None of my officemates are here today, so I can't vent to them, which means I will vent to You, Dear Readers.

At the Faculty Council meeting today I was once again confronted with the horrific irresponsibility of our Faculty Leadership. A faculty committee was disbanded last month after a rather furious controversy regarding one of its decisions. It is a committee that is, in some ways, crucial to the conductance of research by scientists at this department. Between the time of its resignation and today, the Leaders of this department did NOTHING (not. a. thing.) to arrange for a new committee to be instituted (this has to be voted on by the Faculty Council, which meets once a month, so now it'll be late February AT BEST before this committee is formed). So, during the Fac Council meeting, the Leaders came to this point in the agenda, and said "We'd like someone to volunteer to do this, please." This statement was met by resounding silence. Needless to say. So then they proceeded to name (by name!) people in the room who were in the disbanded committee, including me, and ask individually if we would agree to be in the new committee. After two refusals this stupidity was interrupted by one of the saner members of the Council.

Two issues:

1. I hate that this Leadership is so reluctant to take action to solve the problems that confront us, as a community. They seem to simply hold out hope that if they do nothing, someone will do something, and all will be well.

2a. I am taking a stand. Having been at this department for 6 years, and pretty much continuously taken part in a number of administrative duties (some quite onerous), I am going to say no to every request that involves any kind of administrative work, at least until the people (see 2b.) who surround me seem to be doing as much for the community as I am.*

2b. I am sick of men being lauded at this department for their scientific achievements and their refusal to take on administrative tasks being respected and understood, while women are continually asked** to take on new administrative duties, because someone has to do them, and look, the men are busy. F*** THAT, COLLEAGUES.

EDIT: God, how very a propos!


* that'll be the day! ha!

** and when I say "asked" I mean "publicly pressured with guilt-riddled near-harassment"

*** UCK