What professors do: Day Three

Day Three: Wednesday

9 At computer. Late start today because Staffan and I talked Libya, New Zealand and other things over coffee. Check private mail, FB, work email, respond. Post a CFP on the PhD electronic site.

9:45 Write support for a PhD application
10:25  Learn that a colleague is in Christchurch on holiday, bruised, but alive. Shock.

10:30 Drive to work. Note: I am on study leave. This is the second time I go to work this week. 
11 check and respond to email

11:30 PhD supervision (PhD supervisions are not affected by study leaves). Crisis, intensive correspondence with Higher Degree Office

12:25 Go to the railway station to pick up Perry Nodelman who is our guest speaker tonight.

12:45 Fancy lunch with Perry and Morag. THIS IS WORK!

3 Back to Faculty. Perry in Morag's class. Check email. Two more chapters for the edited volume have arrived, one of which in 18 separate scanned pages that cannot be assembled or edited. I am sure this has been done with the best intention. Intensive email correspondence on the matter. Receive chapter in normal format, but with all possible deviations from guidelines. Edit. Email to myself as attachment to continue from home. Reply to more emails.

4:15 Perry back from Morag's class. Morag in shock because of a very discouraging email from our Head of Faculty. There will be a crisis meeting tomorrow.

4:30 Over to the other building with Perry, trying to keep calm. Set up the slide show. Chat. Introduce students and colleagues as they arrive.

5 Perry's brilliant lecture. Try to concentrate on the lecture and not on tomorrow's meeting.

6:30 Refreshments, informal chat.

7:15 Back to office with Perry.

7:30 Take Perry to the station.

8 Back home. Take a strong drink. Swear. Have dinner.

8:30 Read Morag's correspondence with Head of Faculty, write suggestions for strategy for tomorrow's meeting.

9:30 Check email. Forward edited chapters to co-editor. Explain why I won't be able to edit more before our meeting tomorrow. Check private email, FB, write this blog.
10:10 Collapse.

This adds up to twelve hours of very intensive and stressful work. Tomorrow was supposed to be a calm, relaxing day.