--- Forwarded Message from "Jean-Jacques d'Aquin" <[log in to unmask]> ---

>Date: Mon, 12 Feb 2001 09:08:33 -0600 (Central Standard Time)
>From: "Jean-Jacques d'Aquin" <[log in to unmask]>
>To: LLTI-Editor <[log in to unmask]>
>Subject: Re: #5944 What's In A Name?
>In-Reply-To: <[log in to unmask]>
>Organization: University of South Alabama

The name may have some importance in certain institutional hierarchies,
but here, as in most institutions (I suspect), it is the written job
description that counts; the rest is gilding ...

I am leaving the University of South Alabama after thirteen
"one-year-renewable" contracts for several reasons, not the least being
the horrible way that education at all levels is being serviced by the
governing bodies, state and local.

Among others:

-although I am, by job description, supposed to get 1/3 release time from
teaching, in recent years I have never had more that a 1/4;

-after an executive report summarizing what I learned about how
institutions handled their "learning center" (data gathered during the
Univ. of Maryland conference and field-trip), I was given the task of
raising the funds for a complete lab overhaul, deciding which software to
purchase and developing learning delivery programs for the various
faculty members (who weren't interested enough to even preview software on
their own);

-I pointed out that none of the above activities were part of my job
description and that I certainly was not going to get involved in grant
writing unless the job description was rewritten, and suitable
compensation and incentives were negotiated; as for software choices and
faculty training, I would be glad to develop a training program for those
interested, AFTER such software had been selected by the various section
heads and a report written stating why the program was appropriate for our
department;

-an ad-hoc committee was formed (resentfully) involving all departmental
faculty, to develop a grant proposal; it met once, after which each
individual faculty member backed out stating lack of "time, and
institutional support toward promotion and tenure";

-seven months later not a single software program has been examined by
any faculty member and proposed for adoption, the grant writing committee
exists in name only, the management of the lab job description has not
changed, but expectations still exist for me to do it all, and still teach
my three classes and manage the Less-Commonly Taught Languages program.

Let them find another scapegoat - what is in the "name" now is:
"Ah'm outta'ere!" as soon as I find something decent.


Jean-Jacques d'Aquin, Ph.D.
Assistant Professor of French and Spanish
Language Lab Director; NASILP Coordinator
University of South Alabama, HUMB-322, Mobile, AL 36688
VOX 334-460-6291 FAX 334-460-7123
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