Tuesday, January 26, 2016

And in other news...



It is snowing here, not East Coast kind of snow but significant non-the-less.  That is hardly news, for though winter limped into the state, it is been aggressively trying to catch up--we have missed the last two Mondays to snow days,  so the semester is already behind, and we are all getting tired of shoveling and the near-constant whine of snowmobiles.

I do suppose it is news that I was able to take a photo at all at 5:45 PM.  We are "blessed" with snow, but we are really blessed with longer days.  It is joyful (almost) to arrive at work in daylight and to be home before nightfall.  It isn't a complete victory over winter, but it does signal, however slightly, that we will overcome winter, even if that victory is months and months away.

Speaking of work, there have been some changes.  I am officially on the job market.  I have had a pretty good idea that this place was not my forever home, but it was decided that in its budget crisis, the College could better spend the salary of an Arts and Sciences dean on a manager and sales person (or two) for short term certificates and more immediate job training or something like that.  How was that for a nice passive sentence?  The College's president wants to focus on areas other than the general ed classes which I supervise.  So, as of July 1 there will no longer be a dean of Arts and Sciences.  WHo needs it, I guess-- one might imagine my stress levels of late.  Times are tough, and I do sort of understand the decision to focus on vocational programming in a state like Michigan and an area like ours, but I do not fully agree with all this.  It is pretty much diametrically opposed to what I believe in as it seems to focus on training over a more complete education.  No doubt I am biased but geez...  Oh well, it isn't debateable, but it is disappointing, for me and I think even more so for the College.

It seems I have done this before, so I am not too worried.  But as I mentioned it is stressful at times.  I am applying for jobs but I am in a position to also think of other options.  While I know some of you think that I am old, I am not old enough to retire so that is out.  I might try a sabbatical for a few months and build that little house in the woods that I am always dreaming about.  I do know that I do not have to be a dean to be happy and fulfilled which was hard fought knowledge for me.  I would like not to wear a hairnet in my next career, but one option is to pick a place where I might like to live, say a place with a coffee shop or a grocery store, and just move there.  I can't imagine I couldn't find something to feed myself and my soul.  You know, somewhere other than Northern Michigan or Bangladesh with a college or a Home Depot where I might land. 

On to new adventures!!!

No comments: