CAO suggested that some individuals in the Academy appear insensitive to the
experiences others are having, because of their own traumatic experiences.
People almost have an attitude of, ‘well I survived…they can survive…why should I help
them?… I made it through on my own without getting assistance,’ or ‘I was able to make
the cut and be competitive and so should they,’ instead of thinking, ‘I had a horrible
experience, I am going to make sure that other people don’t.’
Rather, I think observing other’s challenges in the Academy may be tapping into their own
trauma and these individuals are really numb to it.
CAO highlighted the point that this kind of psychic-numbing may perpetuate a disawareness,
allowing faculty to treat their colleagues without regard. For example, even when
some faculty are producing good steady work, this often results in a lack of departmental support.
Questioning the fairness of departmental decision-making CAO asked,
Do they [i.e., productive faculty] get all this money and resources and everything? No! it
goes to ______why? Why do you think this person? So what is it that they [mainstream
faculty] see or think that this person is or is not? And, they’ve been wrong on so many
occasions and it’s terrible!