This is all pretty interesting. Finally spent some time finding my way around this place.
Last meeting for me with the eled faculty for a while happened today. Thirteen or so of us there. At one point we split up into two groups. Those who saw themselves here after five years and those who thought they’d be gone after five years. The younger folk all expressed “work is killing me” concerns despite the fact that their question was something like “what kind of program would you like to have when it is yours?” They couldn’t get out of their overpowered feelings of being just too driven and overworked. The other folk could create a wish list for the newer faculty – I wish this for you. The difference between the two groups was amazing. That younger group is going to burn out if something doesn’t change. They are running scared of tenure and all that they have to do (and can’t do because of all the other work they have to do). I think they finally got it when I said, “Hey. Look around. In five years the people in this room will be gone. The program has to be yours, not ours, and that process has to start now.” It was kind of a sobering moment. Then we ate more brownies and cheesecake.
over and out…