Sad State University

Two articles from Inside Higher Education caught my eye this morning. Both show that the satirical posting from a couple weeks ago is not that far from becoming reality. The Semiautodidatic State University (Sad. State U.) is in our future.

In "U.S. Push for Free On-line Courses" we find a report of the Obama Administration's plan to move toward a "National Skills College" with free online courses and a certification for the on-line education. Granted this is targeted toward community colleges, but we don't need to look too hard to find the studies upon which the expansion to all Higher Ed will be be based.

In the very next article, "The Evidence on On-line Education" we find a report on how on-line learning is superior to face-to-face teaching and blended learning is even better. I do recommend reading the entire article and the comments.

The standardized on-line lecture will require less faculty and therefore less support. The budget problem is now solved. You can fight it, but the sides are forming up and I don't see anyone with power standing against this. The future of US Higher Education may resemble the Soviet Army in the Stalingrad of the Second World War. You dare not fall too far behind because if your not in the front line you risk being shot by your commanders moving up behind you.

T.S. Hall

Two-Day Furlough II

I felt I was too obsessed with this topic and have been trying to stay away from it so as not to depress my readers.  But, the fear, hopelessness, and anger associated with California's budget uncertainty is palpable on the CSU and UC campuses.  A very small taste can be seen in the comments to my previous two-day furlough post.

I was recently talking to a Provost from one of the CSU's when I expressed concern that the CSU system and the State have given up on their commitment to education, which is documented in the state's Master Plan for Education.  In the back of my mind I was hoping that the Provost would tell me how I was wrong and give me some hope that even though times are bad the commitment was still there.  Unfortunately, the Provost's reply was that I should forget about the Master Plan for Education as it no longer exists as a guiding principle.

My gut tells me that we faculty must look at this situation as we do grant writing, where we make a reasoned cases as to why extremely limit resources should be invested in us.  Pundits say, you can't raise taxes and fees or you will chase business out of the state.  A workforce that lacks people trained in STEM fields will do that to high tech industry also.  Pharmaceutical

 companies in California approach me regularly complaining that they can't find the science trained BS and MS graduates they need and waste precious resources bringing in employees from out of state, or outsourcing overseas.

My mind tells me that California has passed the point where logical arguments and thoughtful forward looking decision making will be applied to solving the budget crisis.   It's all about cost per degree sold at this point.  The STEM fields and particularly scholarship at CSU's cost too much for the bean counters to justify.  California, which built a reputation for high tech is divesting itself of education particularly in high tech fields and as in all things, the state will reap what it has sown. 

So to my CSU and UC friends I will close with the only advice I can give , Hang on, it's going to be a very bumpy ride!

T.S. Hall

Swamp Draining

I used to work for a fellow who's favorite aphorism was, "When you are up to your ass in alligators it's hard to remember your job is to drain the swamp." As the requests for my time back at my home institution increase, I have been thinking a lot about the difficulty in accomplishing research at the PUI and MCU institutions. One of the major challenges is the constant din of demands to spend your time on other needs.

At a some point each of us reaches the limit of the number of things we can do at once. For some people, like me, the problem is that if there is too much to do they tend to serve the needs of others before their own. Thus their research programs suffer. This explains why so many people advise that to succeed in research you must be selfish.

The problem I see in selfish faculty is that in institutions with limited resources collaboration is key to being able to succeed and in maintaining a collegial work environment. Many institutions transitioning to a more research active status end up with major rifts between the senior faculty who are committed to a COMMUNITY of scholars and a junior faculty who are looking to be members of a community of SCHOLARS. Departments tear themselves apart over these generational rifts which are often solved only by time, with retirement. But in many cases the "new" department becomes a dog-eat-dog environment filled with faculty who put their research programs first and students second. As the department advisor I have spoken to a number of transfer students who left newly more research active departments in favor of one where they feel the faculty "care more about the students than their research".

Being a moderate in most things, I am in favor of a COMMUNITY of SCHOLARS that incorporates the best of both extremes. To achieve such alchemy requires a commitment on the part of the institution. An institution that truly supports a culture of scholarship as an integral component of the education of students must demonstrate this by pulling some of the alligators from the swamp. This is the duty of good Department Chairs and Deans. Alligator wrangling should be one of the required skills asked of Dean and Chair candidates.

