnoreply@blogger.comtag:blogger.com,1999:blog-29059245.post-62419581472405251872012-07-31T14:07:13.685-05:002012-07-31T14:07:13.685-05:00C. My office is long and thin so if I had the des...C. My office is long and thin so if I had the desk across the space I'd have to climb over it to get out, so I am rather forced into this...<br /><br />I think it DOES matter - _I_ find myself getting intimidated by people who sit behind a large desk and make me sit on the other side (especially if the chair for the visitor is a crappy chair) - but I don't have much choice due to small office with awkward shape, so I've not been able to experiment and find the best solution for meJaneBhttps://www.blogger.com/profile/17779448611795379774noreply@blogger.comtag:blogger.com,1999:blog-29059245.post-14790158122236240432012-07-31T12:51:31.280-05:002012-07-31T12:51:31.280-05:00"Welcome! Please have a seat." (gesture..."Welcome! Please have a seat." (gesture to chair or sofa) Works with nearly all configurations and people.Anonymousnoreply@blogger.comtag:blogger.com,1999:blog-29059245.post-82696488668787996182012-07-29T10:02:01.858-05:002012-07-29T10:02:01.858-05:00I have configuration D. Everyone takes the seat ac...I have configuration D. Everyone takes the seat across from my desk. Depending on the situation, I often get up and move to the other seats in the office so there is no desk in between us.EarlyToBedhttps://www.blogger.com/profile/15574283499868324142noreply@blogger.comtag:blogger.com,1999:blog-29059245.post-11354372259124135412012-07-28T11:38:19.841-05:002012-07-28T11:38:19.841-05:00I have something close to D but with no chairs in ...I have something close to D but with no chairs in front of the desk. On the far wall near the door, I have a small round table with wheels and a couple of chairs. Most students would just walk up in front of the desk and talk to me from there. If it's something that will take more time, I offer them a seat. I've never had a person come in directly and take a seat on the ones near my desk without being asked, student or otherwise. However, students do generally seat themselves on the chairs on the far wall while waiting for their turn.jbnoreply@blogger.comtag:blogger.com,1999:blog-29059245.post-82094205212726248072012-07-27T22:22:35.375-05:002012-07-27T22:22:35.375-05:00Now I have to go dig Green out of the CD box in th...Now I have to go dig Green out of the CD box in the storage closet.Anonymousnoreply@blogger.comtag:blogger.com,1999:blog-29059245.post-78809647976577746022012-07-27T22:21:22.942-05:002012-07-27T22:21:22.942-05:00I have a variant of F. I have a standing desk the ...I have a variant of F. I have a standing desk the width of my office facing out a window with a place to write and to use the computer. The monitor is on a swing arm so that it can be directed to or away from visitors/prying eyes. I have a comfy chair to read and a small cafe table with two chairs. When groups of students come, we all stand -- which makes meeting go faster. When I am working at the computer, I open FaceTime but don't connect and use the camera to see the door behind me.<br /><br />ANON 7/25/2012 10:04:00 AM:<br /><br />You might want to look for a P-shaped desk. I find the distance across the desk off putting when dealing with students (maybe that is a good thing though.)Anonymousnoreply@blogger.comtag:blogger.com,1999:blog-29059245.post-83567605451518452482012-07-27T19:31:32.513-05:002012-07-27T19:31:32.513-05:00Glad to have you back!
My office layout is more o...Glad to have you back!<br /><br />My office layout is more or less C. It's really the only one that will work in here. My visitor chairs are arranged around a small marble cafe table that I got on Craigslist for the princely sum of $15.Alexnoreply@blogger.comtag:blogger.com,1999:blog-29059245.post-4184530918485452542012-07-27T13:40:40.533-05:002012-07-27T13:40:40.533-05:00My advisor has A. Works pretty good for me because...My advisor has A. Works pretty good for me because I can put my laptop and my papers on his table and use the table. If I want to show him something on the laptop, then I move my chair to B (or he moves his chair to B). I don't mind having the table in between if it is just for a chitchat - I sometimes stand too. Without the table I feel to bare. Should I be closing my legs tight, where to put the hands/arms etc. And of course, where to put the laptop and the papers and they often fall down if I had just put them on my lap.Anonymousnoreply@blogger.comtag:blogger.com,1999:blog-29059245.post-60302117217182754422012-07-26T11:47:51.013-05:002012-07-26T11:47:51.013-05:00Mine is closest to F. I have a couch just inside t...Mine is closest to F. I have a couch just inside the door along the wall, with a low rectangular table (a bit higher than coffee table height, a bit lower than my desk height) in front and a wheeled chair on the other side. My desk sits just beyond the table, against the wall, with another wheelie chair. Most visitors (students, colleagues) sit on the couch, at least initially. If the visitor brings a laptop, I can either scoot the wheeled chair over next to the table or sit on the couch next to them. They can also come around the table and sit in the extra wheelie chair if we need to collaborate around my desktop computer. I've tried many office configurations and this is the only one that I've liked---it puts people at ease, has ample seating, and allows different collaboration variations.Anonymousnoreply@blogger.comtag:blogger.com,1999:blog-29059245.post-58701809712858440382012-07-26T09:13:08.918-05:002012-07-26T09:13:08.918-05:00My office is C
