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[Anony]

anon again wrote:

> I didn't make it clear that one of the aspects of the previous
> poster's story that I don't like is the embarrassment imposed
> on instructors without PhDs in front of their students.  I just
> don't think it's fruitful to bring students into these
> distinctions.  The institution should be invested in making
> students believe that all of their instructors are qualified.
> And I don't feel great that a person who has been teaching for
> 20 years would be distinguished from me, a new PhD, in front of
> students by not giving him/her access to the same title I have.

I hope I made clear too, that I wasn't endorsing the whole status rationale just describing it.

I got used to being called 'Dr." pretty fast, and one thing to remember in this thread is that WHATEVER you ask them to call you, they'll probably call you whatever the common usage is (you'll get tired real quick of reminding students not to call you "Dr.").  

Finally, I try to beat the status game by ALWAYS referring to my colleagues by their first names--just "as if"  they were my equals!--in front of students or anyone else.  Jack, Jill, and Kim, are my colleagues not Dr. _ or Prof. _.

[Thundering Marshmallow]

Oh Captain my captain.

[anon]

I prefer Sensei.

[east]

Lastname-san.  or, even better, Lastname-sensei.

[Skeptic]

College students are adults.  (Many of my students are older than I am.)  If you're going to insist on being called "Dr." So-and-so,  then by all means you should reciprocate by referring to your students as "Mr." or "Ms." So-and-so.

If you're not willing to do that, do what I do:  Go by your first name, as you would among any other group of adults.

[%sig%]

[Larry Pesto]

I think it takes a lot of guts to try and eeke out some respect by forcing people in a position of having to comply with using a title usually reserved for medical doctors or professionals in a formal setting.  I hope you don't run your class like I think you do.

[post-doc emeritus]

If the institutional practice is to use "Dr.," then it's not forcing the students to "comply" with anything if you ask them to use it.  In fact, if that is their practice, forcing them to use your first name or another title could be seen by many as disrepectful.

Get a feel for what the general practice is at your new school.  Similar to what Seeker said way above, introduce yourself to the students as "First_Name Last_Name" and let them respond with the proper title.  You might feel a bit more comfortable letting students in upper-level classes use your first name, as you'll be seeing much more of them and, in some cases, be working closer with them.

[%sig%]

[Dr. Killjoy]

I have never seen an institution (and I've taught at several) that has a policy concerning what students call instructors post doc.  I think you are making up a precendent.

[ivygrad]

What about this: at my ivy program (and one of the "big three" at that, combining in a way qualities of both R1 and SLAC), all "internal" university publications (offic hour schedules, registrar documents, course listings, etc.) used "Mr." or "Ms." for ALL university employees (tenured faculty down to support staff).  Students, of course, differentiated (often according to some unwritten convention) widely.

As above, I also agree that if you insist on "Dr." you must reciprocate with "Mr." or "Ms."  Also, depends on the part of the country.  In the South, there is a much higher degree of social courtesy and formality (which can be very healthy).  Also (also also?) I think we should keep the thread of "what does the institution do" in mind.  Formality in a classroom need not imply fascism.  If there is a culture of social formality, to NOT comply would be more "fascist like" and (by it's deliberate deviance) contrived.

[Larry Pesto]

I wouldn't call any of you guys doctors, that is unless you agreed to call me Hoss.

[Norman]

Larry writes, "I think it takes a lot of guts to try and eeke out some respect by forcing people in a position of having to comply with using a title usually reserved for medical doctors or professionals in a formal setting."

Gosh, am I wrong to think of myself as a professional in a formal setting?

("INTO a position"?)

Larry continues, "I hope you don't run your class like I think you do."

Oh, how, Larry? How do I run my class that's so damned awful and how is "Dr." your clue that I am an awful, dreadful teacher?

[Norman]

He or she writes, "I have never seen an institution (and I've taught at several) that has a policy concerning what students call instructors post doc. I think you are making up a precendent."

And I've taught at places where we are required to put our title on the syllabus. Sure, it's because I've taught at crappy little hellholes that are full of self-doubt, but it isn't a precendent.

(And neither is Dick Cheney. he's a vice-precendent.)

[LarryC]

I make students call me "Doctor."  I also make them refer to my office as "Dr. C's Office" and my car as "Dr. C's car" and my dog as "Dr. C's dog."

[Thundering Marshmallow]

Larry Pesto wrote:

> I wouldn't call any of you guys doctors, that is unless you
> agreed to call me Hoss.


a Hoss's what?


(you make this too easy, Larry)

[chiming in]

If you are young and female, I recommend "Dr." Or "Prof." It'll be hard to get used to, but after one or two semesters, you'll be so glad you stuck to it. I used to suggest that students call me by my first name. I also tend to be laid-back in my lecture style, joke around with students, and have actually been described by peer evaluators as "maternal" in the classroom. I definitely had some authority problems my first few semesters teaching....small discipline problems (students passing notes, students at the back of the room talking through class) and general attitude.

One semester, the only thing I changed about my teaching was that I introduced myself as Dr. Chiming In on the first day of class, and suggested that they call me that. I found that not only did my students act differently--no more trouble!--but *I* acted differently. One somewhat sad thing is that I lost a little bit of that easy rapport with students. But it has been worth it to feel more in control of my classroom.

[%sig%]