Undergrad Office: Dear lecturer, please send me this information about your course by this date.
*tumbleweed*
Undergrad Office: (11:35) Hey you, can you chase the ten lecturers who haven't responded?
Me: sure.
Me: (15:30) Dear lecturer, please send the Undergrad office this information about your course by yesterday. Or you'll have to answer to both of us. And your course might not run.
15:35: four replies.
Me: (15:40) Isn't it remarkable what that threat achieved.
Undergrad Office: (15:45) Yes. Apart from the one who replied to a totally different manager asking them to pass their email on to me.
Readings skillz. We haz them. Locked in the admin offices, apparently.
PS A year? Really? Must try harder. The academics do...
Tuesday 1 March 2016
Wednesday 25 February 2015
Eisenhower's principle, or, your urgent is not my important
Germs are doing the rounds. Yesterday I had one third of my team.
Today I comprise the entire divisional support team and probably will for the rest
of the week. I have told the division, which means I've had a stream
of people with urgent queries, have managed to hit "reply-all" when
sending an exasperated email responses, and I'm developing a stress headache.
Yeah, so, I'll be the one moving bits of paper around my desk trying to triage the urgent important jobs and the not-urgent important jobs, then trying to do them while being interrupted by urgent not-important requests like this:
Prof: I know you're extremely busy but when does teaching start in semester one next year?
Me (really? This is urgent?): I don't know. It'll be around the 21st September.
Prof: Well, is that the start of semester or the start of teaching? It seems very early.
Me: I don't know. It'll be on the university website.
Prof: No, it isn't. I looked. And no-one else knows the answer.
Me: Look. Here. It's on the university website. I searched on "semester dates". Semester starts on the 21st, so teaching will start on the 28th.
Prof: Are you sure? That's very late.
Me (What do you expect me to do about it?I don't set the dates!): Well, those are the dates. That I found. On the university website.
Prof: Can you just
Me: No. I have to go to a meeting.
On the plus side, I've been treated to a variety of very welcome calming teas, and a number of staff have suggested I throw a sickie and show how much the admin team is needed. As one said, "if you all go off sick, we wouldn't be able to cope. If we all went off sick it wouldn't really matter. The students would be able to read articles and you'd be able to get on with your work. No. Wait. That sounds really bad".
Yeah, so, I'll be the one moving bits of paper around my desk trying to triage the urgent important jobs and the not-urgent important jobs, then trying to do them while being interrupted by urgent not-important requests like this:
Prof: I know you're extremely busy but when does teaching start in semester one next year?
Me (really? This is urgent?): I don't know. It'll be around the 21st September.
Prof: Well, is that the start of semester or the start of teaching? It seems very early.
Me: I don't know. It'll be on the university website.
Prof: No, it isn't. I looked. And no-one else knows the answer.
Me: Look. Here. It's on the university website. I searched on "semester dates". Semester starts on the 21st, so teaching will start on the 28th.
Prof: Are you sure? That's very late.
Me (What do you expect me to do about it?I don't set the dates!): Well, those are the dates. That I found. On the university website.
Prof: Can you just
Me: No. I have to go to a meeting.
On the plus side, I've been treated to a variety of very welcome calming teas, and a number of staff have suggested I throw a sickie and show how much the admin team is needed. As one said, "if you all go off sick, we wouldn't be able to cope. If we all went off sick it wouldn't really matter. The students would be able to read articles and you'd be able to get on with your work. No. Wait. That sounds really bad".
Thursday 9 January 2014
How to follow instructions
I sent out an email this afternoon.
It said:
It said:
We have had a disappointing
number of responses regarding the post-new year, belated, Christmas celebration
on Friday 24 January.
Please
email MY COLLEAGUE by Monday 13 January to let her know whether or not you intend to
attend.
Three replies and counting.
Friday 25 January 2013
What I do in simple words
(Using Up-Goer Five)
I work in a place where students from all over the world can learn all about the world. I look after about 70 people (many are teachers) who study how businesses work and how they could work better and then they tell students and write papers all about what they have learnt.
