Us versus Them

After spending the last two days in Human Resources training sessions on how to work with faculty, I find myself exhausted. The discussions were not enlightening in terms of knowing faculty pressure and accountability. I understand faculty because I understand artists.

The artist puts their heart and soul into their work. They dedicate their lives and make sacrifices to get opportunities to keep challenging themselves. They are never satisfied with their work. If they are, they wake the next day with the thought, "How do I top that?"

If the artist feigns indifference to how others respond to their work, their are masking insecurities. They really want their work to make a difference.

They are unique authorities of their discipline. No one else can do what they do. Their peers are critical reviewers. They are their own worst critic. They grow through failure. Acceptance is critical to monetary success.

Faculty are artists in their field. They are vulnerable.

In an academic environment, we want faculty to discover ways to understand our world. We heave a heavy amount of responsibility on them. They also must inspire the next generation of thinkers. They are bosses, mentors, coaches, and at times, parental figures. There is no end to their thinking about what they do. They rarely clock out.

I am privilege to share a path of inquiry with many faculty. I know they value my passion and dedication.

On record, I am staff. My colleagues see me as an academic. This is more than semantic. It means there is a blurred line between us, and that titles are irrelevant. We are all lucky to have been chosen to try to make a difference. If we all step up to that responsibility, there is no longer an "us versus them."

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#28 of 90in90 for #LUBlogTribe