Professors - here is why you have a bad reputation in the public at large

[Anonymous]

Anonymous wrote:

Anonymous wrote:I'm not in academia. But I certainly hold profs in high regard. I guess that's because the rotten apples are in the minority, like in any profession where there are a few rotten apples in an otherwise great barrel.

OP, you've lost all perspective.

If you say so. Spend a year asking for large donations for your alma mater and report back what you hear.

OK. But you still shouldn't conclude that "the public at large" feels like you do.

[Anonymous]

I don't give a shit about the grades they give. But when there is a perception that the faculty member is unresponsive and unhelpful to u-grads that is not good. I am the LAST person to expect favors in exchange for donations, but I do think faculty have a responsibility to treat u-grad teaching as worthy of their time. I just think if they hate teaching so much, they should find a research only job somewhere and do everyone a favor. And they should get over the idea that their research is worthy of funding just because they think so. Don't know how many more ways I can say it.

[Anonymous]

Anonymous wrote:

Anonymous wrote:

Anonymous wrote:I'm not in academia. But I certainly hold profs in high regard. I guess that's because the rotten apples are in the minority, like in any profession where there are a few rotten apples in an otherwise great barrel.

OP, you've lost all perspective.

If you say so. Spend a year asking for large donations for your alma mater and report back what you hear.

OK. But you still shouldn't conclude that "the public at large" feels like you do.

Maybe so. But as I said I talk to a lot of people, alumni and otherwise, and I read a lot of media about higher ed, and I know what the perceptions are that I see out there. And a lot of it is not good. And the bad apples aren't helping.

[Anonymous]

Anonymous wrote:I don't give a shit about the grades they give. But when there is a perception that the faculty member is unresponsive and unhelpful to u-grads that is not good. I am the LAST person to expect favors in exchange for donations, but I do think faculty have a responsibility to treat u-grad teaching as worthy of their time. I just think if they hate teaching so much, they should find a research only job somewhere and do everyone a favor. And they should get over the idea that their research is worthy of funding just because they think so. Don't know how many more ways I can say it.

Not sure you can say this in a way that makes sense to us parents. If a kid earns a D, then we shouldn't side with the parents just because money is on the line.

It sounds like your alum donors are the jerks here. Your alum donors apparently prefer to fund the stadium over research. Your alum donors get in a snit if their kid isn't treated with kid gloves. That's your problem. Not that a small minority (which you admitted above) of your profs are burnt out.

[Anonymous]

Anonymous wrote:

Anonymous wrote:I don't give a shit about the grades they give. But when there is a perception that the faculty member is unresponsive and unhelpful to u-grads that is not good. I am the LAST person to expect favors in exchange for donations, but I do think faculty have a responsibility to treat u-grad teaching as worthy of their time. I just think if they hate teaching so much, they should find a research only job somewhere and do everyone a favor. And they should get over the idea that their research is worthy of funding just because they think so. Don't know how many more ways I can say it.

Not sure you can say this in a way that makes sense to us parents. If a kid earns a D, then we shouldn't side with the parents just because money is on the line.

It sounds like your alum donors are the jerks here. Your alum donors apparently prefer to fund the stadium over research. Your alum donors get in a snit if their kid isn't treated with kid gloves. That's your problem. Not that a small minority (which you admitted above) of your profs are burnt out.

I agree that kids should get the grades they earn - never said otherwise.It's not worth continuing to discuss these issues here, though...unless you've worked inside a university, you don't really get it.

[Anonymous]

OP, I"m concerned about you. You are so angry that you are coming here over and over again to rant. Your ranting is borderline incoherent -- I'm not sure anyone is getting the point aside from the fact that you are very, very angry. I don't know what provoked this but even without knowing its pretty clear you're over reacting.

If you're this unhappy and angry, maybe you should get another job. Or therapy. Or a pet.

[Anonymous]

OP, i really hope you are not at a university I care about. You sound seriously off your rocker. Please get yourself together and find a job you can live with.

[Anonymous]

Did someone give your little snowflake less than an "A" on a paper or exam recently?

Sounds like it ...

[Anonymous]

Anonymous wrote:

Anonymous wrote:

Anonymous wrote:I don't give a shit about the grades they give. But when there is a perception that the faculty member is unresponsive and unhelpful to u-grads that is not good. I am the LAST person to expect favors in exchange for donations, but I do think faculty have a responsibility to treat u-grad teaching as worthy of their time. I just think if they hate teaching so much, they should find a research only job somewhere and do everyone a favor. And they should get over the idea that their research is worthy of funding just because they think so. Don't know how many more ways I can say it.

Not sure you can say this in a way that makes sense to us parents. If a kid earns a D, then we shouldn't side with the parents just because money is on the line.

It sounds like your alum donors are the jerks here. Your alum donors apparently prefer to fund the stadium over research. Your alum donors get in a snit if their kid isn't treated with kid gloves. That's your problem. Not that a small minority (which you admitted above) of your profs are burnt out.

I agree that kids should get the grades they earn - never said otherwise.It's not worth continuing to discuss these issues here, though...unless you've worked inside a university, you don't really get it.

I get it. You sound just like the lobbyists at our not-for-profit. You spend your entire day sucking up to jerks (donors in your case, Capitol Hill for our lobbyists) so you come back to the office and hated on your coworkers. Even if, as you admit, the majority of profs are fine people.

