Wednesday, February 16, 2011

Merit Review

I heard during my annual merit review a statement that made me extremely happy: "There is nothing to say about your research because you are doing great." Oh, happiness! Oh, joy!

I also heard a statement that didn't make me extremely happy: "You need to increase your service at the university level." Oh, misery! Oh, sadness!

I also heard a statement that didn't make me feel anything in particular: "You need to start applying for more grants." Oh, indifference! Oh, lack of emotions!

Sent via BlackBerry by AT&T

7 comments:

Pagan Topologist said...

I confess that applying for grants is an actigvity that I truly despise. Having the money is very nice, but it is not clear that it is worth it to me.

Clarissa said...

What I find to be a horrible drag is service. I just want to be stuck in my office alone doing research. Why can't other people do service if they like it, and I'll just be a research person? Not everybody is as active in research as I am.

Spanish prof said...

I usually share your feelings regarding service, since they are usually an incredible waste of time. But then I remember that if faculty doesn't get involved in committees, then administrators take all the decisions. If we are going to ask for share governance, then we need to get involved.
What I've never heard of is urging faculty in the humanities to apply for more grants.

Clarissa said...

Oh, the grants are all the rage now. "You need to be bringing in money," we hear all the time. Money I personally have absolutely no need for. But who cares?

As for service, nothing we are allowed to do service-wise is of any relevance to anything. We just rewrite endless papers at the beck and call of spousal hires in the administration. If there were a single committee that did anything that wasn't more and more stupid paperwork, I'd be happy. But we are only expected to act like trained poodles for yet another paper-pushing initiative of bored administrators.

Spanish prof said...

Then try to avoid something called the "space committee". It's worst than it sounds.
The rage at my institution is assessment, and is driving everybody nuts.

Clarissa said...

Oh, assessment... May I recommend my own posts on our assessment committee debacle:

http://clarissasbox.blogspot.com/2010/10/enforcing-uniformity.html

http://clarissasbox.blogspot.com/2010/04/when-student-evaluations-become.html

Spanish prof said...

Thanks! Something in exchange.
http://spanishteachingissues.blogspot.com/2011/01/kafkaesque-committee-meetings.html