Every semester the faculty get together to discuss the progress of the graduate students along a number of domains like teaching, department citizenship, coursework, and research. I was expecting a particularly good evaluation in the research domain, given that they changed some policies because I was doing much more than my 'fair' share.
The section about my research did include some nice comments from my adviser, but it concluded with a strange recommendation: "The faculty agreed with this assessment and recommended that you increase your commitment to research as you continue in the Ph.D. program."
Given that I was basically chastised a few weeks ago for being too committed to research, I wasn't particularly thrilled with this. So I went back and compared last semester's evaluation with this one. Aside from the comments by my adviser and the professor I TA'd for, the evaluations were the same. Word for word. Identical. Never mind how I actually followed the advice the first time.
Oh well. I'm learning a lot about how not to treat my future students.
3 comments:
Geez! Makes it difficult to go with the flow when the flow don't know which way to go! You are doing very well and I think they all know that and intended for your evaluation to reflect that. Maybe they are required to give at least one area for growth? And they weren't really paying attention? :P Love you, Mom
Academic poop...
Sounds as if they are just way too busy to do a thoughtful evaluation!! The proof will eventually be "in the pudding" that you are doing an excellent job!! From your unbiased mother-in-law!
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