While I found the list amusing, I also found it to be full of stereotypes of the type that if directed towards a race, sex or religion no one on this list would tolerate. I don't believe that perpetuating these thoughts does anything to improve the nature of the academic culture.
Further, while I'm certain that Louis' 14th item certainly doesn't apply to anyone on this list, I'm also becoming increasingly convinced that it doesn't apply to the majority of faculty overall. I'd love to see some research on this because I honestly believe that most faculty do what they do specifically for the students. I greatly appreciate Louis' random thoughts and remarks but I'm starting to tire of the implication that only a select few have a monopoly on valuing students! Doug Doug Peterson, Ph.D. Acting Director of the Honors Program Associate Professor of Psychology 414 E. Clark The University of South Dakota Vermillion SD 57069 e-mail: [EMAIL PROTECTED] Honors Program: (605) 677-5223 Dept. of Psychology: (605) 677-5295 -----Original Message----- From: Louis_Schmier [mailto:[EMAIL PROTECTED] Sent: Monday, July 26, 2004 9:40 AM To: Teaching in the Psychological Sciences Subject: Dirty Lessons A friend of mine sent me this list of lessons from Howard Altman's "A Baker's Dozen: Dirty Lessons I Have Learned in an Academic Career." Change. July/August 2004: 50-53. In case you haven't read it: Lesson Number One: The Academy can be a Very Lonely Place Lesson Number Two: University administrators preach the virtues of teamwork and collaboration, but evaluate faculty primarily in the basis of individual accomplishments. Lesson Number Three: Colleagueship exists in the halls and, for the most part, in faculty meetings; it rarely exists in the classroom, library carrel, or laboratory. Lesson Number Four: Most faculty eagerly make invidious distinctions between themselves and their colleagues. Lesson Number Five: The gulf between junior faculty and senior faculty is often much too wide, to the detriment of both. Lesson Number Six: University Administrators have little confidence in the ability of departments to evaluate the achievements of their members. Lesson Number Seven: Graduate schools have traditionally done a poor job in preparing prospective faculty for the actual duties they will face in an academic position. Lesson Number Eight: Administrators are, for all practical purposes, invisible to faculty-especially at larger institutions. Lesson Number Nine: Most faculty are convinced the university administration doesn't care about what they think. Lesson Number Ten: The loyalty of faculty members is bound much more closely to their disciplines than to the institution that pays their salary Lesson Number Eleven: Faculty evaluation is ubiquitous and constant in academe, yet most faculty learn little that is helpful from these evaluations. Lesson Number Twelve: Faculty development funding seems to be among the first items to be cut during times of fiscal belt-tightening. Lesson Number Thirteen: Only we faculty members can change the system. I would add: Lesson Number Fourteen: The loyalty of faculty is bound more to their research and publication than to students. Make it a good day. --Louis-- Louis Schmier www.therandomthoughts.com Department of History www.halcyon.com/arborhts/louis.html Valdosta State University Valdosta, Georgia 31698 /~\ /\ /\ (229-333-5947) /^\ / \ / /~ \ /~\__/\ / \__/ \/ / /\ /~ \ /\/\-/ /^\___\______\_______/__/_______/^\ -_~ / "If you want to climb mountains, \ /^\ _ _ / don't practice on mole hills" -\____ --- You are currently subscribed to tips as: [EMAIL PROTECTED] To unsubscribe send a blank email to [EMAIL PROTECTED] --- You are currently subscribed to tips as: [EMAIL PROTECTED] To unsubscribe send a blank email to [EMAIL PROTECTED]
