David: Your post confirms that this is a universal problem at colleges and universities.  Several years ago, our Associate Dean asked us to complete a survey in August stating how many pencils, paper clips, etc we would need for the year.  As you might suspect, everyone vastly overstated their likely needs in order to insure they had enough of these basics to survive and do thier job.  I still have leftovers in my office from that inane activity.
Rick

----- Original Message -----
From: "David W. Opderbeck" <[log in to unmask]>
Date: Tuesday, October 25, 2005 6:21 pm
Subject: Supplies

> I'll never understand some of the odd administrative things in 
> academia. 
> When I worked at a law firm, there was at least the appearance of 
> reason 
> in the way things like office supplies were handled.  Today in my 
> college 
> mailbox, I received, without explanation and without any prior 
> request, 
> one pack of yellow stickies, one box of paper clips, and one box 
> of 
> staples.  All of the faculty in our department had the same 
> supplies in 
> their inboxes.  Is this my holiday bonus?  A settlement with the 
> teachers' 
> union perhaps?
> 
> David W. Opderbeck
> Assistant Professor of Business Law
> Baruch College, City University of New York
> (646) 312-3602
> [log in to unmask]