Ann,
I do not have an answer. The novels about petty
academic warfare and backstabbing among
"colleagues" do not begin to cover the waterfront.
About two decades ago one of my colleagues ran
off with the other's wife (who then proceeded to marry
a student). Before they all left, they were on the verge
of carrying guns in the halls. And I had been a good
friend of all parties before the shenanigans. What fun...
Barkley Rosser
-----Original Message-----
From: ann li <[EMAIL PROTECTED]>
To: [EMAIL PROTECTED] <[EMAIL PROTECTED]>
Date: Tuesday, March 06, 2001 1:22 AM
Subject: [PEN-L:8715] Re: Re: farewell to academe
>Barkley, I agree with you, but also would ask what the
>functional/dysfunctional limits of collegiality are in that case where the
>chair truly serves the electors. It's rare but certainly happens as Michael
>suggests. As a former department chair, I tried to do that, but it really
>gets dicey what with all the personalities. I don't really think the
>_Yeshiva_ decision changed matters for whether one is management or labor
>given the lumpen issue.
>
>In my experience at one institution, a personal dispute between spouses
>created a multi-decade feud and limited the effectiveness of a rotating
>chair process and ultimately marginalized the department within the
>institution. I was fortunately only an observer as a one year leave
>replacement faculty member and in fact think that I beat out the
competitors
>for the position because my national conference interview took place when
>two sets of faculty search teams changed shifts in the hotel suite and were
>thus all able to meet me at once, and therefore come to an easier consensus
>on my candidacy when it got down to the final three candidates. At another
>job, the only tenure appointment in a decade was given to someone who had
>been the former graduate student of a senior faculty member primarily on
the
>condition that this person serve as department chair. Without even the
usual
>gossip rags of academe (the comical of higher ed, et al), there are plenty
>of stories in the naked discipline (probably not 8 million, though).
>
>
>Ann
>
>
>----- Original Message -----
>From: "J. Barkley Rosser, Jr." <[EMAIL PROTECTED]>
>To: <[EMAIL PROTECTED]>
>Sent: Monday, March 05, 2001 8:22 PM
>Subject: [PEN-L:8695] Re: Re: Re: Re: Re: Re: farewell to academe
>
>
>> michael,
>> The position of Department Chairs/Heads/Directors
>> is really equivocal and difficult. Also, it varies greatly
>> from place to place. In many Chairs are elected from the
>> faculty and do serve them, as you say, are their leaders/
>> protectors with respect to the higher administration. In
>> others they are selected by the higherups and are their
>> handmaidens/flunkies against the faculty. Ones labeled
>> as "Heads" are more likely to be of this mold.
>> There is even a variation as to whether or not they
>> are labor or management. I also agree that there are
>> many who fit that former mold, servants of their colleagues
>> rather than their hired bosses.
>> Barkley Rosser
>> -----Original Message-----
>> From: Michael Perelman <[EMAIL PROTECTED]>
>> To: [EMAIL PROTECTED] <[EMAIL PROTECTED]>
>> Date: Monday, March 05, 2001 6:50 PM
>> Subject: [PEN-L:8682] Re: Re: Re: Re: Re: farewell to academe
>>
>>
>> >Is a department chair an administrator? If so, I have known some
>excellent
>> >ones. Our own chair goes out of his way to make life better for staff,
>> faculty
>> >and students. The key is that he sees his job as a service for others
>> rather
>> >than as a "leader."
>> >
>> >ann li wrote:
>> >
>> >> I really agree with you Carrol, having met a few of the people you
cite
>> who
>> >> actually became college administrators after their service to the
State
>> (my
>> >> favorite quotes for not returning to academe after government service
>> come
>> >> from George Schultz and Henry Kissinger). Better me than them, I say
>> (since
>> >> I don't have a lot of confidence in the governance abilities of
tenured
>> >> professors but I still believe in collective organization), and I do
>find
>> >> ( with all due respect to those on the list who are members of faculty
>> >> unions ( I am also at this moment a member of such a union)) and
>without
>> >> scapegoating them, that the coziness of senior professors and
>> administrators
>> >> really is the problem and that there's not a lot of administrative
>> >> corruption that hasn't been agreed to by the "permanent faculty"
they
>> both
>> >> can still afford the daschas and the international conference junkets
>> etc )
>> >> since they share their spoils of capital accumulation (a la David
>Noble),
>> >> but then again I've read too much David Lodge perhaps over my 24 years
>of
>> >> higher ed academic employment. Lumpen is as lumpen does, and yes
>> (although I
>> >> have funny stories from my last job that show quite the contrary
>> especially
>> >> in the area of false consciousness, but that's best left off this
list)
>> they
>> >> all are anti-working class, so we don't disagree, but like Jim
implies,
>> we
>> >> have to pay our bills so whether administration is more corrupting
than
>> >> money is like comparing the ethics of lawyers, journalists and used
car
>> >> salespersons.
>> >>
>> >> Ann
>> >>
>> >> ----- Original Message -----
>> >> From: "Carrol Cox" <[EMAIL PROTECTED]>
>> >> To: <[EMAIL PROTECTED]>
>> >> Sent: Monday, March 05, 2001 1:48 PM
>> >> Subject: [PEN-L:8663] Re: Re: Re: farewell to academe
>> >>
>> >> >
>> >> >
>> >> > ann li wrote:
>> >> > >
>> >> > > I, too have mixed emotions about our status as "cultural workers"
>in
>> >> > > academe, since I was a dean last year and now am teaching
>part-time,
>> >> > > partially in the reserve army of distance learning educators,
>waiting
>> >> for
>> >> > > yet another opportunity in administration, hoping to make a
>> difference,
>> >>
>> >> > >
>> >> >
>> >> > I don't know -- university administration (regardless of intentions)
>is
>> >> > close if not over the borderline of that lumpen-bourgeosie
consisting
>> of
>> >> > cops, prison guards, CIA, career military officers, upper corporate
>> >> > management in which the position, not how it is carried out, is
>> >> > anti-working class. I've been connected with universities for 54
>years
>> >> > now and have never met an administrator who I would care to take my
>> >> > coffee breaks with. There may be exceptions, but adminstration is
>more
>> >> > corrupting than money.
>> >> >
>> >> > Carrol
>> >> >
>> >> >
>> >> >
>> >
>> >--
>> >
>> >Michael Perelman
>> >Economics Department
>> >California State University
>> >[EMAIL PROTECTED]
>> >Chico, CA 95929
>> >530-898-5321
>> >fax 530-898-5901
>> >
>> >
>>
>>
>
>
