Rank ordering faculty - USM Forum -- Message Board

Date: Jun 7, 2004

Rank ordering faculty

Date: Jun 7, 2004

Not bloody likely. In any event, the rank ordering of faculty would probably send dozens of faculty to FGH for laughing themselves into convulsions.

Date: Jun 7, 2004

don't laugh. was done here 15-20 years ago.

Date: Jun 7, 2004

Just curious . . . isn't this a lawsuit (or several) waiting to happen?

Date: Jun 7, 2004

depends on the department's personnel policy / document. some could do this. others might find it very difficult. every time raises are given (not frequently here) distinctions have to be made between faculty. doesn't necessarily constitute grounds for a lawsuit. depends on the basis for the distinctions.

Date: Jun 7, 2004

It will do even more wonders for morale. Heck, why don't they post our rankings on the flashing billboard on the corner of campus? Or put our faces on trading cards like ball players, with statistics for teaching, research, service, and the ever-popular, economic development? I can hear the announcers as we go by at graduation:

"Professor Schnikelgruber looks like he's going to be traded to Delta State next year, Bob. He's only ranked 4th in his department in research, and his teaching evals were low this season. Pretty poor showing for an associate professor. He picked up some points last season with two hefty grants, but he's been in the faculty senate dugout doing lots of committee work, which doesn't sit well with the coach. Just not a star player, and his rankings show it. The owners can trade him for two fresh PhDs from the minors and still come out ahead financially."

Date: Jun 7, 2004

agreed. not a morale booster. but our IHL has insisted for over 20 years that raises have to be based on merit (except for the unusual 2/1% across the board raise a couple of years ago). Thus, departments have to figure a way to assess "merit."

Date: Jun 7, 2004

quote:
Originally posted by: foot soldier
"I can hear the announcers as we go by at graduation:

"Professor Schnikelgruber looks like he's going to be traded to Delta State next year, Bob. He's only ranked 4th in his department in research, and his teaching evals were low this season. Pretty poor showing for an associate professor. He picked up some points last season with two hefty grants, but he's been in the faculty senate dugout doing lots of committee work, which doesn't sit well with the coach. Just not a star player, and his rankings show it. The owners can trade him for two fresh PhDs from the minors and still come out ahead financially.""

Foot soldier, this is brilliant! I desperately needed a laugh at the very moment I opened your message.

I've often wondered what the world would be like if education had a whole section in every daily newspaper, every day, while sports got a page or two once a week. Hmmm, we probably would see this kind of commentary.

Could you imagine what the "draft" would look like after graduation? "Dr. Schnikelgruber showed a lot of tenacity with his dissertation & is projected to go in the 1st round to Vanderbilt for $10 million & a $250,000 signing bonus."

Well... We CAN dream, can't we?

Date: Jun 7, 2004

makes Noel Polk's "trade" offer interesting way back in the 80's.

Date: Jun 7, 2004

Again - welcome to the real world where workers are "rank ordered" every year! In many businesses, it is called the "annual review."

For those of you with tenure and not familiar with this process, it is a process to determine the effectiveness (as measured by RESULTS) of employees during the previous year. Merit raises are often determined by "rank ordering." It is a very non-Marxist process designed to reward those employees who are producing and performing during the previous year, unlike the obviously more effective process of determining increases based on years of "service."

How crazy is that system?

Date: Jun 7, 2004

quote:
Originally posted by: Mike Mader
"Again - welcome to the real world where workers are "rank ordered" every year! In many businesses, it is called the "annual review."
For those of you with tenure and not familiar with this process, it is a process to determine the effectiveness (as measured by RESULTS) of employees during the previous year. Merit raises are often determined by "rank ordering." It is a very non-Marxist process designed to reward those employees who are producing and performing during the previous year, unlike the obviously more effective process of determining increases based on years of "service."
How crazy is that system?"

Welcome back Mikie. And welcome to the real world of academia, where tenured faculty do get an annual review every year! At least, at USM they do. If you are going to start trashing us, you at least ought to get your facts right.

Date: Jun 7, 2004

Again - "rank ordering" or an "annual review" has something to do with either promotion or, at the very bottom, keeping one's position - something that most workers are either excited about or nervous about -depending upon their performance. This is not the facade that a tenured professor receives each year (remember, they can slander / perform illegal searches and presume to keep their job).

Differing opinions make you nervous, don't they? (And please, change your anonymous name from soldier - I have too many friends who have actually been in battle, unlike you and I.)

Date: Jun 7, 2004

quote:
Originally posted by: Invictus
"

Foot soldier, this is brilliant! I desperately needed a laugh at the very moment I opened your message.

I've often wondered what the world would be like if education had a whole section in every daily newspaper, every day, while sports got a page or two once a week. Hmmm, we probably would see this kind of commentary.

Could you imagine what the "draft" would look like after graduation? "Dr. Schnikelgruber showed a lot of tenacity with his dissertation & is projected to go in the 1st round to Vanderbilt for $10 million & a $250,000 signing bonus."

Well... We CAN dream, can't we? "

Thanks, Invictus. Incidentally, I always enjoy your posts and learn lots from them. By the way, truth4usm is going to be very upset when she realizes she didn't get a $250,000 signing bonus!

Date: Jun 8, 2004

quote:
Originally posted by: foot soldier
" Thanks, Invictus. Incidentally, I always enjoy your posts and learn lots from them. By the way, truth4usm is going to be very upset when she realizes she didn't get a $250,000 signing bonus!"

More upset about losing that $10 million/year salary! Yep, I'm in academics for the $$, you know!

Date: Jun 8, 2004

In response to those who think only faculty have "protected" positions. I have been a federal employee, and a state employee in a couple of different states. Plus, I once even belonged to a union. I got annual reviews, but there are many, many, many places where it is extremely difficult to fire somebody, or even to punish them. Faculty are not all that protected, let me tell you.

Date: Jun 8, 2004

Oh, and let me add that "slander" is speech which one knows to be FALSE, and spreads deliberately to FALSELY harm another person or besmirch their character. (Like saying that I am wasing the taxpayers' money by spending time on this board, for example, when I am not even a public employee.) To ask legitimate questions and make legitimate inquiries is not slander. To speak the truth, even unpleasant truth, is not slander.

Date: Jun 8, 2004

quote:
Originally posted by: LVN
"Oh, and let me add that "slander" is speech which one knows to be FALSE, and spreads deliberately to FALSELY harm another person or besmirch their character. (Like saying that I am wasing the taxpayers' money by spending time on this board, for example, when I am not even a public employee.) To ask legitimate questions and make legitimate inquiries is not slander. To speak the truth, even unpleasant truth, is not slander."

You go, LVN! Rock on!

Date: Jun 8, 2004

FYI, LVN. Truth is an absolute defense to slander so give them hell!