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When our computer science department was founded, Fred Brooks (the founder) insisted that the university provide funding for a department secretary from the out
by shaddi 16y ago
When our computer science department was founded, Fred Brooks (the founder) insisted that the university provide funding for a department secretary from the outset. He went through a lengthy process of selecting the best person he could find, and to this day she is revered in the department (one of our classrooms is named in her honor). It's not a matter of considering some tasks to be "below" you, it's about maximizing your productivity by dividing labor.
From the department history [1]:
"Professors and administrators may be loath to admit it, but no one knows better than they who runs a university: the department secretaries. [...] He was fortunate to secure the services of Sara Elizabeth ("Lib") Moore, a graduate of the University who had worked in the chancellor's office before moving to Duke University. Lib ran the Department for 16 years."
[1] http://www.cs.unc.edu/History/Infancy.html http://www.cs.unc.edu/History/Infancy.html
- ajdecon 16y agoIndeed. One of the things I've learned as a graduate student is that the department secretary is the single most important person in the department, at least for a student. They will likely be the one to schedule your exams, order your supplies (including chemicals!), get you time with faculty, coordinate meetings with your committee, and generally keep things running smoothly. Woe to the student who gets on their bad side. Having an office admin isn't about offloading tasks which are "below" you: these tasks often require experience and excellent people skills, and it's about an effective division of labor.