Last month has been a roller coaster ride for me, both personally and professionally. It started with incidents which made me seriously evaluate my professional needs and personal well being at N1 vis a vis what N1 expects from its employees. There were also some episodes, specific to an expanding new institute, which were sometimes exciting, occasionally frustrating and sometimes, just confusing.
This post is going to be about a lot of things because I am not focused enough to just write about one issue right now!
Immediately before Dussehra, I found myself spending a lot of time in committee meetings. Now, in principle, I have nothing against committee meetings - a lot of them are about framing or revising rules and regulations about various aspects of N1, for example, our academic programmes, disciplinary code of conduct, various issues that come up as an institute moves from a transit campus to a permanent campus, faculty welfare etc. I have gained valuable experience by being actively involved in these committees and like my other colleagues, have been able to bring up many important points which I feel strongly about. The only thing that I don't like about these meetings is that they take precious time away which could have been spent in research work or preparing for a class. But, I don't think it is reasonable to complain about this because there are other members who have many more responsibilities than I do.
I also get routinely inundated with a lot of complaints from students about various problems. I sympathize very much with students and bring up their genuine problems at the appropriate forums as soon as they are brought to my notice.
However, sometimes there is a delay in the resolution of the problem partly, because administrative procedures take their own time and partly because the authorities concerned may not take the problems as seriously as one would want them to. Students, on the other hand, become impatient and want quick fixes! Recently, I have had to be very firm with some of these students, asking them explicitly not to interrupt me when I am on my way to a class and also not to call me up at night unless there is an emergency. Then, they are quick to jump to the conclusion that faculty members do not care for them. This is very annoying.
The Dussehra holidays were very eventful for me, personally. My brother got married and it's great to have a new member in the family. It was also a lot of fun to meet many family members and cousins who I meet only during weddings!
During the wedding, I was given the responsibility of co-ordinating with the guest house where all our relatives were staying and also arranging for pick up and drop off of all guests. According to my father, I was most suited to do this task because of my experience with organizing conferences and hosting seminar speakers at N1!
After I returned to N1 after the wedding, I got some great news from the department. We have been given a lot of money by the institute and will now be able to spend comfortably on a lot of things that we wanted, for example, our own library and new high-end computers for the department! I am particularly excited about having the freedom to invite lots of rock star seminar speakers from all over India.
We will also host another winter school in December.
In a few minutes, I will leave for my home town to celebrate Diwali with my family. I was initially planning to stay back at N1, but last night, I realized that I have not spent Diwali with my family since 1999 and it just doesn't make sense to be in the same country as my family and still spend it alone. So, I made last minute flight bookings and surprisingly, got a really good deal! I am looking forward to all the fun we will have at home, to spending time with my sister-in-law and also, to possibly catching Ra.One (that is, if it manages a Diwali release).
Here's wishing all my readers a very happy and auspicious Diwali !!
This post is going to be about a lot of things because I am not focused enough to just write about one issue right now!
Immediately before Dussehra, I found myself spending a lot of time in committee meetings. Now, in principle, I have nothing against committee meetings - a lot of them are about framing or revising rules and regulations about various aspects of N1, for example, our academic programmes, disciplinary code of conduct, various issues that come up as an institute moves from a transit campus to a permanent campus, faculty welfare etc. I have gained valuable experience by being actively involved in these committees and like my other colleagues, have been able to bring up many important points which I feel strongly about. The only thing that I don't like about these meetings is that they take precious time away which could have been spent in research work or preparing for a class. But, I don't think it is reasonable to complain about this because there are other members who have many more responsibilities than I do.
I also get routinely inundated with a lot of complaints from students about various problems. I sympathize very much with students and bring up their genuine problems at the appropriate forums as soon as they are brought to my notice.
However, sometimes there is a delay in the resolution of the problem partly, because administrative procedures take their own time and partly because the authorities concerned may not take the problems as seriously as one would want them to. Students, on the other hand, become impatient and want quick fixes! Recently, I have had to be very firm with some of these students, asking them explicitly not to interrupt me when I am on my way to a class and also not to call me up at night unless there is an emergency. Then, they are quick to jump to the conclusion that faculty members do not care for them. This is very annoying.
The Dussehra holidays were very eventful for me, personally. My brother got married and it's great to have a new member in the family. It was also a lot of fun to meet many family members and cousins who I meet only during weddings!
During the wedding, I was given the responsibility of co-ordinating with the guest house where all our relatives were staying and also arranging for pick up and drop off of all guests. According to my father, I was most suited to do this task because of my experience with organizing conferences and hosting seminar speakers at N1!
After I returned to N1 after the wedding, I got some great news from the department. We have been given a lot of money by the institute and will now be able to spend comfortably on a lot of things that we wanted, for example, our own library and new high-end computers for the department! I am particularly excited about having the freedom to invite lots of rock star seminar speakers from all over India.