I have to look after the money. I try to work out (guess) how much money the group will spend over a year and the I try to make sure we don't spend more than that. We often spend more in one area but less in another so it evens out.
I also have to watch how much work everyone does. I check how much time people are in class, how much time they should spend studying the outside world, how much they should be helping out at work, and see if they are doing too much or not enough. Most do too much.
People come and talk to me about problems they have at work and I try to help fix them. Some people come and shout at me because I tell them I can't fix a problem because they shouldn't have done the thing that caused the problem in the first place.
I help people with their computers, writing, ways to talk to students, other teachers and business people so they can learn about managing in business. I manage the paper side of getting people to work for us all the time or just now and again.
I don't kill anyone. Sometimes I would like to but I can't find a place to hide the bodies.
I work in a place where students from all over the world can learn all about the world. I look after about 70 people (many are teachers) who study how businesses work and how they could work better and then they tell students and write papers all about what they have learnt.
I have to look after the money. I try to work out (guess) how much money the group will spend over a year and the I try to make sure we don't spend more than that. We often spend more in one area but less in another so it evens out.
I also have to watch how much work everyone does. I check how much time people are in class, how much time they should spend studying the outside world, how much they should be helping out at work, and see if they are doing too much or not enough. Most do too much.
People come and talk to me about problems they have at work and I try to help fix them. Some people come and shout at me because I tell them I can't fix a problem because they shouldn't have done the thing that caused the problem in the first place.
I help people with their computers, writing, ways to talk to students, other teachers and business people so they can learn about managing in business. I manage the paper side of getting people to work for us all the time or just now and again.
I don't kill anyone. Sometimes I would like to but I can't find a place to hide the bodies.
Monday 10 December 2012
IT support
My office is directly opposite the post/printing room, which means I am the first port of call for anyone with problems there. I have many conversations like this one.
Lecturer: The photocopier's not working.
Me: Have you checked for a jam? Or reported it?
Lecturer: Can't you do that?
Me: Well, there's a phone right by the copier, with the phone number printed next to it, so that people can report it themselves.
Lecturer: I've got to go to a lecture. [Departs]
Me: *sigh*
Lecturer: The photocopier's not working.
Me: Have you checked for a jam? Or reported it?
Lecturer: Can't you do that?
Me: Well, there's a phone right by the copier, with the phone number printed next to it, so that people can report it themselves.
Lecturer: I've got to go to a lecture. [Departs]
Me: *sigh*
Wednesday 5 December 2012
The blackmail factor
Prof: I have to read the names at graduation next week, can I book a half-hour slot with you to go through the pronunciations?
Me: Yes, of course.
(That really isn't in the job description, but I studied linguistics and it's an enjoyable task.)
Prof: I told the head of school today how useful you are, above and beyond the call of admin duty. He said he remembers you. You've seen him fall asleep on the train.
Me: I wonder whether I can get a regrade on the back of that?
Me: Yes, of course.
(That really isn't in the job description, but I studied linguistics and it's an enjoyable task.)
Prof: I told the head of school today how useful you are, above and beyond the call of admin duty. He said he remembers you. You've seen him fall asleep on the train.
Me: I wonder whether I can get a regrade on the back of that?
Friday 30 November 2012
Please check your work
Prof: This meeting this afternoon, I need these papers for it - can you photocopy them for me?
Me: Sure. How many?
Prof: Oh, say, 10 copies?
Me: Fine, I'll do it now.
I set the copying going and start another job.
10 mins pass.
Prof: That copying...
Me: Yes, I've done it.
Prof: Oh. I think I included an incorrect page.
Me: Oh. Well, there it is.
Moral: before asking someone else to do your copying, check you're giving them the right papers. I hardly have enough time to do my work properly, let alone to do your work twice.
Me: Sure. How many?
Prof: Oh, say, 10 copies?
Me: Fine, I'll do it now.
I set the copying going and start another job.
10 mins pass.
Prof: That copying...
Me: Yes, I've done it.
Prof: Oh. I think I included an incorrect page.
Me: Oh. Well, there it is.
Moral: before asking someone else to do your copying, check you're giving them the right papers. I hardly have enough time to do my work properly, let alone to do your work twice.
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