got a warning from the dean, what would you do?

[EpsiIon]

Originally posted by: Zenmervolt
Both sides need some serious work...

Your last E-mail is honestly inexcuseable. However, the Dean's remarks (and his inability to understand the difference between "their" and "there") are likewise inexcuseable.

Call this one a draw and quit pushing the issue.

ZV

x2.

Your last e-mail was inappropriately rude (although I can understand your frustration), but the fact that she reported you to the Dean (and the Dean wasted HIS time writing to you AND starting a file) tells me that your school is run by overly-bureaucratic <holds tongue>. You WILL lose any conflict you start with them, so swallow your pride and let it go.

 

[spidey07]

OP

You have much to learn about life. Your attitude is irrehensible as is your total lack for authority and one got the expected response.

They cannot simply wave a magic wand and make wireless happen.

I do this for a living and we get snot nosed brats (and even executives) with the same tone. Standard answer is "when its ready".

If I was that dean I'd put you on notice as well. Tread lightly. You need to learn a lesson here.

-edit- the reason why they cannot give a definitive answer is wireless is changing so incredibly rapidly and there are still severe security concerns that it is difficult to see into the future as to when a wireless solution will meet their needs is developed.

 

[ssvegeta1010]

You did come off as a bit of an ass, but...

Originally posted by: deejayshakur
...if you fail to lean how to respond to concerns...

The dean should "lean" how to spell.

 

[spidey07]

Originally posted by: ssvegeta1010
You did come off as a bit of an ass, but...

Originally posted by: deejayshakur
...if you fail to lean how to respond to concerns...

The dean should "lean" how to spell.

Oh please. Let it go. Most times you run a spell check on an E-mail and that's that.

 

[miniMUNCH]

OP...you were being an asshole.

You probably have no idea what her job is like or the daily struggles she endures...I can imagine it being very tough indeed for MIS to secure a large budget for any kind of no operation critical network delpyment.

Most of the board of trustee's are not terribly computer savy and those who are are still not geeks. So when it comes to spending 1 million dolllars (or whatever) upgrading wireless networks or upgrading labs...they are going to pick upgrade labs.

Also...33k is not that much for med school these days so don't pretend like you are owed wireless access.

Last butnot least...you should learn that pulling sh1t like your emails in a professional setting will almost never get you what you want and will almost certainly damage your career opportunities (even if only to a small degree).

 

[Reckoner]

Oh no! No wireless access! The world is crumbling before my eyes!!

AHHHHH!!!!!!!

 

[RGN]

The dean sounds like he understand big business. It is a pretty simple letter, more of an informational than a warning. At any rate I'd still send him back a letter that listed the 69 different ways he can be equated to a penis.

Then again, I'd expected to get expelled too. But I wouldn't loose a wink of sleep over it. Dean's are like security guards. They think they are cops, but have no legal bawls.

 

[Anubis]

Originally posted by: deejayshakur

Originally posted by: Sphexi
you have absolutely NO right to be questioning her or her performance in her job. Your dean was 100% right, and you need to suck it up and move on, and take his advice.

except for the fact that she's given the same response 4 years running. meanwhile, the pharm school just opened and guess what! they have wireless access. all i asked for was a definite response to when we should be expecting it and she's been avoiding that question for a 4th consecutive year. we're paying $30 grand a year--as did the classes before us. you would be expecting a lot for your money as well.

i paied 35K a year for undergrad, i graduated in college, there was not a wireless spot on the campus and wireless routers were not allowed in the dorms, they woudl shut you off if they found it

wireless isnt expected or needed

 

[Mo0o]

She asked you to make an appointment and instead you chose to be an ass, you deserved what you got.

 

[Wuffsunie]

Welcome to the world of politics!

Because that's all the whole mess is. The MIS head likely knows for a fact that you'll graduate before getting wireless. Simple truth. She just can't say it. Again, for political reasons. If you keep giving vague hits and suggestions that things MIGHT get done, then you never have to deal with actual answering questions from those on the other end as to why they're not done. Sure, it would have been easier to either give you the figures you wanted or tell you she hasn't a clue as to when it'd happen, rather than go through all the beaureucratic red tape she did. But doing so would have jepordized her position because you'd suddenly have a fact on which to work with.

