r/Professors • u/JaguarWonderful • 1d ago

Convocation incentive

We just got an email letting us know about Convocation (the pointless all school rah-rah meeting), with this gem of an incentive:

"All Convocation attendees receive a raffle ticket for priority entry to lunch and a chance to win fun prizes!"

I'm definitely going to convocation now! A chance at priority entry to the free (crappy) lunch!

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u/Mental-Surround-4117 1d ago

At Rutgers Newark the dean of arts and sciences owns a writers retreat and her circle of favorites - the only people she talks to or interacts with - get research funds that they turn around and spend at her business.

Needless to say no faculty feel like going to the convocation. So we get these desperate pleas to show school spirit but it’s just an afternoon of work before classes begin.

Of course the dean’s favorites don’t go either because they only go to stuff where they’re being paid.

Anyway it sucks.

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u/HariboBerries 1d ago

I know exactly what you are talking about. Small world. But methinks you might have limited information. A lot of folks from many different institutions go to this retreat - and not all of them are academics. I have been to this space and I am not affiliated with Rutgers-Newark. Honestly, if it was my business, I’d charge more. I think more academics need to explore ways to make money outside of the academy. The food is great and the workshop I attended there was invaluable. That said, if someone gets research funding and they are able to spend it on a research or writing workshop, who cares where they spend it?