We’ve got several important institutional tasks and year-long projects we need to bring to conclusion, such as assessment reports and revision of our bylaws. I’m afraid either we’re going to do some of these just to get them done (and thus miss whatever actual benefit they could bring) or just let some of these projects—and the work we’ve put into them—just languish. How can I help us push through on these, especially if I’m already starting to feel burned out myself?
Students who have more training in reading, writing, and analysis are better off throughout their college careers and in their lives after college. Depriving them of the opportunity to work on their writing does them a disservice.
Our department is gearing up for its first search in years, and my first search as chair. Given how long we’ve waited, and how tenuous our college’s budget still is, there’s a lot of both excitement and anxiety about making this search work.
I have always counted my even temper as a strength, especially in my role as chair. Am I failing to be an effective advocate for resources for my department if I always respond moderately? Are there times when anger would be the better response?
The story of the unemployable English major is both powerful and damaging, since students are more than ever concerned that their choice of degree will lead to successful employment—reasonably so…