Interview with Hazel W. Forsythe, April 1, 1992

Partial Transcript: Today is April 1st. My name is Gabrielle Billings.

Segment Synopsis: Interviewer Gabrielle Billings introduces herself and Hazel W. Forsythe. They discuss Forsythe’s work life at home and in her office. They talk about different work-related agencies that she is involved with. Billings asks how Forsythe’s colleagues and students would describe her work. She responds by saying it would be difficult for them to describe because they don’t exactly know her work.

Keywords: Children; Colleagues; Food science; Home; Kids; Nutrition and food science; Offices; Privacy; Students; Teaching; Work and society

Subjects: College environment; College students.; College teachers--Job satisfaction; College teachers--Social conditions; College teachers--Workload; College teaching.; Education, Higher--Kentucky; Educators; Universities and colleges--Faculty.; University of Kentucky

Partial Transcript: How would you describe your work to someone who is interested in entering your field?

Segment Synopsis: Forsythe explains that the most difficult part of her work would be research, but not doing the actual research. It is the planning and organizing that goes in before the actual research begins. Forsythe says the most fun part of her work is talking to students in order to help them understand.

Keywords: Colleagues; College students; Organization; Organizing; Planning; Research; Work

Subjects: College environment; College teachers--Job satisfaction; College teachers--Social conditions; College teachers--Workload; College teaching.; Education, Higher--Kentucky; Educators; Universities and colleges--Faculty.; University of Kentucky

Partial Transcript: Does your work include much traveling?

Segment Synopsis: Forsythe talks about her research projects that required her to travel. She also states that often the meetings she would have to attend were out of state. Forsythe also talks about her summer trips to Indonesia, and how she collects information from pregnancy clinics for her research.

Keywords: Husbands; Indonesia; Pregnancy; Pregnant; Research; Travel; Women

Subjects: College environment; College teachers--Job satisfaction; College teachers--Social conditions; College teachers--Workload; College teaching.; Education, Higher--Kentucky; Educators; Universities and colleges--Faculty.; University of Kentucky

Partial Transcript: What percentage of your daily work would you just approximately say in, involves your colleagues?

Segment Synopsis: Forsythe begins by explaining how some days she won’t see any of her colleagues and other days she will see a lot of her colleagues. They spend a lot of time planning classes together and a few conduct research projects with her. Forsythe says about 15-20% of her daily work involves colleagues. She spends a lot of time with her students because they have more trouble adjusting, so they are in her office a lot more. She estimates that she spends at least 60% of her daily work with her students, and it could be more.

Keywords: Alone; Classes; Colleagues; Graduate students; Involvement; Percentages; Proportions; Resources; Students; Undergraduate students

Subjects: College environment; College teachers--Job satisfaction; College teachers--Social conditions; College teachers--Workload; College teaching.; Education, Higher--Kentucky; Educators; Universities and colleges--Faculty.; University of Kentucky

Partial Transcript: What affects your attitude to work?

Segment Synopsis: Forsythe first explains that what usually affects her attitude towards work is how the weather is. She says she loves the sun. She also says that if she has too many interruptions and can't concentrate then she gets frustrated and does not have a good attitude towards her day. Forsythe talks about how work is so fulfilling to her and that it is hard when her peers have kids and a family, but she works hard and she is very proud of herself and her work.

Keywords: Attitudes; Importance; Meaning; Pleasure; Productivity; Work; Work life

Subjects: College environment; College teachers--Job satisfaction; College teachers--Social conditions; College teachers--Workload; College teaching.; Education, Higher--Kentucky; Educators; Universities and colleges--Faculty.; University of Kentucky

Partial Transcript: Now we're going to go on to university conditions.

Segment Synopsis: This section is about Forsythe’s opinions of UK. She talks about the best things at UK and also the things that could be better. She says that it can be difficult to decide on the biggest achievement at the university because you have to step back and not focus on personal achievement. She also explains her personal opinion on Kentucky before she visited. She had heard that people in Kentucky were not educated.

Keywords: Achievements; Intelligence; Policy; Problems; Research

Subjects: College environment; College teachers--Job satisfaction; College teachers--Social conditions; College teaching.; Education, Higher--Kentucky; Educators; Universities and colleges--Faculty.; University of Kentucky

Partial Transcript: Okay, this is kind of talking about what you were talking about in movies.

Segment Synopsis: Forsythe discusses the factors that affect academic opportunities. The first factor they discuss is gender. Forsythe says that there need to be better opportunities for women especially, discussing her own experiences. The next factor they talk about is race. Forsythe says that being a woman and a minority has a significant effect on what people think. They then discuss salaries and Forsythe says that salaries are negotiable.

Keywords: Age; Equality; Gender; Minority students; Nationality; Opportunities; Opportunity; Race; Tensions; Women

Subjects: African American college students--Social conditions; African Americans--Education--Kentucky--Lexington; College environment; College teachers--Job satisfaction; College teachers--Salaries, etc.; College teachers--Social conditions; College teachers--Workload; College teaching.; Discrimination in higher education; Education, Higher--Kentucky; Educators; Minorities in higher education; Sex discrimination in higher education.; Sexism in higher education; Universities and colleges--Faculty.; University of Kentucky; Women in higher education.; Women--Education (Higher)

Partial Transcript: What are your thoughts about funding for this university from state government and private sources?

Segment Synopsis: Forsythe talks about funding at the university and how it would be easier for her if she had more funding. It is difficult for people to get things done quickly because of the funding aspect of the job. It takes a long time to write a proposal for a project and apply for funding. She thinks it would be easier if they could write proposals to the university and apply for funding that way. When it comes to working conditions, Forsythe thinks that the university expects way more work out of its workers than is realistic. It is an expectation that if you don't get a certain amount of work done, then you aren't a productive worker.

Keywords: Finance; Funding; Grants; Money; Proposal writing for grants; Work experience; Working conditions

Subjects: College environment; College teachers--Job satisfaction; College teachers--Salaries, etc.; College teachers--Social conditions; College teachers--Workload; College teaching.; Education, Higher--Kentucky; Educators; Universities and colleges--Faculty.; Universities and colleges--Finance; University of Kentucky

Partial Transcript: Now we’re going to talk about working conditions a little bit more.

Segment Synopsis: Forsythe talks about her opinions on her job and if she feels like her job is safe. They discuss her positions in the academic field, teaching nutrition, school of economics, and her position as principal. Billings asks if she likes the environment at her work, Forsythe responds by saying the environment is friendly.

Keywords: College students; Culture; Nutrition; Promotion; Salary; Salary advances; Security; Work; Work environment; Working conditions; Working environment

Subjects: College environment; College teachers--Job satisfaction; College teachers--Salaries, etc.; College teachers--Social conditions; College teaching.; Education, Higher--Kentucky; Educators; Universities and colleges--Faculty.; University of Kentucky