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[tortugaphd]

Every now and then, I need to step back to get a larger perspective.  There are a lot of things worthy of complaint at my job.  I probably resemble some of the colleagues a forumite described who complain all the time.  Sure, it's a big part of the culture in academia to complain.  Then again, there are also things that tell me this job may be a good fit for me.  I thought I'd start a thread that will give us space to reflect on what things are a good fit for us in our jobs.

1.  There is a lively intellectual atmosphere at my institution.  Guest speakers and conferences bring in scholars who are doing the most interesting work.  These events are always well-attended and discussed long after they are over.

2.  My department chair is a good administrator.

3.  I have a close group of colleagues who are like-minded.  We can talk about work-related and non-work-related things with one another.  (Sure, we complain all the time, but we also find subtle ways of improving the situation within the confines of junior facultyhood rather than just complaining with no action taken.)

4.  It is possible to make decent research progress here.

5.  I like my teaching assignments.

[ruralguy]

OK, so spill the beans. What is it that sucks?

(All those things you say are good, and certainly if they were all the opposite, you'd want to cut and run).

[tortugaphd]

OK, so spill the beans. What is it that sucks?

(All those things you say are good, and certainly if they were all the opposite, you'd want to cut and run).

I probably should be posting this in the other thread, but here goes:  many of the senior faculty are deadwood; institution is very tuition-driven; minimal standards for both undergrads and grad students are not high enough.

[mleok]

What do you consider deadwood? Is this partially reflective of a dramatic increase in research expectations over the last few decades, with a number of tenured senior faculty who were hired in a time of lesser research requirements? If they're not very research active, but shoulder onerous administrative responsibilities, and take on additional teaching responsibilities, then I see value in having them around.

If on the other hand, they are negative, and shirk any responsibility, while constantly complaining and putting down the junior faculty, then I would ask myself how close these deadwood faculty are to retirement. It is an unfortunate reality of academia, particularly in fields where people tend to be on the passive side, that a small number of faculty with strong personalities that affect the culture and collegiality of the entire department. On the flip side, all it sometimes takes is for one or two sour lemons to retire to make everything much more pleasant.

[tortugaphd]

What do you consider deadwood? Is this partially reflective of a dramatic increase in research expectations over the last few decades, with a number of tenured senior faculty who were hired in a time of lesser research requirements? If they're not very research active, but shoulder onerous administrative responsibilities, and take on additional teaching responsibilities, then I see value in having them around.

If on the other hand, they are negative, and shirk any responsibility, while constantly complaining and putting down the junior faculty, then I would ask myself how close these deadwood faculty are to retirement. It is an unfortunate reality of academia, particularly in fields where people tend to be on the passive side, that a small number of faculty with strong personalities that affect the culture and collegiality of the entire department. On the flip side, all it sometimes takes is for one or two sour lemons to retire to make everything much more pleasant.

Yes!  I agree!  You are absolutely correct!

I just thought of another indication that my job is the right fit.

6.  Of the students here who are ambitious enough to do better than just the minimum, I'm having great mentoring relationships with these students.

[ucprof]

I like my dept too.  Despite the furloughs and gloom and doom in the newspaper I can post some good things about my dept and the UC.

1.  The UC:  we all had 3% raises this year despite the continued budget cuts.  I have no idea how they paid for this but we all feel appreciated during this time of hardship in CA.

2.  My dept has a tendency to band together during times of duress and this is very nice.

3.  Despite the duress I have been treated very well by my institution and colleagues.

4.  Our PhD students are fantastic.

5.  Our undergraduates keep on getting better.  The increase in out of state students will likely continue this trend.  And more students seem to be applying to UC despite the increase in fees.

6.  This is the rotten tomato bullet point:  The weather in California is amazing.  Especially for anyone who has done time in northern climates. 

7.  I think I am grandfathered in to all the old pension/retirement stuff despite not being that old and despite the changes for new hires.

8.  Mr. UCProf has a job within a reasonable commute of my job.

[tortugaphd]

^These are all really good examples, ucprof!

Keep them coming!

[icicles]

I like this thread! My contributions...

1. I like what I teach.
2. There are enough well-prepared students in each class for me to feel good about each class.
3. I like my colleagues in general. I feel like I can be myself around them.
4. It's inexpensive to live here, and the winters are mild.
5. My stress level is generally lower here.
6. I have the best health insurance I've ever had. Ever. It's the most expensive one they offer, but I have never had an insurance plan where I felt comfortable calling just about any doctor when something went wrong. People actually process the claims and billing for you and everything.

[spork]

Free parking.

My office has a window.

[literatur45]

- wonderful department chair
- classes are small (usually around 20, sometimes <15)
- preferences for teaching times are solicited and honored each semester
- my department encourages and celebrates faculty members' research but there is no pressure to publish if you don't want to
- many opportunities to meet other faculty and collaborate, often with university-sponsored meals
- large office with window, new computer, and office furniture
- free parking, and if you get here before 9:30, you can actually find an open spot (neither was the case at my old place)

Now, I don't know if this means it's the "right fit," since I just started last fall, but it sure makes my job more pleasant.

[ruralguy]

-two body problem is solved (ok, we met after we were both here...but still..)

-autonomy in my research and teaching

-department that cares about student learning, even if methods differ

-colleagues in general that want to be colleagues (discuss their work, goals for the college, etc.)

-small classes, most of the time

-the high end students and even some of the middle do want to understand the material, be polite about their business, etc. even if the low end is, well, pretty bad.

-even though we are a "no name" college, some great students do manage to do great things after leaving (great graduate schools,
high end jobs in business, etc)


-reasonable salaries, especially once low cost of living is factored in.

-parking is not a problem for me, though some people have to park a ways from their building (its all free)

-windows, trees, trails, pretty campus in spring and autumn, etc.

[txgalprof]

Trying to stay positive about my current job, as it is looking more and more likely that I will be here next year...

1) Great child care for my toddler
2) Lovely Department Chair and Dean
3) Offered extra teaching gigs for summer pay
4) Generous support for travel

[ucprof]

People from my group are getting job offers....both students and postdocs.