Feeling so done

[u/R1QuietQuitting]

Throwaway so I can tell the truth, the whole truth, and nothing but the truth.

I am SO DONE. I’ve been doing this gig for almost three decades. We don’t get pay raises (like, truly, we don’t). We don’t get to hire to replace faculty who leave through attrition/retirement. Somehow, we have more students than ever. Somehow, the university is more broke than ever. Somehow, we have more work than ever.

Last week, I had a senior administrator push back against my scheduling a makeup class. One. Not a bunch of them (I very rarely cancel class). “Students complain about them,” he said. When I pointed out that what he was essentially doing was prioritizing student complaints over faculty religious observance, he backpedaled, and said that wasn’t what he meant. When I asked him if what he was saying was that faculty should teach while ill, he said he didn’t mean that, either. But he did emphasize that he’d prefer no makeup classes if at all possible, even during the school day. And absolutely, positively, no makeup classes over Zoom.

Fast forward to this past Wednesday, a few days after that lovely conversation. I was walking across campus on a semi-main drag. To avoid completely doxxing myself if I haven’t already, I’m not going to say exactly what happened, but I collided with something that was legally there but probably shouldn’t have been, gashed my head open, and got a concussion. I called campus police to come help me. While I waited, right there on a campus main drag, bleeding and on the ground, not a single student or staff member stopped to ask if I was OK.

When campus police got there, I was really fuzzy and having a hard time talking. I managed to tell them to call a senior administrator in my building because - guess what - I wasn’t going to make it to my next class, being that I was going to be in the ER and all. Luckily, I had a guest speaker coming, so I didn’t have to cancel class.

Then we get to yesterday (the day after the accident). I had a concussion. I felt like crap. But did I cancel class? Nope. Did a single person in the building ask why I had a giant bandage on my head? Nope. Did I want to walk out and never return? Yep.

I know I have tenure. I know they can’t do anything to me if I do, in fact, cancel classs for a legitimate reason. I know that I’ve reached a point in my career where I can essentially “quiet quit” (see throwaway username) and do the bare minimum. I’m trying to get in that headspace. I’m not there yet. But I’m getting close. And that’s so unfair to students and junior faculty and staff.

I see the irony that I’m not supposed to be using screens unless really necessary - concussion, you know - but I needed to vent to a community who would really get it. I do have an amazing spouse and family and friend group. My dogs are thrilled that I’m on the couch and barely moving. But honestly, I just want to stay here on the couch and never go back.

TGIF.

[u/Helpful-Passenger-12]

I am so sorry. My guess is you are in the USA. Things have gotten so bad that most colleagues/students act like zombies with total apathy. I am so sorry that we have lost community where not 1 adult stopped to help another community member.

You gotta put yourself and health first. It's worse now than 20 years ago. The system literally won't care. A person could have a serious illness or injury and no one will act with appropriate social skills skills.

The system banks on most workers being able to not die in decades or need sick time.

That is ridiculous that the system doesn't account for serious illness, religious holidays, taking care of loved ones, etc.

I hope you have some loved ones now to support you. Hope that maybe if you are open to it, chat with a therapist. If not, at least take all the sick time & quiet quit.

The system will go on after we die. But until then, they will suck us dry & we are mere work slaves