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[Advisor]

Those of us who serve on search committees or participate in faculty searches need to read today's "Moving Up" column and take it to heart.

We (search committees in general) sometimes get hundreds of applications per position, so We tend to think that We can run the search however We want.  But my experience and the issues detailed in the 'Moving Up" column clearly show that by operating this way we weed out not only the bad candidates, but force the good ones to turn us down or withdraw.  I've seen too many good candidates lost because of problems similar to those described by the author.

I've been trying to wake my colleagues up to this, but have had little luck.  Hopefully others will be able to prevail.

[fed up]

Poorly conducted searches are but one of the myriad of inefficiencies that make higher education in this country a disgrace.

1. CYA Exercise. The system rewards those who are good at doing the least amount of work possible, while simultaneously making it seem like it is the 'others' are the ones that are doing a poor job. You really can't trust anyone, thereby perpetuating a culture of self.

2. Non-existent Leadership. There is so much infighting that I am rather amazed that anything gets accomplished, least of all education, on any level. How can people train the next generation of leaders when they, themselves, possess very little leadership skill?

3. Egos Don't Match Skills. The academy is full of incompetents that not only think they are experts in their own field, they are also experts in yours. Apparently, a Ph.D. is awarded in exchange for common courtesy.

4. Bureacracy. The institution would rather promote and retain suck-ups than innovative thinkers and it doesn't promote independent thinking and problem solving in students.

5. Forgotten Purpose. The academy redoubles it's efforts when it has forgotten it's orginal aim.

6. Lost Cause. None of this is news, except to the young people who teach because of idealism. Run away newbies! Academe is not what you thought it was gong to be! Nobody here cares about making the world a better place; they only care about their 403B and maintining the illusion that they are important.

[skocko14]

nice