As for what you said to her and the way you said it, while it may be blunt truth, you have to remember that she has position, and people in position cannot stand to be talked down to. Her reaction was exactly "You're a student. Who are you to be demanding answers of me?" The more beaureucratic the environment, the more this is true. So, you have to play politics and always remember your place as a peon, as a being below her station in life. If you play that well enough, higher ups like that may deign to actually heed your requests. Attitude like yours could only be given to those lower down in the political heirachy than yourself. Attempting to give it to those above will only result in smiting for impudence, no matter how correct or factual whatever you're trying to express may be.


Really, the moral of this whole story is "know your place, never step out of it, or of you do you'll be stepped on."

 

[Buck Armstrong]

They don't OWE you wireless, or especially Firefox for God's sake. You're a student, not an administrator, so its not up to you when they implement anything, or even when they answer emails. Plus, hundreds of thousands of people, including myself, got an education without laptops and wireless. We used these strange devices known as PENS and PAPER, and not everyone in this world is so consumed with computers that they can't spend an hour in class or learn anything without touching one.

Part of school is teaching you things other than those directly pertinent to your chosen profession, things which apply to ALL professions, like communications and writing skills. I'd have to agree with the dean that you need some help in those areas. Wait until school's over and you enter the real world, and see what happens when you send emails like that to your boss or other department heads.

 

[ThisIsMatt]

Since matriculating at XXX, I have reazlied that many professors lecture strictly from powerpoint presentations and nearly all of them do not provide printouts of the slides. It makes learning a lot more effective when those slides are in front of us on our laptop/tablet screens so that we can take notes directly on them. Not to mention the ecological savings from the paper used to print out those lectures. In any case, I--and the rest of the class I would imagine--appreciate a status update on this matter.

This is the only reason you've given as a need for wireless? Why do you need wireless for this? You get the instructors to put the PPT slides online and download them before class. You don't need on-site wireless for that.

 

[Siddhartha]

You are in medical school and you are using your very limited, priceless free time on this?

 

[aidanjm]

Originally posted by: Zenmervolt
Both sides need some serious work...

Your last E-mail is honestly inexcuseable. However, the Dean's remarks (and his inability to understand the difference between "their" and "there") are likewise inexcuseable.

Call this one a draw and quit pushing the issue.

ZV

I also was shocked at the Dean's use of "there" instead of "their". Doesn't anyone proof read his formal communications?

The Dean's advice, tho, is wise. In any large organisation, you do need to be able to maintain professional communications even with inidividuals who are thwarting your aims. There was nothing to be gained in getting snotty with this woman even if she was being less than helpful. The Dean's comments about going through formal channels to get changes implemented (student government, etc.) also seemed like good advice.

 

[RbSX]

Originally posted by: jspeicher
you do come off as kind of an ass in those emails. be more people friendly.

Yea.. the firsst email is alright.

But calling to make an appointment is definately a good idea.

You came off as a dick.

 

[aidanjm]

Originally posted by: deejayshakur
it's funny that my entire life, i've been the most passive and agreeable person--coworkers and bosses have told me that multiple times. the one time that i decide to fire it up, i get caught. oh well, passivity pays i guess.

When passive people do decide to "fire it up", often they go too far, because they don't have experience being assertive, and so they end up sounding aggressive instead. You came over as rude and aggressive, more than firm and assertive. You sort of need to learn how to remain calm, polite, & professional, while remaining persistent.

The Dean's letter didn't appear to request a reply from you, so maybe you should just drop it. I suppose you could sent a note of apology to the woman you were emailing with. Probably don't need to, tho.

 

[mjrpes3]

Originally posted by: Zenmervolt
However, the Dean's remarks (and his inability to understand the difference between "their" and "there") are likewise inexcuseable.

ZV

The grammer nazis are everywhere. Based on the level of professionalism in the Dean's letter I can tell he "understands the difference between 'their' and 'there'" and that this was a simple typo and oversight. If this was a more pressing issue than just reprimanding a student for being a dick over WLAN connections, I imagine he might have put in the extra effort to check over the letter twice. The reality is he probably has more pressing issues at hand.

