Reflections on human relations in the academic environment

It’s really very simple – if you treat someone well and respect them, they will want to work hard for you. But if you treat someone poorly, they will respond in kind. So how come as academics, we haven’t figured this out. I have been reading posts by YoungFemaleScientist and I have heard many horror stories about grad students who are treated like shiza. I don’t understand why human relations training is not mandatory for academics who need remedial socialization.

I mean if I were a faculty member and I had a PhD student, who is likely to be working for at least 4-5 years (if not on average 6 years) for you, I would treat this person…well gosh darn it, with respect. Treating this student as a colleague makes sense because eventually that’s exactly what they will be. In addition, I would also ensure they had a work space that enhanced their productivity and the resources they required to do the work. I’d also be very clear and honest about what I had available in terms of my time and resources.

I hope I don’t get stupid with ego and forget I wrote this.

My new supervisor is great. He really seems concerned about my working environment. He bought me a new computer, an awesome chair (eat your heart out GeekBoy), and all the office supplies I needed. He said I should let him know if I wanted anything else - that he would do his best to make sure I got the things I needed - and this is the best part - he wants me to be happy about coming to SmallUniversity in SmallTown. This makes me want to work hard for him because he is working hard for me.

Unfortunately at LargeUniversityinCanada (LUC), we had a lobster-faced administrator who was known to make certain grad students’ lives hell. If you were an ecology student (and packed into a 15-person office formerly a lab), then you were lucky if the administrator didn’t take your stuff and shove it in the fumehood so that she could give away your desk space while you were away doing field work. I guess I think the faculty should stand up for their students but this would require that a) they be present (both physically and mentally) and b) that they care about their students.

At LUC, I was one of the lucky ones whose supervisor made sure that her students had desk space. For her new students, she bought a computer and a chair. In the end although she was not perfect, she made time for us and she cared.

What’s really interesting is how my relationship with her changed in last few months of my PhD to now. I think it changed because I let go. I let go of needing her approval. I let go of needing her to respect me as a scientist. I let go of my expectations of her. Basically, I just let go. This is what enabled me to finish the PhD. In addition, my confidence in myself as a scientist grew. Now I have an easy, relaxed, and comfortable relationship with her. In fact, I think we are friends. Looking back on the trying times, I’m pretty sure that each grad student teaches the supervisor something new - if not academically, then at least in terms of personal relations.

Just as much as we learn from them, they learn from us.