Situation
Dr. Joe White, chair at a liberal arts university, has many requests for faculty to serve on university committees, community boards and other academic organizations in addition to having to staff his own departmental committees. Most frequently, Dr. White turns to Michael Sanchez, an untenured member of the Department, to fill these service positions because he believes that a diverse view-point is valuable. Dr. Sanchez feels he has little choice but to agree for the good of the department. The consequence is that his research is suffering, he has been “double booked” for many activities, and he has been routinely canceling appointments at the last minute, or recorded as a “no show.”
Questions
- What are the responsibilities of sociologists to provide service to their work setting when they have unique skills or perspectives that are in high demand? Is this an ethical responsibility?
- What are the equity issues involved in being targeted for service committee work because of one’s race/ethnicity or gender?
- What is the role of a Chair in setting a fair distribution of service responsibilities?
Discussion
Traditionally, the smaller proportion of minority and female academics and researchers in general has created a substantial service burden for some individuals. While this may be a transitional time in the academy and in private research settings, there will always be situations where some individuals are called on more than others. In this case, while it is laudable for the Chair to recognize and promote ideas of diversity, his over-reliance on Dr. Sanchez has created a situation which puts Dr. Sanchez’s career in jeopardy and does not reflect well on the Department and its service mission. Chairs stand in a position to mediate organizational demands in an equitable manner. In particular, supervisors and Chairs should take careful note of the demands placed on junior faculty members. These issues also should be discussed with graduate student supervisees as they move into the job market, and service expectations should be made as explicit in job search procedures as research and teaching expectations.
Individual sociologists have an ethical responsibility to clarify their limits for effective service. While the demand levels may be unfair, it is incumbent upon individuals to limit their own commitments so that they do not stymie the work of others.
