Interdisciplinary Collaboration

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This is a CLOSED thread. Please, from now on, only those people listed above should post in it. Thank you.

Unannounced Visit

CHAPTER I
Enrollment​

Professor Josephine C. Platt tried to navigate the labyrinthine hallways of the Humanities Building, looking for Dr. Saunders’ office. She had never heard the name before reading it a half hour earlier in an email from Prof. Nadler, the Art History Department Chair. That didn’t surprise Josephine. The university had over 2,200 academic staff. More importantly, the Art History Department was part of the College of Letters and Sciences, while the department in which Josephine worked, Marketing, was in the Business School.

She had decided not to call Dr. Saunders first. After all, Grainger Hall, where Josephine had her office, sat just catacorner to the Humanities Building. Walking over took no more time than composing an email. Of course, it might seem a bit rude to drop in without warning, but everyone, especially a newcomer, found it hard to say “no” face-to-face. Josephine did not want her to say "no."

Finally, after following a snaking corridor that defined a large letter “S,” Josephine found the right office. Glue scars still revealed where someone had removed the plastic plaque bearing its prior occupant’s name. Above it, on the translucent window, someone had taped a piece of paper which contained a line in MSWord’s biggest font: “Abigail K Saunders, Ph.D.”

Josephine knocked.

A New Job / A New Life

Dr. Saunders - Abigail to her colleagues and Abi to her friends - Had arrived at UW-Madison after having been at the University of Delaware for all of her professional life. She had a varied background. She had started off as an opera singer, but discovered pretty early that she didn't have the talent or the work ethic for that grueling career so she went back to school and earned a PhD in Musicology and ended up doing post-doctoral work in Ancient History participating in a variety of research projects over the years which attempted to reconstruct the music of ancient cultures. She had accepted this new position in WI primarily as a musicologist, teaching courses in Music History, but would also be attached to the History department as a lecturer in Ancient History. She had arrived with tenure because of her background, renown and experience, and the addition of the lecturer title meant a little extra money, which she needed. And that was because the primary reason for the change was not professional advancement. Professor Saunders had just gone through a separation with her husband of 25 years, the father of their 4 children and (coincidentally) the former chair of her old department. The separation could probably turn to divorce but neither of them were terribly interested in taking that step, mostly because at this point they wanted nothing to do with each other. The curious fact was that they had grown apart over the years and had already created completely separate lives, so separation was really not surprising - indeed their children who were now young adults were surprised it took as long as it did - but what made the entire thing so difficult for Abigail were the circumstances. Greg had deeply hurt Abi. She didn't care that he had come out as gay (after 25 years of marriage and 4 children), but the way he told her, what he told her and things he said to her and to their friends had made it impossible for her to stay in Newark. She had taken a leave and then, amazingly enough she found out about this new position and applied, interviewed and was hired, with tenure. She was grateful, even as she was very lonely in this new place with no friends or family.

Arriving in late October, Abi had found herself a cute home outside of Madison that was a little secluded. It meant a little more driving into the work, but she wanted to be truly alone when she was home. So in mid to late November she turned her attention to moving into her new office, taking stock of the courses she would be teaching next semester and catching up on some of her projects. Despite her renown she was a little annoyed to discover she was expected, as the newest faculty member on the Musicology staff, to teach the huge Introduction to Western Music course (otherwise known as Music Appreciation). It was a lecture hall class with 230 students, 2 grad assistants and 4 undergrad helpers. Since she would be taking the class over for the winter semester she would be focusing on Music of the 19th and 20th centuries, not her favorite or her area of expertise. So she started to work through the course materials and the course musical examples, playing them loudly on the nice audio system that came with her new office. She was studying the Schubert "Death and the Maiden" Quartet when she heard a knock on her office door. "Who could this be, no one knows I am even here. And I'm not dressed for company either." Normally Dr. Saunders tended to dress very professionally and even a little severe, but since she was only still moving in she was wearing jeans and a UDel sweatshirt. She turned off the music, looked at herself in the full length mirror and fixed her hair. Then opened the door.

Lady Karen please turn on your PMs

RKK said:

Lady Karen please turn on your PMs

Click to expand...

How? I don't now how to do that...

Hi Karen,

Yes, please turn on your PMs. You have to edit your profile... you can contact me by looking at my profile too

Cajun6464 said:

Hi Karen,

Yes, please turn on your PMs. You have to edit your profile... you can contact me by looking at my profile too

Click to expand...

I have turned them on - I don't understand why that didn't appear to work. What else should I do. I went and turned them on and it says they are on.

Go to edit options .... you can choose to receive pms there

Cajun6464 said:

Go to edit options .... you can choose to receive pms there

Click to expand...

I did - I have done that already. And I sent you a PM also....

I couldn’t reply , says you’re not accepting pms ... maybe log off then back on

Cajun6464 said:

I couldn’t reply , says you’re not accepting pms ... maybe log off then back on

Click to expand...

I just did that... and I specifically have turned on my PM's and specifically choose to allow you to receive and respond to my PM.

Any other way I can talk you through this ? Kik or Skype? I’m getting your messages...

PMs not working

Lady K you sent me a reply but when I tries to answer it wouldn't allow me saying your PMs aren't turned on

Richard

I don't know what to do...

RKK said:

Lady K you sent me a reply but when I tries to answer it wouldn't allow me saying your PMs aren't turned on

Richard

Click to expand...

