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[call_me_al]

How would you feel if a colleague *from another department* attended your lecture? Would you feel that this colleague should introduce herself to you, i.e. signal that she is not a mature student, in fact, no student at all? Would you feel that she can sit there, if she must, but she should definitely not contribute to the discussions?
Ok, I'm the colleague/student in this case; and I feel a little unsure of myself. I'm there purely out of interest in the material, which overlaps with my own field. Although it's officially a 'lecture', there are some 30-odd people in a hall that seats 120; and a couple of times when the professor asked a question, I contributed - giving in to the temptation to practise a little social mimicry. This broke the ice and encouraged some of the youngsters to speak, too.
Still, I feel silly, and I can't help feeling that I might be embarrassing both the professor and myself. I *could* simply walk up and explain my presence; in fact, we graduated from the same university, and he has published with an acquaintance of mine. But that seems stilted, too.
Should one simply stay out of colleagues' classes?

[lorelei]

So, even after the lecture and participating in the discussion, you didn't introduce yourself to the lecturer? I might find that a bit odd.
But to have faculty members from other departments attending my lectures - I'd be flattered actually.

[call_me_al]

Right, sorry - just saw that there is a new thread on Parents in Class, and I suppose they are not so different from colleagues...

[call_me_al]

It IS an open lecture; and there is definitely an academic tradition here that anyone may come. In fact, the system is crazy: more than 400 students have registered for it online and will get credit for it, and about 30 actually come and listen. (How depressing is that?!) Since it is an old-fashioned amphitheatre/lecture hall, those 30 can't properly see each other, so there is no question of my presence disrupting any sort of class dynamics.
But I should introduce myself; I feel that quite strongly after reading the "Parents in Class" thread.

[larryc]

I would welcome you, but would find it damn odd that you were sitting there without having introduced yourself.

[pink_]

I would welcome you, but would find it damn odd that you were sitting there without having introduced yourself.

Chime

[call_me_al]

The thing is, if the elderly gentleman sitting in my own lecture this semester had introduced himself to me as a fellow lecturer, that would have put pressure on me. I should be above that sort of thing, but I know it would make me feel a little awkward. Performing in front of the competition. 
I think by going incognito I simply wanted to spare my colleague the (potential) awkwardness of feeling that he is being watched or assessed or whatever. 
But no, I didn't handle that well.
I knew there was a reason I wanted to hear your opinions...

[lorelei]

call_me_al: don't panic. I understand your sense of pressure if someone introduced themselves at the start (and I'm not interested in chitchat while I'm setting up for a lecture). But I wouldn't mind if you waited til the end of the lecture and said "Thanks, I really found that interesting. I'm Call Me Al from the department of whatever". (unless you tell me that you thought it sucked in which case I perhaps don't want to talk to you then either! ;)

Seriously - if you enjoyed it, and if you plan to go again, write to the colleague, something like:

Dear Prof Colleague
I sat in on your 102 lecture the other day, sorry I didn't get a chance to stay and introduce myself as I had to get to my next class. I really enjoyed your approach to the subject, perhaps we could get a coffee sometime as I have some research interest that overlap.
Best
CallMeAl

[roguerouge]

I concur. A collegial note is what makes the low pay and degredation worth it.

[kedves]

If someone unknown to me who looked like a professor or a dean sat in on one of my lectures, I would think I was in trouble and was being watched for some reason I didn't know. 

I agree that a note afterward would be polite if you didn't introduce yourself at the time.

[call_me_al]

You're right -- a quick note, a low profile. It's no big thing, really, if I think about it, but it did have me muddled somehow.
Thanks!

[peppergal]

At my uni, right after the teaching awards are announced, there is apparently a trickle of faculty visiting the lectures of the award winners.  I've done it myself, mostly because I want to learn from these people.

[embitteredhistorian]

If someone unknown to me who looked like a professor or a dean sat in on one of my lectures, I would think I was in trouble and was being watched for some reason I didn't know. 

I agree that a note afterward would be polite if you didn't introduce yourself at the time.

I'd be nervous as hell--if your colleague is untenured, I'd definitely come up first, introduce myself, and say, "I just want to sit in, if that's okay?"

Many years ago I was teaching at a cc when inspectors were coming to do spot checks (something about being accredited--I was adjunct so never knew the details). Around that time, someone came to my class and stood politely at the back for about twenty minutes, until finally in a break in my lecture he said, "excuse me?" I said, "oh, aren't you one of the inspectors?" His response: "no, I'm here to introduce the students to the writing center." Ooohhh how stupid I felt...

[barred_owl]

I don't have a problem with other faculty sitting in on a lecture or two, especially if they are (were) from other departments.  I was somewhat well-known for rather boisterous lectures, on occasion, and just the sounds emanating from the lecture hall were bound to draw the attention of passers-by.  So, from time to time, I'd have other professors peek in to see what was going on--not a problem, and I always invited them to stay, if they had the time.  On those occasions in which a departmental colleague wished to observe (outside the context of formal evaluation), that was fine, too, and somewhat flattering.  During formal evaluations--well, there was no avoiding the situation, so I just gave it my all and hoped for the best.