I wish I had F, but have a "t...My office is C<br /><br />I wish I had F, but have a "two-headed" microscope in my office that also stimulates interactions with folks in my lab so there's no room for a table<br /><br />PS Welcome back<br /><br />Mark PAnonymousnoreply@blogger.comtag:blogger.com,1999:blog-29059245.post-60027683775306042922012-07-25T22:59:43.334-05:002012-07-25T22:59:43.334-05:00When I moved to in my current room the room was se...When I moved to in my current room the room was setup like A (most of my colleagues have their desks/rooms arranged like this). However, I rearranged my room to be like C. The room feels bigger this way, I can roll my chair when around when bored. I also like being open and friendly with visitors (students, etc.). Sharing PC screen etc.Anonymousnoreply@blogger.comtag:blogger.com,1999:blog-29059245.post-25208449955788564172012-07-25T13:16:11.040-05:002012-07-25T13:16:11.040-05:00I have C (no choice, really, given the constraints...I have C (no choice, really, given the constraints of the room), but I covet F.<br /><br />I think F puts everyone on equal footing (if you go sit at the smaller table with the visitor), which I see as a good thing (whether you are meeting with an undergrad or the Dean).Anonymousnoreply@blogger.comtag:blogger.com,1999:blog-29059245.post-62641591142265335872012-07-25T11:52:28.702-05:002012-07-25T11:52:28.702-05:00This comment has been removed by the author.GMPhttps://www.blogger.com/profile/17872461021953583473noreply@blogger.comtag:blogger.com,1999:blog-29059245.post-46680523366177714622012-07-25T10:04:19.003-05:002012-07-25T10:04:19.003-05:00Interesting responses. I'm intrigued by how fe...Interesting responses. I'm intrigued by how few appear to consider whether their computer monitor is visible to people casually walking into the office. Working on exams, student grades, and other sensitive stuff, I really don't want it easily seen. I'm just moving into a new office, so I haven't had a chance to try out the configuration, but my criteria in arranging the furniture were:<br />1) Do NOT sit back to the door.<br />2) Computer monitor positioned so it can't be read from the door, without window glare, and not backlit.<br />3) Be able to look out the window.<br />4) Visitor accomodation.<br />I sit back to the wall, window at 10 o'clock, door at 1 o'clock, visitor chair in front of the desk. The desk is pointlessly deep, so I figure for visitors, I'll wheel my chair around to the end, and have some horizontal space for students and colleagues to put things down, scribble notes, and so on, and be less behind the desk, from their point of view.<br />It's a new wing, and several colleagues came by, looked at my configuration, and said, "Hm, that makes sense..." so I may be on to something. Only time and visitors will tell.Anonymousnoreply@blogger.comtag:blogger.com,1999:blog-29059245.post-22735171149653119972012-07-25T09:25:03.026-05:002012-07-25T09:25:03.026-05:00My office is a variation of F where the small tabl...My office is a variation of F where the small table actually sits just to the left of desk (from the perspective of the owner of the office). This works quite well, if someone drops by I can just wheel my chair a foot or so and then we are collaborating around a table rather than talking across a desk. This preserves the utility of having a workspace (looking at papers, data on the students laptop, etc.) without coming across as formal as A,B,D,E. This is actually the standard furniture for my building, so I can't take credit, but it works really well.Unknownhttps://www.blogger.com/profile/06093156366916752947noreply@blogger.comtag:blogger.com,1999:blog-29059245.post-73925130444114722542012-07-25T08:38:29.576-05:002012-07-25T08:38:29.576-05:00FSP, based on the number of comments this post is ...FSP, based on the number of comments this post is generating, it is not considered to be trivial nor mundane. <br /><br />I have worked with scenario F and I had no problem having my computer screen accessible to everyone. That being said, I also worked with colleagues who were professional and respectful and no one would make comments on what was on someone's screen (unless it was interesting data, then there was no stopping a discussion). <br /><br />For our meetings, depending on whether everyone has their laptop and the comparable size of table vs desk, we would sit at the one that allows us the most comfort. <br /><br />My current boss has a large office with the classic desk and a separate seating area with 4 comfy chairs. He also has 6 fold-up chairs in the corner as we collaborate with other labs and some of the projects involve many people. He has learned from having "spontaneous meetings" the advantage of having these additional chairs handy. This boss opts to sit in one of the uncomfortable folding chairs as he controls the length of the meeting. <br /><br />Once we go beyond these 10 chairs, it is a