We had the personnel meeting meeting on Friday, a rare occasion one can actually meet other people in the school. Most of time, people teach and leave; the place is pretty much in comma.
To my surprise, publication is not the dominant determinant ofthe merit cases. Teaching and service matter, too. In fact, CZ was voted down simply because of his dismal teaching, despite his publication record.
But this is unfair. Publication consumes at least ten times as much energy. Yet when publication, teaching, and service are considered together, they somehow acquire equal weight.
And it is just too easy to cast a doubt on any issue. Take CZ, for example. Although his student comments are terrible, his teaching rating is actually comparable to AO’s. But RZ’s remark totally destroyed his case. RZ told us, openly, CZ said he does not want to teach. This attitude problem caught others’ attention, because it resonates with students comments—condescending, arrogant, these have little to do with the difficulty of the subject. In this case, no one can defend him on the subject ground. Indeed, M.E.’s wife was axed mainly because of these kind of comments. Already, M.E. had highlighted all such comments to take CZ down.
PC asked about SH’s service performance. JH implied that she was strategic in committee meetings: she always sided with the side that has strongest voice. J.h. then added that juniors should not sit on such committees. Once in, they are compelled to endorse the opinions of the boss.
This is nonsense, I disagreed, “they should say no.” I did. Why cannot they? If they don’t want to anger the boss, then they shouldn’t complain about the ensuing coercions. It is their appeasement that perpetuates the bully, cultivating the sick ass-kissing culture in the school. In fact, if you stand up to them once, they won’t bother you in the future. But if you give in once, they will push you around again and again. And that is what exactly happened in the school.
So if you don’t have the balls to say no, then don’t complain—you did have the choice to say no, and you didn’t. Now take the consequence.
[ST AUGUSTINE, FL, MARCH, 2015]
A MAN OF ACTION 
Reading your Academic Politics pieces always makes me relieved I didn’t go down that road. I used to blame my laziness, but now I know I don’t belong there. In fact, I don’t know how you keep up with it all without going crazy. It seems to me you’re the only sane person there!
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Good for you. The cliche is so true:” Academic Politics Are So Vicious Because the Stakes Are So Small.”
In fact, my most gifted college classmates are not in academic.
But I also doubt the corporate world is any cleaner. At the end of the day, we may have to reconcile the ideal with reality. For me, the ultimate criterion is whether it makes me happy. If not, f**k it!
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Yes! Exactly that! I have long lost the desire to have a job that suits my academic background; I just want one that’ll make me happy.
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Then you should seriously consider publish your work :)
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I would, it’s just that I haven’t really written anything, yet :p
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