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[hegemony]

Last week someone in my university sent out a widespread request for people to take part in a new initiative for grad students.  To begin, we're asked to go on a panel and chat about our field and the direction it's taking, and then listen to two sessions of grad students giving papers on their fields.

I ignored the e-mail, and then I got a second e-mail targeted to me specifically.  I replied and said that I was sorry that I could not take this on.  Now I have a third e-mail which is even more insistent that I take this on, that we all know the value of good grad student training, that we all need to be good citizens of our profession, etc.

At my university the typical service load for a tenured professor (which I am) is one departmental committee and one university committee.  I'm on one departmental committee and two university committees, one of which has been eating up my time like there's no tomorrow.  I also have grad students, whom I see and work with every week.  I am also official mentor to a campus organization, which requires weekly meetings and a day-long event every few months.  I also am in charge of one of the off-campus special programs, so I have to publicize it, answer questions, interview students, and then accompany them to this series of special events.  I do get extra pay for this last, but you can bet it's not very much. I teach a regular load.  I'm also trying to use my free time to get a book into a publisher that's waiting for it before the deadline, which means I could use it to go up for promotion this year (if it does not get into the publisher on time, apart from irking the publisher, I'll have to wait another year for promotion).  I ran another big program on campus but stepped down after six years because the commitment was simply too much to allow me to do my own work, much less have a life.  So after running myself ragged for many years, I've finally fought things down to where things are manageable -- but only because I say No to the incessant requests for things like this.

I manage my time carefully, and I have five hard-won hours available for writing every week.  And this event would demand six hours.  Okay, you say, but it's only one week.  But there's a request like this from someone every week.

Okay.  You get the picture.

So basically I resent the way many people set up big initiatives which will rely on faculty volunteering -- as if there are too many idle faculty sitting around wondering how they can possibly fill their time.  And they set these events and initiatives up first, without securing faculty agreement, and then try to guilt us into participating.  They're always short of volunteers, and it's not because we're a university of shirkers.  Our plates are already full, we were not consulted ahead of time, and we simply cannot take on new committments all the time, however worthy the cause.   

I would like to reply to this person along these lines, only in a very diplomatic and sympathetic and gentle way.  Especially because the e-mail has all this guff implying that I don't want to be a good citizen and do this simple and harmless thing, etc. etc.

As I say, I have tenure, and the person trying to strongarm me into doing this is a tenured prof in another department.

Should I mention how my objection fits into the larger picture like this, or should I just repeat "I'm sorry that I'm unable to take this on" and otherwise STFU?

[sugaree]

As satisfying as it might be to write out a litany of how busy you are, I think it's best to just repeat that you are unable to commit to this activity at this time (but you think it's a great idea and contact me again in the future, etc).

Anything else and you'll get into a "you're not as busy as me and I'm doing it" pissing match and that is no fun for anyone.

[miss_jane_marple]

Yes to sugaree. Simply repeat the message that you aren't available; if you change it in any way, add more to the extent of your sorrow: from sorry to so sorry to terribly sorry and then regret to deeply regret. Also, with each new iteration, enhance your good wishes for the success -- best wishes, most sincere best wishes, heart-felt best wishes and so on -- of their most excellent project.

[hegemony]

To be clearer, I wouldn't write out a litany of my activities -- that was just for background so you all wouldn't think I was a slacker and try to convince me to do the thing.  What I would write would be something along the lines of, "I'm concerned that so many of these initiatives rely on faculty making room for extra commitments above and beyond their already heavy workloads."  I guess I should just STFU, though.

[itried]

hegemony, I agree with sugaree. A firm but professional reply that now is not a good time will suffice, and will keep you out of a pissing match. A commentary will only breed resentment, and unfortunately won't change anything.

[miss_jane_marple]

What I would write would be something along the lines of, "I'm concerned that so many of these initiatives rely on faculty making room for extra commitments above and beyond their already heavy workloads."

IMNSHO, that easily (especially in email) translates into "so you should know better than to ask people to do this" and leads to a defensive reply. Probably not the road you want to go down.

[maybeitsmebut]

I totally understand where you are coming from in your post. I, for one, am tired of all these people coming up with grand initiatives then pushing the work off on other people. What really angers me is that the events that my department currently does annually are not well attended and poorly done. I'm thinking, and maybe it's just me, but maybe some of that energy used in creating new things should be used to fix the old things. I get where you're coming from, truly I do. I'm bushed also.

However, STFU. Just reply that you cannot do it. An explanation is not necessary. But, then again, you are tenured. You could rightfully do so and nothing will happen. Hmmm...

[hegemony]

I bow to the widsom of the Fora.  I sent back another reply that I couldn't do it. 

The whole trend of asking us to commit to umpteen of these things really irks me, though.  I was at a big faculty meeting once when a woman stood up and griped, "I keep setting up initiatives for faculty that wouldn't take more than four hours per week, and I have it all set up so that all they have to do is follow my instructions, and faculty here are just too selfish to commit to these things I'm doing for them."  My doctor would not have liked my blood pressure at that moment.

Now I'll STFU.

[aprilmay]

There is no real advantage of telling them your views, although I absolutely agree with you. Do not engage them. Just delete, or write back that as you had previously stated, you regret that you are unable to attend this important event.

[melba_frilkins]

I would love to get into the pissing match, because eventually it will look like this:

Requester: This is your obligation, all the other faculty have said they would help. Why won't you?
You: Oh, you have plenty of other faculty signed up?

Then either:
A)
Requester: Yes, here's the list of 82 faculty who are volunteering.
You: That's great, you have it covered and don't really need me. That's awesome that you're all set with a full panel.

OR

B)
Requester: No, no one is signing up. We only have two volunteers, so we're going to have to cancel the whole thing.
You: Then why are you picking on me in particular? Leave me alone, you old windbag.

[tenured_feminist]

The more you explain, the less they will listen.

If you hear from this individual again, I suggest sending out a very short, straightforward "no" and ccing your department chair. This borders on harassment.

(Earlier today, had a chat with a very irritated and harried associate prof who just resigned from the University Committee from Hell University Strategic Plan Implementation Plan Committee. WTF is wrong with people that they go out of their ways to p!ss off and burn out the best and most committed people in the university with this crapola?)

[larryc]

Hegemony, I do think you have an important point about institutional initiatives that rely on unpaid faculty labor--but agree that the person trying to draft you is not the right audience. How about writing up your original post as a op-ed for the CHE?

[proftowanda]

By the third email, OP, I would be so sorely tempted to reply that nothing had changed in your schedule since the last time that you replied.  And then I would have appended the definition of insanity -- the one about doing the same thing again and again, despite only getting the same result again and again. . . .

You were wiser to Just. Say. No. again, of course.  (But didn't you want to attach a photo of Nancy Reagan?)

[voxprincipalis]

The whole trend of asking us to commit to umpteen of these things really irks me, though.  I was at a big faculty meeting once when a woman stood up and griped, "I keep setting up initiatives for faculty that wouldn't take more than four hours per week, and I have it all set up so that all they have to do is follow my instructions, and faculty here are just too selfish to commit to these things I'm doing for them."  My doctor would not have liked my blood pressure at that moment.

Oh, come on, admit it. You don't want to do the survey because it will take valuable time away from your Faculty Student Engagement Initiative Optionally Required Friday Night Anti-Drinking Pub Crawl.

Slacker.

VP

[hegemony]

Oh no!  VP has rumbled me!