T.S. Hall

Allopath or Ostheopath

At one time I served on the Health Professions Committee. One of our jobs was to interview all the would be health professionals and write a University Letter of Recommendation. After reviewing the list of medical schools a student planned to apply to one of the questions we commonly asked was, "Since you have applied to both types, what is the difference between allopathic and osteopathic medicine?" Our experience was that if you don't know the difference and why you wanted to be at an osteopathic school you would not be accepted following the interview.

As earnest young scientists begin to prepare for the Fall hiring season I have already suggested they prepare research plans. Today I ask them, "What is the difference between the Research University, Masters Comprehensive University, Primarily Undergraduate Research Active College or University, Primarily Undergraduate Non-research Active College or University, or Community College?" In reality you are unlikely to be covering all those bases. (If you are, Stop! You need to begin by figuring out what you want to be before you shotgun out dozens of applications that will be ignored because they don't serve any specific institution you are applying to.)

I know you need a job as your postdoc mentor does not have money to keep you on forever and there are new young minds that need shaping in that hood you occupy. But, please don't waste your time applying to East Podunk Cosmetology College with your stem cell research plan attached because they need some who understands hair dye chemistry and you still have hair.

More realistically, if you dream of working in the lab training your students yourself, and RO1 is probably not for you. If you don't really care if you do the lab work and you know you will have the Nobel by the time you are 40, a MCU or PUI is not for you. Sure if you pull in a couple of million in grants and publish five papers in Science or Nature Chemistry in your first three years the RO1's will realize what they missed and call you up, but the reality of the resources and mission of MCU and PUI institutions generally will not allow you to achieve such success. So, even if you get the job, you will be unhappy and so will your colleagues.

Today, put your research plan aside for a moment and look into the real working conditions at the type of schools that are out there. Imagine that you will be there for the rest of your days. Will you be happy? Will your colleagues? Getting an offer is all about if you fit the institution, accepting it is all about if it fits you. Don't waste your time applying if the fit won't work for you.

Make a few notes on why the types of institutions that fit do fit. They will come in handy in your philosophy statements which I will cover later.

T.S. Hall

Say it ain't so!

I have followed the Gaussling's blog since its early days.  My favorite entries have been on the topics of industrial chemistry and his own reflections of the difference between industry and academe.  

My friend the Gaussling has announced that he is considering giving up his blog.  With only six months of blogging and a much smaller readership, I understand his feeling.  My sabbatical will be ending soon and I too will have to decide if I should keep blogging.  

Blog burnout is like chemistry burnout , where you tire of the same science everyday and the thought of writing another grant on the topic makes you think about opening a shoe store.  Honestly, I don't know how Derek at In The Pipeline does it.  

Blogging less might be the cure, although I have noticed that blogging less leads to less and less.  Eventually the whole enterprise stops.  Perhaps, we should start an Occasional Chemistry Blog with multiple writers and where everyone posts on a schedule like once every week or two.

Regardless of which choice he makes, the Gaussling has made a positive contribution with his blog and I am proud to call him my friend.

T.S. Hall

Department Websites

When times are tough it is useful to set yourself up for better times that will eventually come.  One thing departments at PUI and MCU campuses can do now at little cost is to make their websites better recruiting tools.  Not just for recruiting students, but for recruiting faculty when the freeze thaws.

If you advertise a position in a department which is not well known there are few better places for candidates to find out the true nature of a program than by looking at the website.  Similarly, if want to cut through the spin to know what your department really values, look at your website.

Is the mission and vision of the department clearly presented?  If you are in a time of transition, is there a strategic plan available?

If your department values scholarly activity, how is it evidenced?  Are research programs described?  Are outcomes celebrated with presentations or publication lists?  Are the lists less than two years old?  Are there pictures of people working in research labs and/or figures taken from papers and used to break up the web text?  In your listings of facilities (if you don't have one you are not recruiting faculty) have you separated out research equipment from the general teaching lab stuff, or are pH meters listed?  Do you have a seminar program list that shows more than your students giving seminars?

If your department values students and student outcomes, how is this evidenced?  Do you describe post graduation careers for students, perhaps even listing graduate programs and employers of recent graduates?  Do the activities of your Student Affiliate of the ACS have their own space?  Are there pictures showing the community of scholars that your department is?  Pictures from the annual Mole Day/National Chemistry Week activities, picnics, holiday gatherings, graduation, students standing by their posters at professional meetings, etc.

