> I want to add, however, that Pat
>  Sloane does a real disservice to us all when she trivializes the concerns
>  of younger scholars (and not only "younger" scholars as a minimally
>  attentive reading of Otfried's letter would reveal) about changing and
>  difficult professional circumstances.  To call someone's heartfelt, and too
>  often well justified, assertion a "shameless and ridiculous lie," 

>  Albert Russell Ascoli
>  Director of Graduate Studies
>  Department of Italian Studies
>  Dwinelle Hall 6325
>  University of California
>  Berkeley CA 94720-2620

Albert,

Otfried to me is a younger scholar. If you're older than Otfried, or older
than me (who am considerably older than Otfried), then I wasn't including you
in the category "younger scholars." Nor was I including you if you're actually
a younger scholar but take umbrage at being called that.  In short, I have no
idea who you are, have no reason to want to offend you, meant no offense and
am sorry offense was taken.  Otfied seemed to need some cheering up, and you
weren't responding.  You get in there first next time, say what you think
ought to be said to lift people's spirits, and you're welcome to have the
field.  

You haven't identified anything I said to Otfried which is incorrect, ranging
from the fall-off in ads after April to the reluctance of many colleges to
interview people who don't have the PhD in hand.  It would have been better
for him to hear this from an administrator. But again, you who are claiming to
be an administrator just weren't there when you might have spoken up.  

FYI, my telling Otfried to keep his spirits up is not "trivializing" his
concerns.  I wonder where your head is if that's your response.  What do you
advise your own graduate students in your greater wisdom from your soapbox in
California?  That none of them will ever find jobs?  that they should get
their names on lists for public service jobs like driving busses?  You may not
consider <that> approach a disservice, but I certainly do.  If you're not able
to find jobs for your graduates, this may be a reflection on you, or on some
lack of finesse on your part.  It doesn't make you a villain, because lots of
directors of graduate studies haven't the foggiest notion of how to do their
jobs.  Obviously, there are graduate students going out and getting teaching
jobs, with or without the help they ought to be getting from their colleges.  

On the rest, you misread what I wrote. Any college that says it is unable to
keep track of its graduates is telling a shameless and ridiculous lie.  As
you're holding yourself forth as  a director of graduate studies, I'm
wondering if this could be your own "heartfelt" position--that you don't know
how to keep track of your graduates, or it would be too difficult for you.  

If this is why you flared up at me, do your job by asking your college's
alumni office how the alumni office keeps track of graduates.  I doubt there's
a college alumni office on the face of this earth that doesn't meticulously
keep track of all graduates, and dun every single one of them every single
year for contributions, and this is true of public as well as private
colleges.  Enough time having passed since I graduated, I now even get yearly
brochures explaining how I can make a bequest to my college(s), and imploring
me to do so.  You identify yourself as an administrator and these are things
you're supposed to know.  Why don't you know these things?

pat sloane

 
  


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