In suspecting a st&nt oftrying to con he5 a teacher gets a first lesson in academic politics.

Teacher, Scholar, Politician

Delores Williams

1:30 A.M. The phone rings, My voice fumbles out ofa bad dream into the telephone growling “hello!” A masculine voice on the other end, “MS. Williams, I won’t be in class tomorrow. My aunt has died suddenly, and I have to go to Chicago.” (Damnit, I say to myself, why call me in the middle of the nighti) “Ok,” I hear myself say calmly, “I’m sorry your aunt died. I’ll give you the assignments when you return.” He continues: “I feel I ought to stay in Chicago a few days to console my mother, it was her only sister. So I won’t be able to turn in my mid- term exam for another two weeks.” I swallow hard trying to conceal my anger at what looks like a put-on. I’m a new teaching assistant and do not want the rep of being a pushover for con games. Anyway, this student chalIenges everything I do in class; he misses whenever he feels like it; he does not do very good work, “Mr. Smith, it is unfortunate your aunt died,” I say, “but I will not accept your exam later than due date. You have had plenty of time to prepare it.” He gently pleads. Finally he gets angry at my resistance and hangs up the phone screaming he is going to get satisfaction.

Next day he goes to the professor, who supports me. Later, he goes to the dean, who supports him. The rationale for the dean’s action is communicated to me by the professor. But I a m mad as a wet hen because I feel the dean has bought a con game. My friends advise

141 W. Martin (Ed.). Nmu jar Twhiq ad *q: New Pmpatiar 011 Tmchiq ad Larniq, DO. 7. SM FrancLeo: Jo~cy-Bau. Septunbcr 1981

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me not to make waves because of my lowly situation (a student) and the politics of graduate school programs. Hence I do not complain. Rather, I learn an important lesson: the teacher-scholar must also become aware of the politics that govern relationships,neate situations, and help determine promotions at an academic institution. Teacher- scholar-politician: how does one balance these roles (or merge them) when one regards teaching acalling and seeks satisfaction from alife of college teaching?

Delores WiUhms is a research associate at the Harvard Divinity Schoo& Cambridge, Massachwetts. .