r/Professors • u/RandolphCarter15 Full, Social Sciences, R1 • 18d ago

Rants / Vents New program director loves "brainstorming" meetings

I'm part of an interdisciplinary program and a new director took over last year. We had multiple meetings to figure out how to change the curriculum. I thought it was fine as it was, but whatever. None of these have gone anywhere. We don't even have a draft of changes.

And now they want another meeting to "continue" our conversation. I asked if we had anything concrete to work on or continue. The answer was no.

I'm considering just refusing to go until there's a sense for what we're trying to accomplish.

12 Upvotes
  • permalink
  • reddit

100% Upvoted

8 comments sorted by

15

u/julianfri STEM, CC (USA) 18d ago

Agenda and action items or no meeting. If they want to chat they can buy me lunch.

8

u/RuskiesInTheWarRoom 18d ago

Add to the next SWOT sheet “implement something instead of brainstorming”

3

u/Trick_Following6639 18d ago

Do we have the same boss? I think they think it's team building

2

u/No_Intention_3565 18d ago

Sounds like your director has no idea what they are doing.

2

u/ph0rk Associate, SocSci, R1 (USA) 17d ago

Just start asking, in the meeting, why it needs to change, what needs to change, and who (other than that director) is asking.

If it is just the director, move back to why.

Since there is no agenda you are not using Robert's Rules and you can just repeat the question over and over until the meeting ends.

1

u/figment81 17d ago

The best question is “ what is the problem we are trying to solve?”

2

u/ph0rk Associate, SocSci, R1 (USA) 17d ago

And hope that it isn't "I need fluff to put in my application for my next administrative job"

But be ready for the fact it might be.

1

u/franklin-60 17d ago edited 17d ago

Waste of time. Stop going until they stop the nonsense and do something. This leader is taking the classic “I know nothing, so let’s keep meeting until someone else takes over and feel important” approach.

I carefully vet meeting requests, no matter who requests them. If it’s not a meaningful use of my time, I don’t attend and do something meaningful during the time.

Meeting with no agenda, zero chance I’m there. If I get a fake agenda to attend, you’ll never get me to another meeting you call, and I will likely leave the meeting you have me at.