Ok - I went to the Edit Options and turned on my private messages and turned on access for everything that was an option. And I just now changed my email address (they were using an old one) and I just confirmed that email address. I cannot understand why this isn't working. I swear I have turned them on!

Hmmmm, sounds like you did everything correctly!!!

I am so frustrated...

Cajun6464 said:

Hmmmm, sounds like you did everything correctly!!!

Click to expand...

I am so frustrated I am ready to cry....

Any way we can chat elsewhere and work on this issue. You can send me your info privately.

The only thing I have clicked under the “Edit Options “ is Enable Private Messaging “. & “Show new private....”

Try it now... I just unchecked something... maybe that is the problem...

I think it works now

Everyone - thanks for your patience... sometimes I am not so good with tech, but I think I realized what I did wrong and I fixed it. Feel free to send me PM's now...

Abigail

Abigail K Saunders, PhD

O O C Post: This Is a "Private" Thread


I understand that people not involved in the story posting here arose from LadyKaren50's PM situation, but, please, from now on, consider this a thread closed for her and me. In other words, only LadyKaren50 and I should post on this thread from now on.

Thank you!!!

Unexpected Commonality

LadyKaren50 said:

....

Normally Dr. Saunders tended to dress very professionally and even a little severe, but since she was only still moving in she was wearing jeans and a UDel sweatshirt. She turned off the music, looked at herself in the full length mirror and fixed her hair. Then opened the door.

Click to expand...

Josephine smiled sincerely, not just to make a good impression, when the door opened. Learning that Dr. Saunders had only recently received her appointment at the university, Josephine had somehow expected some Millennial with a fresh Doctorate. Of course, she could more forcefully direct a young scholar, but she found it difficult to collaborate with someone with whom she shared so little life experience.

Instead, this new professor appeared only a little younger than 55-year-old Josephine herself. She also looked quite practical and down to earth, dressed in a simple sweatshirt and jeans as she set up her office. It actually made Josephine a bit self-conscious of the severe gray pinstripe business suit she wore with its narrow-waisted blazer and knee-length pencil skirt.

“Dr. Saunders?” Josephine extended her right hand, getting, as usual, straight to business. “I’m Josephine Platt. Prof. Nadler suggested you to me as someone who could collaborate on some research.”

EmpressJosephine said:

“Dr. Saunders?” Josephine extended her right hand, getting, as usual, straight to business. “I’m Josephine Platt. Prof. Nadler suggested you to me as someone who could collaborate on some research.”

Click to expand...

Abigail was surprised when she opened her door to see a very professionally dressed colleague at her door. Abi smiled and extended her hand. "So, nice to meet you, Dr. Platt." Then feeling a little self-conscious about her casual dress she added, "I wasn't really expecting visitors, so please forgive my lack of professional attire, but I technically don't start here until the first of December and I was anxious to get my office set up so I could hit the ground running, as it were. Please come in."

Abi shut the door behind them and ushered Dr. Platt into her rather small office. "This is a small space, I have most of my things at home since there is no space for them here." She quickly removed a box from the only other chair in the room. The room itself was no larger than a medium sized bedroom with a desk against the wall and a single chair next to the desk. All the walls were covered with book shelves from floor to ceiling though few books had been put onto the shelves, consequently boxes were stacked here and there causing both women to have to walk around them. "It takes me a while since I have to weed out the books I won't be using here since there isn't room for most of my books." Abi waited for her guest to be seated and then sat in her desk chair. On her desk there was a photo of four young people - 2 girls and 2 boys in their late teens/early twenties and next to that photo was another photo of 4 children, the same 2 girls and 2 boys, but a much older photo.

A bit flustered and embarrassed Abi leaned back in her chair. "So, what can I do for you? You said something about collaborating on a research project?"

Subliminal Advertising



Josephine found Dr. Saunders’ slight fluster at her unexpected arrival rather charming. Many academics would adopt a front of annoyance, as if their importance made such an intrusion unthinkable. Instead, Dr. Saunders again seemed quite down to earth, a quality Josephine respected.

Josephine quickly perused the titles of the various books and journals stacked around the office. Most of them related to musicology. Josephine had expected to meet someone expert in the history of the visual arts, and wondered why Dr. Saunders worked in the Art History Department rather than the School of Music. It probably had something to do with available funding. In any event, her focus on music could present a problem, depending on Dr. Saunders’ intellectual flexibility.

She also noted the photos of four children on the desk. Large families often suggested Catholicism or some other traditional religion. That might dampen Dr. Saunders’ enthusiasm for Josephine’s planned study as well.

“I’m not sure if this will interest you or not,” Josephine admitted, feeling a bit discouraged. “I am preparing a new research project, examining the use of subliminal homoerotic imagery, particularly suggestions of lesbianism, in advertising. As context, and as a control, I want to quantify the occurrence of such imagery in artwork generally throughout history, especially over the past few centuries. I’ll have grad students, and maybe some undergrad interns, to do the drudgery. What I need is someone who can help me set the parameters — a checklist or rubric, perhaps — they would use to judge whether an artwork — a painting, photograph, film, et cetera — whether it included implied homoerotic content. That person would also share in a supervisory role of the student researchers. I ultimately intend to publish at least a journal article, perhaps even a book. You would get at least an acknowledgment or, depending on the level of collaboration, shared authorship.”

Josephine stopped to a breath. “Interested?”