Does the page show outreach?  Aside from pictures of the student affiliate at elementary and middle schools, are the newsletters archived?  Is there a page listing the annual awards given to students and telling how people can donate to the corpus of the award accounts.  Is your development plan spelled out, with an invitation to donate to T.S. Hall Chair endowment.

If you have a MS program, is there more than the normal course advising and course description stuff?  Are MS student career outcomes shown?  Are the MS students celebrated with their own awards and research scholarships?

Lastly, the college website should mirror the department one.  It should be up to date and should also show what is valued in the programs.  For the benefit of the candidate Retention, Tenure, and Promotion documents and the Faculty Handbook should be available on the Academic Affairs website.  If you value scholarly activity the Research Office website should make clear how they aid faculty is securing grants and contracts.

It will take time to get all this together and make your website a better recruiting tool, so do it now while you are not able to do searches.  That way it will be up and working for you when the thaw comes.

T.S. Hall

Semiautodidactic State University

A week or so ago there was an article in Inside Higher Education on companies that sell lab kits for students to do lab coursework at home.  Which got me thinking again about the future of higher education.  

I understand that the European academy grew up in the days when books and other tools of education were costly and rare, so going to the Perian Spring to become educated took hold.  In the nineteenth and early twentieth century books became more affordable, but still costly, so communities showed a commitment to knowledge by sinking their own wells into the spring.  They started libraries and in some cases colleges (Explaining the inability to throw a rock in the Northeast US without hitting a college.).  In the 21st century knowledge is broadcast through the web, via podcasts, and on TV.  Libraries are falling into disuse and academe is under siege by those looking for a lower cost paradigm.  

How long will be before we see the opening of the Semiautodidactic State University.  Curriculum, but no classes or labs.  You can get those on your own through the free lectures available on the web and the lab kits you can buy.  SSU will only offer testing, credentials, and diplomas certifying work submitted.   The Bullet Heads, as students will call themselves, will be freed from the restrictions of the classroom and the costs of the literal "Old School" educational system.

You scream, No!  You worry about what society will lose?  

No problem, the administration at SSU will support the activities the public values most from higher education.  Hollow Point Football and Basketball teams will compete for the BCS Bowl Championship and in March Madness.  After all, without scheduled classes our athletes will be free to train and compete according to the game schedule instead of the class schedule.

T.S. Hall

As best we can

I was looking through the half written posts in the file today and realized that most of them were never posted because they involve too much complaining about university finances.  The topic wears me out, but just won't go away.  While I keep meaning to drop it, every day brings a fresh punch in the face to those that truly care about educating students and advancing the science.

Today's sneaky left came from the university administration.  A message sent to the community contained the statement about priorities, "First, the quality of education for our students must be preserved as best we can".  "As best we can"!  Thanks for the loser mentality pep talk.  They might as well say "forget quality, its degrees per dollar that will rule the day"?  

"First, the quality of education for our students must be preserved as best we can"

The leaders of academia must have have gone to our underfunded library and studied the business model.  GM became the biggest car company by producing more cars than anyone else and reaped the benefit of economy of scale.  The heads of academia know it will work with higher education too.  Too bad we stopped buying books during the early 90's downturn and they don't know what happens when you disconnect quality and quantity.

My biggest concern is that the fields that cost the most to teach (science, engineering, etc . . .) require costly face-to-face instruction, including labs that just can't be converted to auditorium scale.  In spite of efforts to develop take home and online labs, I am not convinced they provide a Grignard reaction experience.  On the degree per dollar basis the technical fields just can't provide quality at the cost targets.  So, we will do the "best we can".  Degrees will be conferred and the administration will say that if we can sell degrees at a cost of a dollar per degree, we can do it for 75 cents.  And, we will do "the best we can" and continue to confer degrees.  When the quality is low enough and the quantity is high enough, the State like GM will wake up to lots of unwanted low quality product.

Since university administrations and State legislatures don't believe faculty or the ACS on the issue, could you non-academics please define the minimum of quality, thus defining what is the minimum we must do. 

Thanks,

T.S. Hall

Two-Day Furlough

OK, I am back from my travels.  In my mailbox today is a note about possible 2-day a month furlough's for California State University faculty.  

You have to give the State Administration it's due.  They need to cut budgets.  They don't want to cut services.  They don't want to be seen as cutting the already low pay of faculty (when one considers the cost of living in California).  So, we have the two day faculty furlough.