It's a coping mechanism. However, it's not a healthy coping mechanism given that you're clearly letting yourself be consumed by this rage which you admit is illogical (again, you say a minority of profs are problematic). Also, I'm sorry to say it, but I agree that your writing is a bit incoherent.

[Anonymous]

I don't have rage. Give me a break. Annoyance is not rage.

[Anonymous]

Anonymous wrote:I don't have rage. Give me a break. Annoyance is not rage.

Reread your posts. And then ask yourself why so many of is who read them see anger. If this isn't rage I'd hate to hear what you sound like when you are angry.

[Anonymous]

Anonymous wrote:

Anonymous wrote:Oh OP, you keep qualifying your statement as if you don't mean all professors and then you go on a rant as if every professor were responsible for the bad ones. This reminds me of the criticisms I see on DCUM of the black community as if every black person had to account for the shooting at the zoo on Easter Monday.

I'd give my left arm to be an underpaid professor again. I don't care if you think I'm selfish and want to make me responsible for the few profs who phone it in. You seem to want to hate us all despite your attempts to qualify your assertions.

But it is true that anyone who is interested in the profession should really think carefully about it. And talk to people newly in the field rather than people who have been out awhile. My advisor couldn't understand why I was applying to so many schools. He was sure I'd get 12 offers. Moron.

My point is that the bad ones fulfill the worst assumptions that the public has of professors because they are SO bitter, and it is blindingly obvious. I am a fundraiser and I have to refute this stuff from alumni every day while I get treated as one of those evil "administrators.". It gets tiring having these people bitch about having no money when they are the most difficult and obnoxious people to work with. The difficult ones and the most difficult departments get no money because they alienate donors. I've had alumni parents bitch about some of these people to me, not that it matters. They are untouchable because of tenure. So what happens? The department loses money when that alumni parent pulls or withholds donations. I work with tons of great profs, but the ones who are bad are truly horrid.

And to the PP who pointed out that they make less than other professions with similar levels of education.....so what? It's not like that isn't a well known fact. If that's not the life you want, get a JD or an MBA instead of a PhD in English.

Like others, I am having trouble figuring out what you are so angry about. It sounds like you are angry because you get less donations when alumni don't like certain professors. So the problem is that it reflects on you? Cause it sounds like when departments alienate donors they get the natural consequences, so whats it to you? And why are you measuring professors by how much alumni give them?

[Anonymous]

Anonymous wrote:

Anonymous wrote:

Anonymous wrote:

Anonymous wrote:

Anonymous wrote:The public looks down on professors?

+1 I am a professor. I did not know that the "public" looked down on me. Most people are very interested in talking to me when they find out that I am a scholar.

Do you live in DC? If so you are in a nerd bubble, doesn't count. I used to work for universities there but have since moved....people are not as impressed everywhere.

Do you read comments on articles about college costs? 90% of the time there are rants all about how faculty "only" teach two classes a year, don't work summers, and are grossly overpaid. Now, I know this not to be true, but again, as I said, I am a university fundraiser and I hear this crap all the time. Alumni want to know why their university is so much more expensive than it was when they were students, and they assume faculty salaries are to blame. I refute this argument constantly, because I know that is not true. And that most faculty work hard. But some are just assholes, and they do not care to hide it. My argument is that the bad apples poison the bunch because their attitude permeates everything they do and people know they have a superiority complex and a disdain for students and teaching when it is student tuition, after all, that pays the lion's share of the cost of their salaries and benefits, as they do mine. I never forget who I really work for.

So you're angry that you have to do your job - which is to refute untruths about the rising cost of higher education? Sounds like it's time for you to change jobs.

No, I just loathe the ungrateful assholes amongst the faculty that I have to work with. Who are ALWAYS unhappy, feel entitled to large donations (as if donors care that they just think their work is worthy and are pissed when they have to justify a request), who only talk about what they're not getting, how their research isn't being supported, how they are angry they have to teach a full course load, blah blah blah...

I work long hours with minimal staff to support over two dozen departments. I travel 1-2 times a month, attend a ton of evening and weekend events. I don't complain because it is the job I signed up for -I simply offer that to show that I too worked hard. And I'm also not getting rich. I put lipstick on the proverbial pig when they offend donors by complaining about teaching in front of them. Lucky for me, the good outnumber the bad and I can choose not to work with the bad ones unless I uncover a donor with interest in their specific area of expertise. I love my job most days, but on days like today I just want to throat punch the pompous energy vampires on the faculty who do nothing but shine like children ad nauseum.

OK, OP, this I can relate to. Your initial post made it sound like you were blaming all professors for the attitudes of the assholes you have described. That just wasn't fair.

[Anonymous]

I still don't get it. It sounds like OP is angry that (1) fewer than 100% of profs have winning attitudes, and (2) fewer than 100% of profs understand the importance of their own research in the scheme of things. (Actually, sometimes donors and even fundraisers fail to understand what's important in a complex issue area, but I digress.)

So the problem is, you work with human beings? And this is ruining your life?

[Anonymous]

Anonymous wrote:I still don't get it. It sounds like OP is angry that (1) fewer than 100% of profs have winning attitudes, and (2) fewer than 100% of profs understand the importance of their own research in the scheme of things. (Actually, sometimes donors and even fundraisers fail to understand what's important in a complex issue area, but I digress.)

So the problem is, you work with human beings? And this is ruining your life?

I love how people I'm DCUM project. I never said it was ruining my life. I was venting. You NEVER vent about the frustrating, irritating and irrational people you work with?