Tuesday, April 15, 2014

Shared Lab space with new faculty member

Our department is trying to allocate me lab space ( yes I know it is verry late !) but they have been struggling due to pressure on the lab space. Note that the faculty member who started with me (lets call hir prof. L) as assistant professor has hir own lab space.

Today people from the administration came and showed me and prof. L, a huggeee lab space. They want me and prof L to share this space for our equipment and students.

First this seems unfair to prof. L who already has a lab space and are kicking hir out.

It is unfair to me since I wont be getting a lab space that is ALL mine. It will be shared even though it is huge.

But I am still keeping an open mind. I have worked in shared space between members but it has been a shared space between members of one lab, not two as is now being suggested. So I do not know how it will work out and I do not know how to feel about it.

So the question that I have to all of you guys:

1) Do you have experience in shared space between two or more labs/faculty members?
2) If yes, how did it work out. Are their conflict between students, faculty etc.?
3) How was setup done for the lab space? cubicle, open space with desks? or what do you think is optimal setup and/or works?



Tuesday, April 1, 2014

Board dimensions for office

I am looking for white boards that I can put in my office so that students can come and scribble on it. I like to scribble on the board as well. I do not have any space in my office to put it on the wall. So I am left with two options:

1) Make a call and bring in the maintainece guys to lift one of the gigacntic book shelf ( I have two). However, I am not sure what my future needs are going to be so I am kind of reluctant to do that.

2) Get a decent size white board which has a stand with it. But I am not sure what dimensions to pick. Too small and it is useless ( I have a collegue who made this mistake recently). Too big and it is going to be a burden on my office space (that I have worked so hard to get..haha)

I am inclined towards the second option. So any advice on the dimensions of the white board with a stand ?