I haven't always been a cat person. For much of my life I preferred dogs, which are more inclined to show affection, express appreciation, and come when called. In other words, when it came to pets, I was a narcissistic control freak.
Then my family adopted a large tabby named Peanut Butter from some friends who were moving and couldn't take him along. At first my relationship with this proud feline was strained, but I soon found myself admiring his independent spirit and graceful insouciance. Over time Peanut Butter and I developed what I would describe as a good working relationship: I provided him with food, water, and a warm place to sleep, and, in return, he would occasionally climb up on my lap and allow me to scratch his ears.
Perhaps that's why I was so intrigued the first time I heard the term "herding cats" in reference to managing faculty members. That was several years ago, when I was getting ready to start a new job as a department chair. About a week before I was slated to report for duty, I got a call from the departing chair inviting me to lunch. She was leaving on good terms and felt a duty to fill me in on the department and its personalities.
Predictably enough, we ended up talking mostly about the personalities, of which (it turned out) the department had quite a few. It was obvious that, while my host held her colleagues in high esteem, she also found them to be frustratingly independent at times. Toward the end of our conversation, she laughed and said, "Some days this job is like herding cats."
In the years since that lunch date, the "faculty are like cats" analogy has become a cliché. But just like "hard as nails" and "dark as night," it has attained that status precisely because it's so ridiculously self-evident.
How are college faculty members like cats? Let me count the ways.
Like cats, professors tend to be highly intelligent, deeply self-actualized, and fiercely independent. They need to be stroked occasionally, but only on their own terms and in their own good time. Mostly, they just want to be left alone to do their own thing. They might not come when called—perhaps because they're suspicious of the caller's motives—but they may very well show up on their own when least expected.
In fact, the real question isn't whether or not faculty members are like cats. The real question is, "What's wrong with that?" Perhaps, instead of constantly trying to rein in faculty members, we should be cultivating their catlike qualities.
Take independence. It's true that many faculty members, perhaps most of them, seem to view themselves as independent contractors rather than employees in the traditional sense. They sometimes find themselves at odds with administrators who definitely regard them as employees, in every sense.
For college professors, however, independent-mindedness is hardly a negative trait. Indeed, it's largely responsible for the rich diversity of personal viewpoints, teaching approaches, and classroom methodologies that makes getting a college education such a rewarding experience.
Another quality I admire in cats is that they have a certain moral integrity. The truth about dogs is they can be bought. Cats generally can't. You won't see anybody bribing a cat with a kitty treat. Oh, it might take the treat, but it will still do exactly as it pleases.
Similarly, good faculty members are not easily manipulated—much to the frustration of some administrators, who think they can persuade professors to embrace the latest make-work mandate simply by stroking them with vague promises, empty rhetoric, and meaningless awards. Like cats, professors are naturally suspicious, not because they're cynical (although some are) but because they're highly sensitive to ulterior motives.
Clearly, the real problem with the phrase "herding cats" isn't the "cats" part; it's the idea of "herding." Whenever I hear an administrator resort to that metaphor, I just want to ask, "Then why don't you quit trying to herd them?"
Of course, we all know the answer to that question. It's covered thoroughly in Michael C. Munger's essay on good administrators, "The Right Kind of Nothing," which ran online in The Chronicle in January. His column offers some of the best insight into administrative behavior I've ever read. Munger says that administrators can basically be categorized by the degree of control they seek and the amount of responsibility they accept. Sadly, many want a great deal of control but aren't willing to accept much responsibility—and even some who do accept responsibility still crave control. It's those administrators—the control freaks—who are so determined to ride herd on the faculty cats.
Anyone who's been a college administrator at any level knows that, occasionally, you do have to get faculty members all moving in the same direction. You might have to do that for the purpose of putting together an accreditation report, perhaps, or a curriculum review, or simply using the copier less because your budget has been slashed yet again. Good administrators, however, recognize that the way to mobilize faculty members is not by attempting to push them in a direction in which they don't want to go.
