sticks and stones can break my bones..
I received this email from a professor today, in response to an email I sent him last night.
Thanks for your e-mail, Liane. This is probably not a discussion for e-mail — I would welcome you to come by the office and discuss it in more detail if you would like.
It is true that you are doing the minimum to pass the course and, if you continue on the track you are on, you will get a passing grade.
The painful thing to me is that I know you’re not working anywhere near your potential, and I have not been able to inspire–or to push–you to have those 5 or 6 publishing credits I know you could have done during this semester.
You have a right to position yourself as you have. I heard you loudly and clearly when you told me that you’re not interested in my publishable ideas, because they aren’t your passion. And my returning critiqued query letters to you overnight was so that you could have them in the mail the next morning–and I heard you when you said you did not send any of them out because you didn’t want to take the time to write the articles if the editor responded positively.
So the bottom line on the summer internship is that we must have a higher level of professionalism and dedication than this. Liz makes the final decision–I do not. But I can’t, in good conscience, recommend the lackluster and unmotivated student I have seen this semester as part of a high-demand staff in a fast-paced publishing environment.
Let me be clear that I don’t value you less because of the decisions you have made, even though it’s a personal disappointment to me. But you also need to understand why we need to have a performer in the office who has a much higher level of drive, motivation, compliance with direction, and professionalism.
Fair enough? Happy to talk with you further, if you’d like.
Wow. This email cut me deeper than anything has in a long, long time. Pride, vanity, whatever, it just HURTS to be told I’m not trying.
I received this email from a professor today, in response to an email I sent him last night.
Thanks for your e-mail, Liane. This is probably not a discussion for e-mail — I would welcome you to come by the office and discuss it in more detail if you would like.
It is true that you are doing the minimum to pass the course and, if you continue on the track you are on, you will get a passing grade.
The painful thing to me is that I know you’re not working anywhere near your potential, and I have not been able to inspire–or to push–you to have those 5 or 6 publishing credits I know you could have done during this semester.
You have a right to position yourself as you have. I heard you loudly and clearly when you told me that you’re not interested in my publishable ideas, because they aren’t your passion. And my returning critiqued query letters to you overnight was so that you could have them in the mail the next morning–and I heard you when you said you did not send any of them out because you didn’t want to take the time to write the articles if the editor responded positively.
So the bottom line on the summer internship is that we must have a higher level of professionalism and dedication than this. Liz makes the final decision–I do not. But I can’t, in good conscience, recommend the lackluster and unmotivated student I have seen this semester as part of a high-demand staff in a fast-paced publishing environment.
Let me be clear that I don’t value you less because of the decisions you have made, even though it’s a personal disappointment to me. But you also need to understand why we need to have a performer in the office who has a much higher level of drive, motivation, compliance with direction, and professionalism.
Fair enough? Happy to talk with you further, if you’d like.
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