Every semester, it seems like things get a little more weird, a little more unwieldy and a little more out of hand.
If the last few semesters were just “difficult,” here’s how this one felt to me:
Trying to recall everything that went wrong seems like an even more impossible mission than that of The Last Starfighter, but let’s give it a try:
We didn’t close any more branch campuses at UWO this year, but that’s only because we closed all the ones we had. On the plus side, we led the system schools in one category. On the minus side, it was overall enrollment, where we lost more than any other school…
The university system is trying to rewrite its copyright policies in a way that would essentially steal lecture notes, syllabi, course prep and everything short of the family snapshot on the desk from the faculty.
They’re trying to outsource our bookstore, which reports indicate will likely save money, but turn the place into a clogged toilet with an absentee landlord. Our chancellor announced in October that he is “stepping down” at the end of this year after a no confidence vote in spring from the faculty here.
And then today, we got a nice report from the Board of Regents meeting in which apparently 30% of all programs are “under-enrolled.” Although the auditors haven’t called for these programs to be killed, they have recommended the system “take a more active role in managing programs.” Ugh…
It never seems like we’re going to manage, and yet somehow we do. Each day seems like a week until the end of the semester somehow arrives in a flurry of activity and a moment of incredulity:
With that in mind, I’ll take whatever win I can get, as I watch my classes finish off their final exams. Many of them are turning stuff in with a, “Hey… That wasn’t that hard… I think I learned something…” look on their faces, which is nice. I hope you all feel that way as well with your kids
We’re taking the traditional semester break, with a goal of having some good things to blog about and some news about the forthcoming editions of your favorite (I hope) textbooks.
Have a great break and see you in 2025!
Vince (a.k.a. The Doctor of Paper)
