C.Y.A.

[Paul Stephens]

Newton Hunt wrote:
>
> May 7, 1996
>
> Dear Friends and Colleagues,
>
> On April 25 my chairman, a clarinetist, wrote of me in the annual
> performance appraisal:
> snip

All of us share your frustration at dealing with such people.  It has
been my experience as a full-time faculty member in higher education (not
in a music department) and as a fifteen-year contract technician for a
university that far too many educational administrators arrive at their
positions through the Peter Principle. (Some institutions function by the
septic system--the big ones rise to the top.)

Your best solution appears to be your own suggestions.  In keeping your
log or record of services for the university, don't forget to include the
time you spend keeping the records.

I have had similar experiences with vague faculty complaints.  Some
people seem to enjoy stabbing others in the back.  This may be especially
true in music departments.

I have the enjoyable position of not having any written contract with my
university.  They can call someone else whenever they want, and I can
walk away any time I choose to.  There is more than enough business out
there to take up the slack.

As a final resort to this specific situation, there was a post a while
back listing the opening at BYU.  Take a look.  We could always use
another fine technician in the west.

Paul Stephens