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how to get people to do administrative work they should have done in the first place but have been a
cry.
or at least get to where you're about to.
my assumption, based on the way i've always known universities to work, was that i'd get a few professors to agree to write questions for my comps and give their names to the director of my program, and he (in the absence of a program secretary) would schedule the written exam and the orals following it. i concede that in my case it's a shade more complicated, since one of the professors i need to write questions is in another state -- who could be on the committee for the orals depended on when (or whether) he could be back here to do it. as it turned out, the first day he could do it was the day after the last day one of the others could do it, so out-of-state professor has written questions but will not be at the orals, and all along everyone's been saying that's fine.
so the last time i met with the director, i said Okay, there are questions coming from professors A, B and C, and a problem set from professor D, and professors B, C and D can be at the orals, which is fine, isn't it, because that's a committee of three, and these have to be after the written tests but professor D needs them to be done by december 11th, and i have a final on the 10th, so since tuesday the 9th is good for everyone, that's the day. and he said Good, i'll take care of things from here.
or words to that effect.
because getting the questions and compiling them is obviously not for me to do, so he's been handling that. fine. as it turns out, i did D's problem set yesterday and went today to swap it for the questions from A, B and C. and the director says professor C is asking when the orals are to be, and he (the director) said i hadn't even taken the written test yet, and i said Tuesday, right, and he said Then if that's the case, can you send a note to everybody and make sure they can be there at the right time and place. i don't know what the right time and place is. he suggests that he can book the room (since i've never done this and don't have the first idea whom to speak to) if i'll get the time sorted out with everybody. he, the director, is a chicken with his head cut off, he says.
'cause i'm not busy at all.
granted, this is my exam. there is a way of thinking that would say, if i want this degree i should be prepared to make it happen. but don't tell me you have something under control if there's more i need to do with it. this is not the time to tell me i have to do more running around.
i can do it, i say, but i really thought last time we spoke that i was done arranging things, i thought i'd handed it off to you, it's a surprise to me to learn that i need to --
"okay," he said, "i'll take care of it." and backed away toward the phone.
i'm not proud of that. i didn't do it on purpose, and i wouldn't have done it on purpose, but there gets to be a point where it's all just too much, you know?
or at least get to where you're about to.
my assumption, based on the way i've always known universities to work, was that i'd get a few professors to agree to write questions for my comps and give their names to the director of my program, and he (in the absence of a program secretary) would schedule the written exam and the orals following it. i concede that in my case it's a shade more complicated, since one of the professors i need to write questions is in another state -- who could be on the committee for the orals depended on when (or whether) he could be back here to do it. as it turned out, the first day he could do it was the day after the last day one of the others could do it, so out-of-state professor has written questions but will not be at the orals, and all along everyone's been saying that's fine.
so the last time i met with the director, i said Okay, there are questions coming from professors A, B and C, and a problem set from professor D, and professors B, C and D can be at the orals, which is fine, isn't it, because that's a committee of three, and these have to be after the written tests but professor D needs them to be done by december 11th, and i have a final on the 10th, so since tuesday the 9th is good for everyone, that's the day. and he said Good, i'll take care of things from here.
or words to that effect.
because getting the questions and compiling them is obviously not for me to do, so he's been handling that. fine. as it turns out, i did D's problem set yesterday and went today to swap it for the questions from A, B and C. and the director says professor C is asking when the orals are to be, and he (the director) said i hadn't even taken the written test yet, and i said Tuesday, right, and he said Then if that's the case, can you send a note to everybody and make sure they can be there at the right time and place. i don't know what the right time and place is. he suggests that he can book the room (since i've never done this and don't have the first idea whom to speak to) if i'll get the time sorted out with everybody. he, the director, is a chicken with his head cut off, he says.
'cause i'm not busy at all.
granted, this is my exam. there is a way of thinking that would say, if i want this degree i should be prepared to make it happen. but don't tell me you have something under control if there's more i need to do with it. this is not the time to tell me i have to do more running around.
i can do it, i say, but i really thought last time we spoke that i was done arranging things, i thought i'd handed it off to you, it's a surprise to me to learn that i need to --
"okay," he said, "i'll take care of it." and backed away toward the phone.
i'm not proud of that. i didn't do it on purpose, and i wouldn't have done it on purpose, but there gets to be a point where it's all just too much, you know?