Showing posts with label allocation of offices. Show all posts
Showing posts with label allocation of offices. Show all posts

Wednesday, July 20, 2011

Stupid me agreed to a minor admin position

Earlier this summer, I agreed to take on an administrative post.  I will be the director of the XYZ Center.  Hopefully it won't be too time-consuming. I get a graduate assistant and a course release (one course less per year). 

I just saw the XYZ Center office.  It is in a new building that I didn't even know existed.  The building is nice and shiny new and has a very nice and expensive espresso machine (free espresso).  Beautiful, absolutely beautiful, views on the upper floors.  Our office is in the basement--no view at all.   

It is a research building.  Not only did I not know that this building existed.  But I also did not realize how many faculty now had second offices there--with beautiful views! 

Who really needs two offices?  And who decides who gets these offices?  It is very arbitrary, really.  If you were asked to join a research group sometime before last year, you got a prime second office last year.  There are only very few such research groups, and their themes are very specific.  My research doesn't fit.  Same with many faculty more prolific/successful than me. 

The situation reeks.  I wish I still didn't know about this building.