Thursday, November 17, 2011

In Memoriam

That professor I mentioned as being in and out of the hospital earlier has just died. Please keep her in your thoughts.

I agreed to take over one of her classes. Everything over here is horrible. Everything.


Now, do I start working on the pile of job apps coming due or the piles of overdue essays? Gah.

8 comments:

heu mihi said...

Oh, no. I'm so sorry. What an awful thing.

Contingent Cassandra said...

I'm very sorry; 'tis part of life, but it's still hard.

Somewhat cynical but, I believe, appropriate answer to your question: job apps. You are doing something extra to help out your present department at a difficult time. That will have some costs. Given the fact that you are only a temporary part of your present department, those costs need to affect your present job, not your longterm career prospects. Yes, be a good citizen of your present department, and give your students as much time and attention as you can reasonably afford, but even (perhaps especially) at a time like this, look out for your own interests, too.

Fie upon this quiet life! said...

Holy cow. I'm so sorry to hear this news. I agree with the previous poster, though. Work on those job applications. Very sad.

Dame Eleanor Hull said...

Agree: sorry for what you, your department, & your colleague's family are going through; but get the job applications out.

JaneB said...

So sorry to hear this. Deaths-in-service are really hard to deal with. I've been through this myself about ten years ago - it's really tough for you, the department and the students, but it's survivable. You just do what you can. And go home and hug your loved ones.

Susan said...

Oh, so sorry. You need to do the job apps. And you need credit for what you are doing now. Being a good person is good; but it's not good to sacrifice yourself.

Dr. Koshary said...

Oh man, I'm sorry to hear all this stuff is getting dumped on you now. (And condolences for your colleague's death, as well.) I've never had to juggle anything like that, but I would imagine that our senior colleagues who commented above are right: you need to make your own career your first priority and keep the department's cog-and-widget machine as second.

anthea said...

I'm so sorry to hear this news..but yes, get on with those job apps. I agree with all that's said above. Remember that you have to make your career a priority.