In my position I currently work on campus minimally 6:30 am - 5:30 pm, Monday through Saturday.  This is the only way I can maintain my research program and do all the other administrative, advising, and teaching stuff I do.  I don't get paid in the summer, but I am here working with my students in the lab for about 12 weeks.  If you take away two days pay a month will I work less?  No!  If you are thinking of me as an hourly employee, you don't pay me for half the work I do now.

The two-day furlough for faculty is a pay cut.  The State will still get the work out of the professionals, because professionals are not hourly workers attaching widgets.  Professionals have a job to do, and they do it without worrying about a time clock.  The State has found a near perfect way to cut costs and still get services.  Next in No-Cost Service will be the two-day a month furlough of doctor and nurses, which requires them to spend the days in the emergency room or clinic waiting room.

My objection is the dishonesty of the euphemism  of calling a pay cut a "Two-Day Furlough".  What are they afraid of, scaring people from applying for positions in California public higher education?  Does that matter when they may also put a hiring freeze in place?

The people of California voted down the budget proposals on the ballot in May to send a message to the states leaders to "stop playing games and treat us honestly".  The State could start by calling a pay cut a pay cut.

T.S. Hall

P.S.  Readers Vote:  Rant or Observation?

Notes from Camp-full-o-fun.

Well, actually its not camp.  I am in Seattle with the spouse checking out the Pacific Northwest.  Yesterday we took the opportunity to get a four hour lesson in glass working.  We made paperweights, apples, a blown sphere, and a blown bowl.  Not exactly an ashtray and a lanyard, but it was a bit like camp.  Having taken a scientific glassblowing class back in my undergrad days I thought I had some sense of how this work would be.  Well, torch work making condensers from pyrex tubing is nothing like pulling molten glass from a furnace and shaping it into something that resembles what you had in your mind.  I now have a better appreciation for why hand made glass objects cost what they do.

T.S. Hall  

Google Translate

This morning I was looking for a procedure and kept coming across papers that referenced the same 1959 Helvetica paper.  While I have no problem with older literature, reading experimental's written in German gives me nightmare flashbacks to my undergraduate days and the four semesters of German language study required to earn a chemistry degree.  (Six semesters in my case, but only four semesters of classes)  Just as German made me think about changing my major, the prospect of trying the navigate an experimental with my long lost Scientific German skills made me think about trying another method.  

Thankfully, just when I was about to put on my lederhosen and dig into the experimental one of my labmates suggested I try Google Translate.  A quick copy and paste, a few corrections of OCR errors, a bit of educated guessing, and some revision of wording later and I have a complete experimental in English.

It makes me wonder if I can get rid of my Fortran textbook and those spare punchcards.  (That's a joke.  If you kids don't know about Fortran or punchcards, GET OFF MY LAWN!)

T.S. Hall

Teach the children

I am involved in a grant that encourages and prepares students who are members of underrepresented groups to head into PhD degree programs in the physical and biological sciences.  For the record, (in case I get nominated to become the first scientist on the supreme court) I am committed to this effort.   

Some of the initiatives we try in our underrepresented minority student programs appear to work very well with respect to guiding them to completion of the degree and moving them to success graduate school.  Since the programs are for underrepresented students we do not invite the traditional students to participatge.  In terms of demonstrating success, and getting future funding, we are encouraged to show that the URM students are doing better than in the past.  One way to do this is to show better numbers than the with traditional students, as if our goal is have the URMs catchup.  If we were to transfer what works to all students (even if we had the money) we would hurt our bottom line since we might backslide in the percentage, although not the number, of URM students graduating from our program.

The thing that bother me is that it seems to many of my traditionally represented students that the only support available goes to underrepresented students.  All those grad school prep workshops are not for them.  I have begun to see signs that students in the groups that traditionally sought sciences degrees are feeling unwanted in the field.  At a time when overall numbers of science trained graduates is not keeping pace with the need we can not afford to be perceived as chasing any interested individuals from the field of play.  

If we believe in the power of science to move all people forward, we must encourage all people to pursue the scientific way of thinking.  Yes, we must make special efforts to bring those that have not embraced the life of science into the community, but we must not discourage others in the process.  Following up on what works should require that funding agencies support efforts to apply successful methods to all groups.

T.S. Hall