Since I started this latest go-around about lab staffing, I feel the
need to get a word in edgewise. While Sam and Karl are hopping on Alex,
the fact remains that he is the only one who tried to answer my
questions.
As I indicated, CCC is a two-year college whose math/science department
offers courses in (in order of student enrollments) math, biology,
chemistry, physics, geology, astronomy, horticulture, physical science,
and environmental technology. Our science lab staff consists of four
full-time and six part-time employees. Their main jobs are (1) to prep
each lab in every lab course, (2) to keep track of equipment and
supplies, (3) to purchase new and maintain old equipment and supplies.
One of the full-timers is solely responsible for physics, geology, and
astronomy labs. Two others (and several part-timers) are devoted to
biology and chemistry. Two part-timers maintain the lab computers (Win95
and Mac).
In my questions I was seeking advice from those in a similar situation
about how their lab staffs are organized and the kinds of duties they
are responsible for. After I posted my initial message, I realized that
TAP-L would have probably been a better forum. But I hesitate to repeat
it there now because I see pretty much the same names in both groups.
I do not have Sam's and Karl's concerns about the professional standing
of our lab staff. Two of the full-timers are experienced biology
teachers and continue to teach one course, and the new director (myself)
is a PhD physicist/engineer who has retired after teaching physics and
physical science for several years. The staff looks on the faculty as
their customers: the faculty generates the requirements and the staff
does its best to satisfy them. There is good dialog and mutual respect
between the two groups.
I just want to improve the whole science lab operation--make it more
effective and more efficient. I'm still interested in establishing a
dialog with science lab directors at other colleges and universities. Do
other science disciplines have discussion groups similar to PHYS-L and
TAP-L?
Nothing I have said should be interpreted as expressing no interest in
advice from lab directors who are strictly physics. I'd definitely like
to know how the big boys do it.
Paul O. Johnson
Collin County College
pjohnson@ccccd.edu (at school)
pojhome@flash.net (at home)