Instead, you must first ensure that you're consistently meeting their basic needs and that you're not trying to make their jobs needlessly difficult. Then you appeal to their reason, using logic and facts. That's much harder than handing out treats but will yield better results in the long run. Because if what you want faculty members to do is actually good for the department or the college, and if you can make a good case for it, then the majority will usually go along. (The corollary is that, if you can't get a majority to go along, then what you want probably isn't good for the department or the college.)
In the end, as an administrator, you'll experience only frustration if you persist in thinking of faculty members as stubborn felines who must constantly be prodded. Just feed them regularly, don't abuse them, don't patronize them, and occasionally they might climb up on your lap and purr—metaphorically speaking, of course.
Comments
1. drflo - April 12, 2010 at 04:32 pm
As a professor at a small university and a cat owner, I do not mind being compared to a cat. Concerning the management of the behavior of fiercely independent creatures, my cats will perform actions that I desire when they know they will be given a treat.
When beginning the training, it is usually uncomfortable because I force my cats to perform the actions before I give the treats. But cats are intelligent and they soon conform to the desired behavior when they know the treat will be rewarded. In fact, my cats will often perform to excess to obtain the coveted treats.
This is why my cats claw the scratching post instead of my furniture. My cats have even performed tricks such as fetching toys and jumping on command.
Cat-like creatures can be coaxed into behaviors that do not seem natural to them. But it may take some effort and require the purchase of appropriate treats.
2. bystander - April 13, 2010 at 02:34 am
But cats only follow instructions if you've been particularly kind and respectful to them. They scratch your post not because it's a scratching post but because they like it as much or more than your furniture. They perform tricks not to amuse you but because they see it as YOU performing tricks to entertain them - you can perform a function their fellow felines can't.
It's not just professors who are like cats. As more and more societies have their basic needs met and are becoming more self-actualized, mass schooling and their "herding philosophy" will find themselves irrelevant, obsolete or at the least, in serious trouble because their "standardization" and
"breeding conformity" through compulsory state-education simply does not fly with cat-like people.
3. brileyrebecca - April 13, 2010 at 03:34 am
Bravo! And Meow!
4. tucker99 - April 13, 2010 at 07:29 am
I was once asked to present an after-dinner speech a a local Phi Kappa Phi induction banquet. I was a relatively new professor, having come from 20 years of government work. For reasons that are nicely outlined in Bob Jenkins' article, I titled my speech "A pack of dogs vs. a sack of cats." My thesis was that government workers behave like a pack of dogs--working together under the leadership of the alpha dog while university professors behave more like a sack of cats, with each of us doing our own thing without much cooperative effort. Perhaps that is because there is no such thing as an alpha cat. Thank you Bob for your insights.
5. procrustes - April 13, 2010 at 09:48 am
Really, #4. I share my home with two cats, and the elderly female cat immediately let the aggressive young male cat know who was in charge. And he learned the lesson thoroughly. No alpha cats, indeed!
6. bradwick - April 13, 2010 at 11:13 am
My household consists of 2 nearing-retirement teachers & 13 indoor-only cats. Most of the 13 cats were brought in as medical-fosters or social-emotional-fosters from our local no-kill animal shelter, and never left. The 15 of us lovingly, joyfully & peacefully co-exist in a modest 1400 square foot home. Our home is set-up to provide for the needs of all 15 of us. Those needs include comfy beds, comfy furniture, a well-stocked pantry, a good HVAC system, & lots of windows (so we can watch the outside world, as we sit doing our work at the computers -- or sleeping next to the computers). Our home also encourages companionship of each other, but not every moment of the day. Independence is definitely valued here, so all 15 of us each have some "own time" & "own space." Is there a pecking order? You betcha, and it is much more intricate, interesting, & constantly-evolving than most can ever know. "Cat politics" are akin to "world politics" -- both of which are immensely more interesting & more meaningful than the revolving-door-politics that go on with each & every university administration I have witnessed. Please, take some lessons from the cats!
7. 22250655 - April 13, 2010 at 11:30 am
More ways faculty are like cats:
1)Failure to get the big picture. If I point to something, my cat sniffs my finger (deconstructionist?) while my dog looks to see what I am pointing at.
