“Oh, Abigail, Abigail, I have such a desire to knock heads together!” April 25, 2007 ~ 10:31 am
Posted by Julie in : Academic Office Monkey , trackbackThat’s a line from the musical 1776. John Adams is writing to his wife about his frustrations with Congress. I say it in my head many many time a day in reference to my frustrations with the people I work with.
- Yesterday I had six lists of candidates for graduation that needed proofed and sent to Faculty Council, who approves them. The six lists combined to about 1,500 names. It took the undergrad auditors all day to proof their three lists. It took me roughly an hour to get my three done. I need to figure out what the hell they are doing that’s taking so long. I was left with exactly one and a half hours to do six cover sheets with different info, make all changes to the lists, put everything together and send them out. And I did it. Almost killed myself doing it, but I did it.
- Yesterday a woman in my office also actually told a student how to subvert the system. When I heard it (yep, she did it with me in the room), I went over to her and rained all over her parade. She has a fucking script (a set of FAQs) and all she has to do is read from it. Appparently that was too hard for her. Her defense, “Well, I figured it was just common sense, what I told him.” Yeah, it’s common sense. And when the higher ups hear that someone in my office advised a student to do it? We’re toast. I’m all for sticking it to the man, but when you’re the man, you don’t stick it to yourself. Let the students figure it out on their own and don’t help them. I told her that if that was the direction her “figuring” led her, that she should stop thinking. And no, she is not new or young. She’s about 70 and has worked here for at least ten years. She should know better. Gah!
- This morning, everyone keeps throwing crap on my desk. And I just say “Okay, this will happen this afternoon. This morning I am catching up on everything I got Monday and yesterday when I was working on the lists.” “Okay, this will happen tomorrow. Still working on yesterday’s stuff.” And my staff is getting disgruntled about this, because obviously what they are giving me needs to happen now. Sorry, no. The President’s Office gets what they wanted first. The Publications crew gets what they wanted next. Tell the student to call us back later, and we will handle it.
I cannot wait until June1, when all of this is behind us.
Comments
Ah, the end of the semester crunch. It’s always pure chaos. It really makes you appreciate how calm the summer is.
You don’t damn the man when you’re the man. Now THAT’S common sense.
I sympathize with you. I’ve been there. Tell Rick to take you out and buy you alcohol. And food. Sounds like you need someone to wait on you hand a foot for an evening.
And to think just yesterday I was combing the blood clots out of some old ladies hair with a comb to find the cut and saying, “THIS is my JOB!”
Wanna trade for a while?
I’m sorry ! I’m sorry!
And ya know, unlike a dog, you can always teach an old cat new tricks. You are really screwed though.
Thanks! My Mom retired a few years ago from the scholarship office at UTA and just reading this stuff reminds me of all the stuff she used to go on about. On the other hand, I also sympathize with you because of all of my Mom’s frustrations. But this too shall pass.
I feel your pain. Hang in there and try not to slap the shit out of too many people. Splatters don’t make for a pleasant clean up. hehe