clear indication that we should be booking a meeting room. In our facility however there are times during the year when these meeting rooms are fully booked. Does anyone else experience this in their institution?Anonymousnoreply@blogger.comtag:blogger.com,1999:blog-29059245.post-22024898712399418872012-07-25T08:16:17.933-05:002012-07-25T08:16:17.933-05:00My office is pretty much A. I do that for two rea...My office is pretty much A. I do that for two reasons: 1. most of my visitors are undergraduates and I like them to have their space and I have mine. This sounds harsh but as a woman, my personal space gets invaded easily in a too familiar way and 2. I need horizontal surface space for my junk. I wish I would keep it cleaner but after 16 years of saying that, I know in my heart that it just ain't going to happen.Anonymousnoreply@blogger.comtag:blogger.com,1999:blog-29059245.post-40200074672205874402012-07-25T03:19:13.389-05:002012-07-25T03:19:13.389-05:00A bit like C except I have a lovely 7 foot comfy s...A bit like C except I have a lovely <b>7 foot comfy sofa</b> from IKEA for visitors. However, they are all too scared to sit in my sofa and end up standing in the door or sitting on the armrest of the sofa. Weird.Klaashttps://www.blogger.com/profile/10583584672278790426noreply@blogger.comtag:blogger.com,1999:blog-29059245.post-3025704309073086412012-07-25T01:04:32.193-05:002012-07-25T01:04:32.193-05:00Every professor in my department has something lik...Every professor in my department has something like F: they have their desk (usually in the corner) but also a smaller table somewhere between the desk and the door, with 3-4 chairs around it. (Useful for when a PI meets with multiple students working on a project.) So in a 1-on-1 meeting, I'm still talking to them across something, but it's this small table rather than their desk.<br /><br />The uniformity makes me think that someone decided at some point that this was a desirable setup (maybe the thought was that it feels more collaborative than a "this is my desk but you're also here" kind of situation does?). But this does mean that they're moving from their own desk to the table in the way that FSP finds inconvenient. Nevertheless, I think that when/if I become faculty, I'd want to do the same if I have a choice about how to set up my office.<br /><br />I also like this because there's a dedicated writing surface: I'm not in a chair that's too far away, but I'm also not forced to encroach on the prof's desk (both in terms of politeness, and the worry that there's physically not enough space on the desk).<br /><br />At my undergrad institution, it was pretty much A all the way, in several different departments; the few exceptions were people who had particularly big offices with an extra table (more F-like).Anonymousnoreply@blogger.comtag:blogger.com,1999:blog-29059245.post-79175345858682846282012-07-24T20:52:08.366-05:002012-07-24T20:52:08.366-05:00I used to have my desk against the wall, but peopl...I used to have my desk against the wall, but people naturally stare at your computer screen if they can see it and then they ask annoying questions like "What are you writing?" "What are you reading?", "Why do you have an image of squirrel's pancreas on your desktop?" or they make comments like "Omigod look at all those edits, you are basically rewriting someone's paper, they are going to freak". But no one asks what you are doing if they can't see your monitor and I like it that way, so I moved my desk and now I talk to people across my desk.Anonymousnoreply@blogger.comtag:blogger.com,1999:blog-29059245.post-81065690009378775822012-07-24T20:39:16.444-05:002012-07-24T20:39:16.444-05:00Definitely A or D. I'm big on personal space, ...Definitely A or D. I'm big on personal space, and have had a lot of people in my office who are... intense. Having that barrier there makes me more comfortable.Female Computer Scientisthttps://www.blogger.com/profile/16445505185253882833noreply@blogger.comtag:blogger.com,1999:blog-29059245.post-49138798033190457982012-07-24T17:27:16.727-05:002012-07-24T17:27:16.727-05:00I have a colleague who organizes his office to dis...I have a colleague who organizes his office to discourage visitors. He has one small uncomfortable chair in an awkward place for visitors who stop by outside office hours, but then provides a better set-up for office hours.Anonymousnoreply@blogger.comtag:blogger.com,1999:blog-29059245.post-29621713467699939342012-07-24T17:10:22.080-05:002012-07-24T17:10:22.080-05:00The closest resemblance to my office is A. The pat...The closest resemblance to my office is A. The path to my desk is a spiral. Square office, door at bottom left, walk in and there are visitors' seats right away (so we talk across my desk). I have an L-shaped desk jutting out from the right-hand wall.<br /><br />I used to have my back to the door but I got tired of people dropping in and scaring the bejeesuz out of me. It's a bit tight along the walk up to the office and seems crazy to some that I walk into my desk area instead of having it butt up against the left wall but window glare is wicked there. Also, this arrangement gives me maximum shelf space for my thousands of books.Janicehttps://www.blogger.com/profile/14093558563358431804noreply@blogger.com