2) Response to change: When something gets moved in the room, the cat does a double-take and is very careful until such a time as it is apparent that the room has always been that way.
Herding obviously does not work, but sometimes even cats have to cooperate. It is easier to lead a dog than a cat, and there are advantages to each. Sometimes the cat's selfishness is beneficial and not just to the cat; sometimes it is detrimental to both cat and others.
8. exothermic - April 13, 2010 at 11:42 am
This article is at least mildly over-selling the virtues of both faculty members and cats. As far as both being "self-actualized", that's a swing-and-a-miss.
9. mbelvadi - April 13, 2010 at 11:52 am
The original author and several commenters seem to frame the cat analogy as selfishness in relation to the administration. But there's a darker side to cat-like self-esteem, which is selfishness in relation to students. I've been on many committees where there is pretty clear evidence and agreement that a certain widespread change in practice will be better for students, but some faculty will just refuse to go along..
I would also argue (donning flame-retardent suit now) that this whole nonsense about different style manuals, and having one professor force students to learn APA, then in their next class for their next paper they have to use MLA, then the next Chicago, etc., is a prime example of the negative side of the cat-independence of faculty utterly at odds with a productive learning experience for the students. The overwhelming majority of undergrads will never attempt to submit a manuscript for scholarly publication, so why waste so much of their time and energy on this? One set of formal citation rules, yes, I can see a case for that to force them into consistent and accurate citations, but only one is necessary to accomplish that goal. I have heard all the petty little defenses each discipline makes for why THEIR style is better than the others, but never an argument that justifies inflicting this multiplicity on undergrads, as if the big picture doesn't exist.
10. 12116354 - April 13, 2010 at 12:51 pm
I have no problem pointing out the benefits of faculty independence, and I take to heart the argument that if you can't convince the faculty to do something, then forcing them to do it won't work in the long run. But the cost of this model is accepting a certain amount of, well, bad behavior that colleagues are mostly willing to sweep under the rug (not meeting office hours, not performing departmental service, and the like), because confronting it is uncomfortable and not likely to lead to a direct resolution. So independence is good, "cat-like" behavior is fine, but let's acknowledge the costs of this model.
11. schultzjc - April 13, 2010 at 03:49 pm
I have a(now empty) wine bottle on my desk, with flowers in it. While I don't recommend the wine itself, I do recommend a bottle for decorative purposes to anyone interested in this topic. The wine: "Herding Cats". It's from South Africa and is imported to the US by "Underdog Wine Merchants". I have no economic interest in this recommendation. But it does produce a chuckle when other adminstrators visit my office.
12. 22228715 - April 13, 2010 at 05:58 pm
I read somewhere that the difference between dogs and cats is the way they respond to abuse. A dog will loyally stay with an abusive owner, sometimes until beaten to death. A cat will stay just long enough to make a judgment of the situation, but then will try to escape, to strike out on her own to find a new home and a better situation. Does that hold in this analogy?
13. smayersu - April 13, 2010 at 06:31 pm
This is a good analogy but I'd prefer to be compared to a Siberian Husky. They're highly intelligent, energetic, and can labor tirelessly for long periods of time in hostile environments with very little compensation other than the satisfaction of a job well-done. And while they are fiercely independent, they will perform beautifully if they see a point to it. Besides, I've seen a Husky break a cat's neck and eviscerate it with breathtaking efficiency (I'm not sure how that fits with the analogy but I am curious to see where it goes in this thread).
14. ex_ag - April 13, 2010 at 07:50 pm
mbelvadi,
As much as I hate to validate your prophecy that you will be burned, I feel compelled to respond to your comments--particularly since they seem directed specifically at English faculty. I will try, however, to avoid being incendiary.
First off, you relate your story about being on "committees where there is pretty clear evidence and agreement that a certain widespread change in practice will be better for students, but some faculty will just refuse to go along."
In response to this, I would first refer you to Rob Jenkins's observation that--if so many faculty are unwilling to go along, perhaps the idea needs re-consideration. There's probably a reason you're meeting resistance, particularly when all you can present is "pretty clear" evidence.
