Dear Alma, This professor is forcing me out
Daily Comfort ZoneDear Alma,
I have been teaching at the same university for many years. We have had teachers come and go. Ten years ago a new teacher joined our department who I had known previously and had admired for their teaching and recruiting ability. After passing tenure, this person has changed dramatically and has caused me great distress in my working situation, with none of the typical solutions solving any of the problems. I am just two years away from a very early retirement, and I am not in a position to look for a new job. I had imagined that I would stay in this job for many more years but I am miserable. Do you have any advice for me?
Stuck
Dear Stuck,
Yes it is often the case that a new member of an organization can behave in two contrasting ways, the “before tenure” and “after tenure”. It can mean a change of behavior, a change in energy level or commitment. This can be a change for the good, or a change for the worse. It can mean a person feels the responsibility to be a pillar for the department or orchestra, or they can become lazy or disrespectful. For the worker, it means well-needed job security, but that can be a blessing or a curse on the department/section depending on the performance of the particular teacher/performer.
You have three options. Exit, Avoid, or Confront.
Exit: take an easy retirement. You just might live a longer (slightly poorer) and happier life.
Avoid: request an office transfer – move to a part of the building where you won’t run into your colleague. Even better – a different building. Submit paperwork saying you cannot attend department meetings because of emotional distress.
Confront: you are the senior member. Stand up for yourself and don’t put up with their shenanigans. Be stronger and tougher.
Stuck, unstick yourself. You have options. You can find a way through, around, or away from this stress-causing individual.
Questions for Alma? Please put them in the comments section or send to DearAlmaQuery@gmail.com
I always go for ‘confront’ in such cases. It served me well. But you must prepare: colourful, conspicuous dress, big hairdo, highrise attitude (walk on high heels!), full bossom (if necessary just fill it out) and a loud, assertive, authoritarian voice. At my former job at the toilet paper factory I got promoted that way to the pink variery, later-on PA of well-known conductor [redacted] whom I stopped from throwing me out 3 times, and now this job where I can do what I want. Only, you have to be alert all of the time…. people try to find your weak spot which in my case is [redacted] but which I keep very secret.
Sally
i worked with a manager who was at
a nasty person. i reported him. and moved to another dept. which was very
good. also better money. he did me a
favour.
that is life.
Yes. That happened in my department. Person switched to admin from teaching. Better for all.
Sally his very own distinctive way of addressing these assumed “letters”. They are usually the only replies which are worth reading!
This has been happening in my department. It’s very sad to see an older professor being put in tough situations.
They should respect age.
Sometimes it’s just the right time to get rid of old wood. It might be that the writer is not progressing with the department.
We should never forget that music education is progressing all the time, just of its own accord, so everybody has to progress along with it. The greatest challenge is that most of the repertoire got stuck in history but fortunately, much is tried nowadays to get over that hurdle, together with the hurdle of teachers who have the impertinence to get older and acquire more experience.
We know that insights can be lethal.