We will also host another winter school in December.
In a few minutes, I will leave for my home town to celebrate Diwali with my family. I was initially planning to stay back at N1, but last night, I realized that I have not spent Diwali with my family since 1999 and it just doesn't make sense to be in the same country as my family and still spend it alone. So, I made last minute flight bookings and surprisingly, got a really good deal! I am looking forward to all the fun we will have at home, to spending time with my sister-in-law and also, to possibly catching Ra.One (that is, if it manages a Diwali release).
Here's wishing all my readers a very happy and auspicious Diwali !!
7 comments:
Maybe this is a difference between the US system and the Indian system, but you seem to do a lot more hand holding of the students than is expected of professors, by both their peers and their students here. I've constantly been surprised at how proactive you have been at arranging things for students that should be, in this country, done by them by going to the registrars office and filling out forms. And calling a professor late at night is, well, a little weird in my book. I realize that there is a difference in the level of red tape and in loco parentis involved for everything in India, but it's surprising to me when I read about it.
I'm glad things are going well for you in general. Happy Diwali.
Happy Diwali, enjoy it with your family,
Hi BD and iitmsriram, Thanks for the Diwali wishes and same to you.
BD, it is perhaps true that young American students staying away from home for the first time are more independent than their Indian counterparts. (I liked your use of the term "in loco parentis" .)
But, what I find really amazing is that most of the disturbing phone calls that I receive are from senior students and not freshmen!
Till a couple of years ago, we only had a handful of students and all faculty members knew all students! In that situation, it was more natural for students to directly approach faculty members for help with issues and it was also much easier for faculty members to resolve their issues promptly. However, as the institute expands, things may not be as easy, which makes the senior students impatient because they are not used to it.
Freshmen, on the other hand, come with a "fresh" mind and adapt quickly to the institute as it is.
We are now beginning to formulate procedures which will encourage students to be more independent and take more initiative in dealing with issues. We are taking a lot of inspiration from our own alma maters, like older IITs and IISc and North American universities in this matter.
I can understand your frustrations, having experienced some of the issues myself. I am sure the Diwali break with your family will help you to recharge and return with renewed enthusiasm.
Hi New Prof
Happy Diwali. I emphasize with your time management jugglery. It can be tough. There are many good ways to manage in a way that we still end up having time for science. Some shun all administration and isolate themselves. They need to be protected, not envied or deprecated by others who put in their effort in science administration (which is important if the place is to be ours). How do we, in the latter category deal with our day? My personal take ( and as I said, there are many ways to skin this fish) is that much of the stress we face at meetings is because we feel its something that detracts from our main interests: “The only thing that I don't like about these meetings is that they take precious time away which could have been spent in research work or preparing for a class.” Being stressed about being in meetings makes us less efficient at meetings, resulting in more meetings and more stress. Going prepared with clear goals and getting out of a meeting and then switching off is much better: Easier said than done, and I wish I followed my advice. As with meetings, so with students and colleagues. If your are visible and accessible, assume you are fair game for being accosted for a discussion. When in such a discussion, its better to be involved than feel that your time is being taken. Much of our bonding and the culture of an institution come from such interactions. When you want to be left alone, hide. Others should sense when you have to be left alone, of course, but in general I prefer to be accessible in error rather than people keeping away in excessive caution. Congrats on getting the funds to get more rock stars over and for your winter school. Do get some students from small towns like Bangalore too :-))
Cheers
PS I agree with Barefoot that calling up late at night, when there is no real crisis, is a bit inconsiderate.
I have been following your blog for quite some time. As a phd student in US who wants to return to India within another 2-3 years, here is a question that comes to my mind after reading this post.
Is it compulsory for a junior faculty member to attend these committee meetings? I am a kind of person who wants to stay away from every kind of administrative work. If I become a faculty member at some Indian institute in near future, I will like to spend most of my time either in research or in teaching / advising students.
Will I get into trouble getting along with other people if I have this attitude?
Thanks in advance. And Happy Diwali!!
Hello Mostly Rational, Vijay and Anonymous, Thank you for the Diwali wishes. I hope you had a pleasant Diwali as well.
Vijay, thank you so much for your comment. I totally agree that going prepared for a meeting and willingness to be part of such activities to make the place our own is the right attitude to have (and also to not be judgmental about those who stay away from such activities).
Anon, regarding your question, when a new faculty member joins an institute, it is highly probable that he or she will be made a member of some committee either at the departmental or institute level. Some of my colleagues, who also feel the same way as you, have been part of committees involving designing our academic programmes or those related to research at the institute. They have made many valuable contributions in these matters.
I feel that the trick of the trade is to be involved in those committees/responsibilities that match with your interests.
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