Second, I'd suggest a bit of a change in perspective. Most of us intractable folk are (proudly) aware of the long history of the university as an institution, and most of us work under the if-it-ain't-broke philosophy. I don't feel that it is unreasonable to expect our students to honor the burdens, obligations, and expectations of a traditional university education if they are hoping to gain the respect that such an education bestows. Likewise, I feel it is the responsibility of those who advocate change to show me a legitimate reason why a present-day cohort of students merits so many deviations from what was expected of their predecessors. Finally (and bluntly), I have no more confidence in proclamations about faddish teaching methodologies than I do in the latest proclamations about the health benefits of coffee. Claims about both change with the direction of the wind.
As for the nit-picking over documentation styles: this is about learning to follow directions. It doesn't matter whether students will ever use MLA or APA style again in their lives. What matters is whether they can follow directions. Just because they are writing for an audience of one (the boss) rather than the tens of people who might read a published article, they still need to meet that audience's expectations.
Being compelled to follow a style guide (any style) teaches students to pay attention to the details. While the name of the rule book may change after they leave college, there will always be one, and our student will benefit from learning to follow it.
15. see_wolf - April 13, 2010 at 10:05 pm
smayersu
Your worthless example of a dog eviscerating a cat has no place on an academic page. Why don't you cal and make an appointment with your psychiatrist since this sort of thing seemingly brings you great pleasure.
16. davi2665 - April 14, 2010 at 07:53 am
Cats also are arrogant, aloof, distainful, feel entitled to whatever they want whenever they want it, and are generally lazy. Still pleased with the analogy?
17. harrison_bergeron - April 14, 2010 at 08:12 am
Great analogy, but shouldn't we acknowledge the poor cats who are now unemployed? The control freaks we elevate to administrative positions are imagining and enforcing standards of "collegiality" that force cats to come on command, teach sterilized courses, and purr with contentment with each administrative decision. Might we also look at the rapid expansion in administrative ranks and ask if any cats made the team. While it would be great to embrace the dynamic created by all these cats, the reality is that our all knowing leaders are eliminating cats from the herd while fellow (former) felines sit quietly, and collegially, on the sidelines.
18. copesan - April 14, 2010 at 09:12 am
The reason that faculty "cats" occasionally need to be "herded" is because sometimes specific things - like rostering courses, booking classrooms, ordering textbooks, determining prizes, getting funds - have to happen, on deadline.
19. sedge713 - April 14, 2010 at 09:29 am
overall, the article is great. Cats have many charms. However, some of us faculty are also capable of annoying behavior that would scarcely be tolerated in a non-academic setting.
20. robjenkins - April 14, 2010 at 10:42 am
davi2665:
How dare you challenge me. This is my column and I should be able to use any anology I want. I would answer you further, but I don't feel like it.
Rob
21. chroniclebarnacle - April 14, 2010 at 11:04 am
smayersu- WHAT????? I don't like cats- but jeeze!
davi2665- HA! Love it- good one.
Rob- get a life! Unless of course you were joking then point well made.....
22. bybenjamin - April 14, 2010 at 04:41 pm
- Fog rolls in on the feet of young professors.
- Whenever a professor gets too serious I bust out a laser pointer and the fun just unfolds.
- You should have at least one litterbox for each professor living in your house.
- Whenever I lay out a shirt on my king size bed, leave the room to apply deodorant, and return for the shirt, a professor is curled up and asleep on it.
- Professors were burned along with witches during the infamous Witch Trials of Europe. One theory as to why the Black Plague became so wide spread is that the rats, who were vectors, had no natural predators (professors) to lower their populations.
- When a professor is embarrassed, it quickly sits and licks its hindquarters.
- In order to keep professors from attacking one another it is often necessary to spray them with copious amounts of cheap cologne or perfume so they don't recognize the other's scent as alien.
- Close the lids to your toilets when a professor is coming to visit in order to avoid embarrassment.
- Professors bury their feces to cover their trails from predators.
