Professional Committment Defined

There is a line in my performance review for the year that states that the tenured faculty have concerns about my “professional commitment.” Since that is obviously not true as shown by my work I felt the need to question the group. Boobie said:

“We just want you to play with us. We know you have a lot of good ideas.”

Possible unsaid subtext would be:

• Tell us your ideas so we can use them since we don’t have any of our own.
• Show your loyalty by agreeing with us on every decision we make.
• Stop talking to the staff.

I found the whole interaction baffling and ironic since two of those present (Bully-boy and Blondie) had shunned me since the previous spring. Hard to play with those who don’t even speak when spoken to. And the others have never been that friendly either….

Web 2.0 for Library?

I have decided that I will look into the Web 2.0 phenomenon for Library. No one else seems to be interested but there are a few useful tools that it can be used to enhance communication amongst the members of Library and maybe between Library and users? We shall see what happens… It may be that that communication is not really wanted?

It also has the added benefit that you don’t have to interface with IT (or Bully-boy) since most Web 2.0 tools have web-based interfaces.

Yelling in Front of Students

I know everyone in Library is frustrated by the computer issues but that is really not a good reason for bad behavior – we are adults here, aren’t we?

Blondie came to relieve me at the reference desk today and when I politely (and yet always with caution) greeted her she launched into a vocal lecture on my critical nature and my inability to behave like the Junior faculty member that I am. I was a bit surprised- both because of her choice to express this in the open reference area in front of students and because of what she was saying.

I hadn’t heard that Junior faculty designation used before. I thought that we were all in this together – “shared governance” and all that. Apparently there is not just a hierarchical division between faculty and staff but also a power structure which puts tenured faculty above Junior faculty. The role of the Junior faculty member is to sit quietly and not make suggestions or question or, God forbid, contradict a tenured faculty member.

That seems to be counter-productive to me. How are we to contribute and distinguish ourselves with new ideas and progressive thought if we can’t do anything but mimic the tenured faculty members thoughts and actions. Is that really what getting tenure is based on? Playing the game and making the tenured faculty feel good about themselves? This is a real perversion of the system but I am sure that Library is not unique in this interpretation. At its best the tenure system would, of course, not be like this but human nature and the ego are powerful forces, especially with the intellectually insecure…

And what is this holding onto anger for MONTHS – get over it!