Bowing out...

[faculty]

I've never started a topic here because I wanted my role to more of a supporter than a participant, perhaps a resource rather than a source, but I felt like it was important that I say something after Willow mentioned my presence in another thread. 

 

I have always feared that my presence here could influence students' comfort in the forum. But, given the candor that people speak with, assumed that wasn't the case - until now. 

 

I first came here when I was chairing an adcomm, not to get dirt on applicants, but so that I could get in touch with student concerns - in general - and better connect with the students who visited my department and those who eventually enrolled. My role in my department has changed (I'm completely disengaged from admissions today), but my connection to my own graduate students, and students who want to join the profession more generally, has not waned. I see it as a tremendous privilege to get this "insider look" that few of my colleagues know exists and even fewer care about. This forum has offered me that perspective and I have tried to occasionally pay back by adding insight that I felt was relevant.

 

However, I am more than happy to bow out and stop visiting if students prefer it. I don't know that it will stop faculty presence on the forum (I heard about this place from a colleague at another school), but if it increases students' comfort and candor - although there's been an awful lot of that lately, with little benefit - here, I feel more than comfortable taking this off my regular list of internet stops.

 

There's no need to respond. You can PM me your thoughts if you'd like, or just ignore the post. Perhaps just putting it out there that - while I won't share my gender or specialty or school or anything else, for similar reasons to many of your own - I'm not here to spy on you, will help. 

[ohgoodness]

I've never started a topic here because I wanted my role to more of a supporter than a participant, perhaps a resource rather than a source, but I felt like it was important that I say something after Willow mentioned my presence in another thread. 

 

I have always feared that my presence here could influence students' comfort in the forum. But, given the candor that people speak with, assumed that wasn't the case - until now. 

 

I first came here when I was chairing an adcomm, not to get dirt on applicants, but so that I could get in touch with student concerns - in general - and better connect with the students who visited my department and those who eventually enrolled. My role in my department has changed (I'm completely disengaged from admissions today), but my connection to my own graduate students, and students who want to join the profession more generally, has not waned. I see it as a tremendous privilege to get this "insider look" that few of my colleagues know exists and even fewer care about. This forum has offered me that perspective and I have tried to occasionally pay back by adding insight that I felt was relevant.

 

However, I am more than happy to bow out and stop visiting if students prefer it. I don't know that it will stop faculty presence on the forum (I heard about this place from a colleague at another school), but if it increases students' comfort and candor - although there's been an awful lot of that lately, with little benefit - here, I feel more than comfortable taking this off my regular list of internet stops.

 

There's no need to respond. You can PM me your thoughts if you'd like, or just ignore the post. Perhaps just putting it out there that - while I won't share my gender or specialty or school or anything else, for similar reasons to many of your own - I'm not here to spy on you, will help. 

 

Can't upvote so I comment.  Stick around sounds like the best solution if you have an interest here.   Whatever foul turn that the forum might have taken during this cycle is not an isolated occurence but rather a ongoing trend re internet behavior.  Look at most serious debates anywhere - they are almost always overwhelmed by those who simply want to get heard.. 

[Eigen]

I'll respond here, because I think it's worth discussing:

 

I think faculty responses here are very helpful, and very pertinent.

 

I also think it's good to get used to the fact that what you post online isn't private, when you're posting it publicly.

 

And I'm also of the perspective that you shouldn't be posting in a way that you aren't OK with other people finding out about. Candor is well and fine, but there's productive candor, and the much less productive variety we've seen here of late.

 

Also, for prospective graduate students, being "comfortable" talking around faculty is a good thing to get used to.

[Willows]

I hope you didn't misunderstand my comment. I specifically said you were insightful. Ah well. 

[socspice]

I think you've always been helpful and have given great advice. I hope you stick with it.

[faculty]

I didn't misunderstand - and I appreciate it, Willows, as it's nice to be thought of as insightful - but I also realized that others might have different perceptions.

 

Eigen and ohgoodness bring up good points, though. Even though I said I didn't need them, I truly appreciate people taking time to provide reasoned responses.

[Darth.Vegan]

I also really like the thought of having actual faculty members in sociology on the board. In so many cases we are just speculating based on things we have read from other potential applicants, an inside perspective is always welcome. There may be some concerns as to faculty members at potential graduate programs seeing how we behave, but the fact is we should always assume that is the case anyway. It doesn't make me uncomfortable knowing there are faculty members reading this board, while I may have acted poorly in certain instances on this forum or any other, it doesn't matter. Overall, I greatly appreciate your input and hope that you stick around. 

[Willows]

There may be some concerns as to faculty members at potential graduate programs seeing how we behave, but the fact is we should always assume that is the case anyway. 

 

 

Yeah, I agree. We would be naive to think that absolutely zero faculty members are coming to this forum.  

 

Not that I don't already monitor my behavior online, but that's just yet another reason I try to keep things both anonymous and civil. This is really the beginning of our professional careers, so I treat it sort of like I do at work when I'm online in the sense that I know my boss can have access to my internet history at any time. 

 

I think faculty members who engage in conversation are the most helpful. I much prefer your approach, the participant observer, rather than a pure lurker. 

[Physwimic]

I may not be from sociology, but I personally think it is admirable for a faculty member to invest some of their time in these types of endeavors.  You are able to provide a different perspective which most of the other posters cannot hope to provide.  Like many of the other posters have already said, it is high time for people to remember that what they post on the internet is not private and likely to be exploited by any means necessary.  This means if you do have a sensitive topic to discuss, you should post accordingly.  If you don't want something to influence your chances of admission somewhere, post in a method that doesn't single out schools or people.  Take precautions so that you can post anonymously if you are going to post about sensitive matters.  These are common sense things that I feel are being lost as technology seeps into our everyday life.

[RefurbedScientist]

I agree with the above comment. It's admirable for a faculty member to take the care to understand how students think and feel about admissions in candid conversations. I'm now a student in a program and find that faculty have mixed attitudes toward students. A few are looking for protoges, some want nothing to do with us, but most are more or less ambivalent/confused about grad students.

 

I think the sensitizing effect from having faculty peer into our collective neuroses (and spread the word of empathy among colleagues) is perhaps even more valuable than your (already very valuable) advice. So that's one reason for you to at least lurk. 

 

That all being said, I've been on this board since early 2011 and I've always found your posts quite useful and reassuring. Voice of reason, and all that. It's good to be reminded every year that GREs aren't the whole story, to apply based on fit over ranking (but ranking matters too), to think hard about why you want a PhD after all, and so on and so forth down the line of classic, annual advice.   

[FertMigMort]

@Faculty

 

I'm a senior grad student and I agree that it's valuable to have your insight. I've been on recruitment committees and frequently used this website to get an idea of where else people were accepted. I was open about this though and frequently advised people to change their names so they were less obvious.

I've been on hiatus of posting because I was on the adcomm, but we're done reviewing applications, so I'm back now everyone. I'll be making a post later this month about my experience and anything that might help people for their next round of applications.