Comments on: Imaginary problems department: faculty “freeloaders” for using e-mail and letterhead?

By: Historiann

Historiann — Mon, 28 Jul 2008 03:44:06 +0000

And, I should add: I’m sorry about the UU connection.

By: Historiann

Historiann — Sun, 27 Jul 2008 16:49:30 +0000

Talk about an outsized sense of entitlement! Faculty are supposed to do everything all the time for their university employer, but they can’t even use letterhead for official correspondance? Glad he’s not my dean…!

By: Notorious Ph.D.

Notorious Ph.D. — Sun, 27 Jul 2008 02:46:15 +0000

If I remember, this Fant guy is the same one whose *previous* inane post I blogged about over at my place. This is the one that saw faculty who took outside jobs as not only disloyal, but possibly damaging the honor and reputation of the university.

He’s a dean at UU.

Yargh.

By: Historiann

Historiann — Sat, 19 Jul 2008 20:43:52 +0000

Tom–you’re right. Taken to its logical conclusion, no university should make letterhead available to anyone! Or, they should (as in 1765) require us to buy only stamped paper certifying that we’re not using the stationery to apply for another job. It’s totally baked, and it surprised me that more people in the comments on the original post didn’t say that, but instead talked about how wise and prudent that policy was! (And then it descended into rants about how good tenure-track people have it and shouldn’t complain about anything, etc., in the disturbing fashion of many of the comments threads over at the Chronicle.)

I guess I should start charging Baa Ram U. for the electricity, heat, and water that I use, and telephone calls I make while, working from home, so as to respect the principle of “good stewardship of resources.”

By: Tom

Tom — Sat, 19 Jul 2008 18:55:56 +0000

By Fant’s logic we should also encourage writers of letters of recommendation–especially those who write in support of their already-employed colleagues–to avoid letterhead out of a concern for (did I read that correctly?) “stewardship of resources and confidentiality”? Or is their use of departmental letterhead in support of a faculty member’s job search somehow more justified? If it’s appropriate for the recommenders (and I don’t see how it can’t be), it would seem to be appropriate for the applicants themselves.

Anyway, how is confidentiality supposedly compromised if I use letterhead in my job application? Presumably I will mention my affiliation in my letter or vita, so that’s not at issue. Or maybe Fant is trying to protect me from nosy people who see me grabbing some letterhead in the main office and who then leap to the conclusion that I am on the market?

By: Historiann

Historiann — Sat, 19 Jul 2008 15:05:14 +0000

Good point, History Maven. Since search committees now happily accept letters of recommendation via e-mail, I think the days of applications via e-mail only are probably shortly on their way. In both cases–whether writing a letter of recommendation or applying for a job–it would seem crucial to use an institutional e-mail address rather than jakeishott@hotmail., or fugeesfan734@gmail.

By: Historymaven

Historymaven — Sat, 19 Jul 2008 14:01:09 +0000

Letterhead, I was told in grad school, is legitimacy. But perhaps we are discussing a practice already receding into the past. More and more, universities are requiring online applications through human resource offices–removing departments’ direct oversight of the hiring process and making it more difficult to respond to applicants during searches. Posters on the academic job wiki rail against search committees, but those committees face more internal roadblocks when it comes merely to having access to files in a timely manner.

By: Historiann

Historiann — Sat, 19 Jul 2008 01:20:44 +0000

I had never heard this particular piece of “wisdom” until I read the Chronicle blog this morning! It just seems so craven and corporate, and not to mention punitive and mingy to faculty.

By: Cero

Cero — Fri, 18 Jul 2008 23:14:57 +0000

I am always amazed when people say one shouldn´t use departmental stationery and e-mail in job searches. (It´s ridiculous not to, and most people do, as I know from having read many application files.) Saying one shouldn´t is just one step from saying one shouldn´t even apply for jobs, because that would be disloyal … another amazing thing I have also heard more than once.

By: Historiann

Historiann — Fri, 18 Jul 2008 22:23:32 +0000

Bing–I can’t tell if you’re joking or not (except about the UU stationery, natch), but I’d use the institutional address your new employer gives you. Especially if your personal e-mail address is linked in any way to your blog!

Honestly, like we don’t make grad student and recent Ph.D. job-seekers paranoid enough…