Here's my fantasy.
Someday, I'll be arranging a committee meeting, and it won't take 32 emails.
I'm especially tired of trying to negotiate the folks who teach all day Tuesdays and Thursdays, and don't want to come in on MWF, and vice versa. Then there's the person who has to take a kid to school after 8am, and pick him/her up by 3:30 on the days s/he's not teaching all day (because the partner does the other days). And the person who's administrative job takes up 40% of the time, but doesn't show on course schedules, so the planner doesn't know until after the third email.
at my place, there's increasing pressure to do e-calendaring and make it accessible to others for scheduling. There used to be a great way to make these meetings work. It was called a secretary. GOD, I miss the excellent secretaries of years past. It amazes me how institutions underestimate the time this kind of crap takes, and think it's a good use of faculty time.
ReplyDeleteDoodle.
ReplyDeleteSeriously, the number of our meetings set up using a doodle calendar is amazing. And it's much easier than looking at 14 emails and figuring out what time works.
Alternately, staff.
In addition, there are no classes scheduled on our campus from 12-1:30 on Tuesday, so EVERYONE can do a meeting then (except the people who manage not to be able to.)
Sigh.
there's something called doodle, that doesn't consist of what i do during phone calls?
ReplyDeletewhen i was trying to schedule things, i'd take the best stab based on available information, and schedule. sometimes we would reschedule for reasons, but it was a lot less hectic than trying to find the optimal time for everyone.
I use whenisgood.com It works great and is totally free!
ReplyDeleteand here's a vote for meeting wizard, also free http://www.meetingwizard.com/mwiz/home/about-mw.cfm
ReplyDelete