 

[mjrpes3]

To the OP, the problem with your last message is that you vented your fustration in the wrong way. Bureaucracies take sadistic pleasure in reprimanding fustration that steps over the line (which the unprofessionalism in your last message does), as you've just witnessed. Vent out to your friends or student representatives in private, not to the target of your fustration.

 

[gotsmack]

Dean XXXXXXX:

I have recieved your e-mail and reviewed the information contained within and must inform you that I find your tone and tenor of your communication with myself to be unprofessional, discourtious, and unacceptable as a standard for a Dean of the COM (college of medicine). I fear that you will have very difficult times ahead if you fail to lean how to respond to concerns that you have in a civil and professional manner. I realize that email can create a harsher tone that interpersonal forms of communication, but the tone of your words goes beyond that which would be explained by the nature of email communication.

By communication directly with me rather than through our elected officials you actually thwart the process which you seem to be so concerned about. You end up using your valuable time when you already have regular commitments for communicating with Student Government officials in the area of service in question. I suggest that you channel your expertise and energy into imporving the wireless technology at the COM (which is a recognized priority for the students) or any other area where you feel you have a contribution to make.

In the meantime, please consider this a formal notice and know that I am creating a file for which I may submit to legal council (should the situation come into being), toward the end of encouraging you to make immediate improvements in your communications with your customers. At this point your file will not reflect any notations on your evaluation and this file will be shredded upon my graduation, as long as there are no additional problems. If there are further instances of this kind of unprofessional behavior you could be subject to legal ramifications.

Best wishes to you in your efforts to professionalize your communication skills,

Mr. deejayshakur

 

[deejayshakur]

Originally posted by: gotsmack
Dean XXXXXXX:

I have recieved your e-mail and reviewed the information contained within and must inform you that I find your tone and tenor of your communication with myself to be unprofessional, discourtious, and unacceptable as a standard for a Dean of the COM (college of medicine). I fear that you will have very difficult times ahead if you fail to lean how to respond to concerns that you have in a civil and professional manner. I realize that email can create a harsher tone that interpersonal forms of communication, but the tone of your words goes beyond that which would be explained by the nature of email communication.

By communication directly with me rather than through our elected officials you actually thwart the process which you seem to be so concerned about. You end up using your valuable time when you already have regular commitments for communicating with Student Government officials in the area of service in question. I suggest that you channel your expertise and energy into imporving the wireless technology at the COM (which is a recognized priority for the students) or any other area where you feel you have a contribution to make.

In the meantime, please consider this a formal notice and know that I am creating a file for which I may submit to legal council (should the situation come into being), toward the end of encouraging you to make immediate improvements in your communications with your customers. At this point your file will not reflect any notations on your evaluation and this file will be shredded upon my graduation, as long as there are no additional problems. If there are further instances of this kind of unprofessional behavior you could be subject to legal ramifications.

Best wishes to you in your efforts to professionalize your communication skills,

Mr. deejayshakur

as much as i want to say that....i won't.

update posted.

 

[Accipiter22]

kill them both.

 

[kranky]

I think this situation calls for a face-to-face meeting. Email is what got you into this mess.

 

[aidanjm]

Your apology sounds ALMOST as bad as the crap that got you into this mess. You should not be sending out emails, - PERIOD -, without getting someone to proof read and correct them. In the 'apology' email (which is not a gracious apology, but rather a whiny excuse) you still come over as an arrogant, condescending TWAT with a poor grasp of English. I cringed with embarrassment just reading it. All you needed to say was something like: "I wish to apologize for my impatient and dismissive tone. I acknowledge I have behaved in a very rude manner towards you. My behaviour was inexcusable." The end! No whining about how you have worked in more complex organisations in the past, and this is the first time anyone has ever had a problem with you.

 

[KLin]

Talk about not choosing your battle wisely :laugh:.

 

[Yossarian]

your apology is terrible. you sound like a total dick. "expressing the collective frustration of my class" = sorry ass excuse, " I have worked for many organizations far more complex than XXX" = insult to the school, "this is a complete fluke on my part" = lie, considering how quickly you became mr. asshole.

oh yeah, intentionally inconveniencing the guy by asking him to send a letter in writing that he specifically did not want to do was another wise move.