- Professors sleep 16 to 18 hours per day.
- Both male and female professors use whiskers to determine if a space is too small to squeeze through. The whiskers act as antennae, helping the professor to judge the precise width of any passage.
23. tallenc - April 14, 2010 at 05:02 pm
@harrison_bergeron: and the feral cats, AKA adjuncts
24. penpal - April 15, 2010 at 07:01 am
3 thoughts-apathy is a wonderful thing...if you have an idea, and you want to run your class (activity) in your own way, no one will oppose it...provided you, as a good cat, leave the other cats alone. My cat (unfixed male at the time) came home with tattered ears and sruffed up hair. We got him fixed. Now, like the cat described below he sleeps 16-18 hours per day.
So, as his boss, fixing him made him controllable and protected. But, he really doesn't do anythng. He is fixed.
On styles guides etc. Yep, it is absurd to believe that all students must focus on scholarly writing-most will never use that skill...but, it is useful to teach students for follow the directions, and to find reliable sources when they are in decsision making careers. So, insistence on credible sources is about critical (accurate) thinking.
Interesting that we who resist control by outside authority insist on having absolute control over the kittens in the herd.
So, is my house a scratch pad?
25. johntoradze - April 15, 2010 at 12:36 pm
Cats are predators. That means they know the rules only apply when someone is looking. Cats definitely have a heirarchy, and alpha kitty will attempt to bite through the spine of other cats to get rid of them if they don't run off.
Sounds like certain professors I have known, yes ...
26. abichel - April 15, 2010 at 06:53 pm
It is insulting to cats to compare them with faculty. Pampered pooches on the other hand - now that is a horse of a different color.
27. mbelvadi - April 18, 2010 at 07:08 am
ex_ag: are you sure you want to defend faculty who bemoan the loss of the physical card catalogue, and who insist on giving incoming freshmen a library assignment that requires them to find books on a subject without using the online catalogue? I can see an argument for forcing upper division students to think more creatively about research methods, but you don't teach newly minted freshmen unusual alternatives before they've even learned the "normal" method. I don't think any faculty would present their own disciplines their way, but think nothing of doing this to the students when it comes to the most important generalized academic skills, library skills.
28. 11209892 - April 22, 2010 at 06:52 pm
Well said.
Frankly I am working for a for profit college that expresses a lot of faith in me, and listens when I need to express. In return for that faith and kindness, I work very hard to contribute my talents to the improvement of the college and it's students. Shame not all administrators understand that.
29. 22277253 - April 24, 2010 at 06:24 am
"Self-actualized? I think not. Self absorbed, self confident, self promoting come to mind. Thinking back over all the academic and faculty types I have known and worked with as a student and administrator, "self-actualized" is not a accurate group descriptor.
It is true that many are so busy engaging in various intellectual manipulations themselves that they'd be overly sensitive to any similar behavior by others. Mr. Jenkins may have changed pet preferences but he's still fully capable of coming across as a "narcissistic control freak, " to repeat his own assessment.
30. robi9891 - April 24, 2010 at 02:54 pm
I resent that, 22277253. The fact that I'm not a narcissist is one of my very favorite things about myself.
Rob
31. jbabbott - April 29, 2010 at 07:21 pm
I enjoyed this piece and the comments from everyone.
One interesting aspect is that there's the litter box and all its implications, metaphorical and otherwise. (smiles)
32. fjamesh - April 29, 2010 at 11:07 pm
This is great, both article and string! I love cats, and I love faculty (mostly). So this is right up my (cat) alley! davi2665-you just don't understand cats. So sorry for you. And Rob Jenkins, you have just the right cat-titude! Thanks for giving me some great laughs today:)
33. professorswank - May 11, 2010 at 01:23 pm
I found this article difficult to accept. Having been a faculty member and being an administrator the idea of comparing cats to peers is offensive. I believe this kind of generalization is at the core of why there are separations between faculty and administration. It is a shame that Chronicle for Higher Ed allowed this kind of garbage to be published. Maybe more suited for opinion page, but definitely adds nothing useful to the conversation. Shame on you CHE.