On why visiting, senior scholars need to be kind to PhD students (or they really do remember how you made them feel).
Lately, I've had a lot of conversations with early career scholars and PhD students about their experiences with visiting, senior scholars.
One PhD student relayed how a senior scholar had dismissed their work as stupid.
Another relayed how a senior scholar sat and rambled about themselves for an hour.
A third shared the senior scholar was simply rude - to them and their faculty.
I was taken aback - bc these were separate conversations with students in different programs.
I took a walk, had a cup of coffee, and wondered what to do? I resolved to not rock the boat.
I talked to one of my former students - who commented "you were just as bad not that long ago."
That hurt.
The student then noted that I seemed "to have matured into a decent human being."
That made me laugh.
I was reminded of a Maya Angelou quote:
"Do the best you can until you know better. Then when you know better, do better."
This quote has shaped my life for the better part of decade.
So, I wondered, how to do better? Should I rock the boat?
Then I had a dinner with a group of early career scholars who shared their experiences with a particularly awful senior scholar - who essentially shared his CV as a talk & told them his h-index ...
While we all laughed, I noted that mostly, they talked about the discomfort they felt in the presence of the "famous scholar."
I was reminded of another Maya Angelou quote:
"I've learned that people will forget what you said, people will forget what you did, but people will never forget how you made them feel."
I realized, perhaps, it would be good to rock the boat - gently.
So.
For PhD students and #earlycareerscholars, if you have a visitor who is a bit of a jerk, disengaged, or narcissistic - know it's not you who evoked the behavior - apparently, it happens on a regular basis.
For mid-career scholars, recall how you felt when senior faculty were mean or dismissive. Don't be "that" faculty member.
For senior faculty, I'm reminded of a third Maya Angelou quote.
"Try to be a rainbow in someone’s cloud."
When you visit a school, take some time to listen to the #PhDstudents, encourage the young faculty, and help build more positive momentum.
We don't need to be mean to help PhD students improve.
We need to be constructive, we need to listen, and we need to be kind.
We need to do these things if we want to help PhD students improve and build a stronger #academiccommunity.
And for personal reasons too.
Because ten years from now, more than likely, your audience will remember not only your advice; but also, how you made them feel.
And how they felt, will shape how you are remembered and your legacy in your discipline.
Best of luck!
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