111
votes
As a Head of Department, how can I make my faculty happier?
It might be uncommon, but just ask them.
You could use a basic questionaire if you want to do it anonymously, or you could talk to everyone in person.
Just showing some activity does not help as ...
- 13.2k
92
votes
Accepted
Is it okay to refuse a laptop from a new university if you already have your own personal laptop?
It surely matters where you are.
In the U.S., at many universities, "privileged information" of various sorts is supposedly not ever to be kept on "personal", as opposed to "institution-owned and ...
- 91.3k
84
votes
Accepted
Is it right for a professor to assume every CS student has a laptop?
The first step is to check whether your university provides laptops for students. For example, at my university students can borrow laptops from the university library.
If this is not the case, then ...
- 48.7k
81
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As a Head of Department, how can I make my faculty happier?
It sounds like you already have a well-functioning department, without interpersonal problems, so be careful that any changes don't make it worse. Thus, I would suggest approaching the problem with ...
- 73k
57
votes
Is it okay to refuse a laptop from a new university if you already have your own personal laptop?
First, I would strongly suggest that you have a work computer and a personal computer, and then keep those two separate for legal reasons. Although this is not the place for legal advice, and there ...
- 8,412
56
votes
Is it unusual for a math department not to have a mail/web server?
I've found out that the department (or the university?) is doing away with the server and instructing everyone to instead use the G Suite email and Google services that the general student body of the ...
- 41.1k
54
votes
As a Head of Department, how can I make my faculty happier?
For a professional, more important than a raise (they won't admit obviously) is the resources/tools to do a good job. Invest in things that will make them more productive, find the chores and try to ...
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33
votes
As a Head of Department, how can I make my faculty happier?
First, they won't always be happy, so don't set your expectations at that level. My suggestions will be simple.
Listen to them. Always. Assume that they know their own needs. Taking one or two of ...
- 400k
28
votes
Accepted
Is it unusual for a math department not to have a mail/web server?
It is becoming less common for individual departments to operate their own IT infrastructure - things are usually being centralised.
It is also becoming more common for parts of that centralised IT ...
- 11.3k
28
votes
How common is it for US universities to ask a postdoc to bring their own laptop computer etc.?
In my experience, the rule at academic Biology US labs is that everybody brings their own laptop. Having said that, it is my opinion that there are two separate issues.
The first issue/question is if ...
- 14.1k
18
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As a Head of Department, how can I make my faculty happier?
Socially inactive does not mean unhappy. If the department has already obtained
No politics or "serious personal issues" among members.
Then you are doing pretty well. If the green light is to ...
- 105k
18
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Is it unusual for a math department not to have a mail/web server?
As a math graduate student in the US, current norms make it reasonable for you to expect your department to offer you access to certain IT services, including:
A (free) email address that is credibly ...
- 202k
11
votes
As a Head of Department, how can I make my faculty happier?
The most important thing a HoD had do is to stand as a firewall between the faculty/school administration and the academics. Fight their fights for them, preferably without them even knowing you are ...
- 43.2k
11
votes
Is it right for a professor to assume every CS student has a laptop?
Your question title asks "is it right?" Later on the text you change that to "is it reasonable?" (Edit: the question was edited after I posted this answer, but the point remains)
...
- 14.1k
11
votes
Is it right for a professor to assume every CS student has a laptop?
Arno's answer is a good one (+1 from me and it is currently the accepted answer). But as a general rule it would not be unreasonable for a computer science course to require a laptop, with certain ...
10
votes
Accepted
Conducting exams in which a computer (but no internet) is available
My university in the UK provides such "locked down exam mode". Students log in with special "exam accounts", while their normal accounts are disabled for the time being. Exam accounts have limited ...
- 56.8k
10
votes
As a Head of Department, how can I make my faculty happier?
Buy a really good coffee machine. From my experience, lots of academics run on caffeine. Buying a good machine will help them in their work. Bonus: put it in a "coffee area" with nice chairs and a ...
- 1,467
9
votes
Is it okay to refuse a laptop from a new university if you already have your own personal laptop?
It's probably best to write to them saying you would prefer to us your own computer and ask whether that's an option.
If they do require you to use their machine, you could order one with very ...
- 8,279
8
votes
As a Head of Department, how can I make my faculty happier?
Being a faculty member myself, I feel there are a few things that I would love to see from my HOD. Those things are:
1. Have 1:1 conversation sessions. Ask them about the problems they are facing, ...
- 341
8
votes
Is it okay to refuse a laptop from a new university if you already have your own personal laptop?
About using personal computers for work - ignoring any possible legal arguments, I would advise taking a work computer if you have got the option.
First it can save you the hassle of lugging it around ...
- 443
8
votes
How common is it for US universities to ask a postdoc to bring their own laptop computer etc.?
At my U.S. R1 math dept, there are pressures to have a machine (desktop or laptop) that is controlled by the IT department... but you'd get the cheapest possible barely-viable version unless you can ...
- 91.3k
7
votes
How common is it for US universities to ask a postdoc to bring their own laptop computer etc.?
I'll note that in the US, it would be extremely unusual if a person starting a post-doc, or even doctoral studies, or maybe even secondary education, didn't have their own laptop already.
It would be ...
- 400k
7
votes
How common is it for US universities to ask a postdoc to bring their own laptop computer etc.?
Finance person here in the US who has seen the finances for hundreds of PIs before and can shed some light on this "wealthy" comment.
First of all, no PI is required to fund anything, period....
7
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I am a PhD researcher , I have access to equipment in my lab, can I use the facilities to test my own samples that are not part of my project
All of these machines have consumable costs, maintenance costs, and capital expense costs.
You absolutely need to get permission before incurring any of these costs on a machine you do not personally ...
- 135k
7
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Accepted
I am a PhD researcher , I have access to equipment in my lab, can I use the facilities to test my own samples that are not part of my project
The correct way of handling this is, especially as you have an existing collaboration, to get your supervisor to approve the use of the instruments as part of this work. Collaborations where different ...
- 1,744
6
votes
Is it unusual for a math department not to have a mail/web server?
Domain name, email and website are three different things.
Your university doesn't have to have any computer equipment at all to own the university.edu domain, all they have to do is pay for it. ...
- 5,460
5
votes
Is it okay to refuse a laptop from a new university if you already have your own personal laptop?
There are two main benefits of using your personal laptop for work:
You have administrative access to the system. This can be really helpful, if you frequently install new software. IT departments ...
- 3,017
5
votes
Is it okay to refuse a laptop from a new university if you already have your own personal laptop?
Try asking them for something else, instead. Perhaps they don't provide you with a desktop computer? You might exchange one for the other, and have IT manage your desktop in case you'd rather avoid ...
- 40.8k
5
votes
Accepted
Are there known issues with Black / glass dry erase boards?
One issue is likely to be the need for carefully chosen dry-erase markers.
As most dry-erase boards are white, most of the dry-erase markers you'll find will be black, blue, red, etc. That is, dark ...
- 5,274
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