"Add more sections" resolved and Advanced Course "stayin' alive"

In this previous post, I relayed a risk that my load might increase substantially due to over-enrollment in one of my courses. I'm relieved to say that we found a solution by what I'll call the "Stuff 'em in" plan, which relieved me from a potential additional 2.5 hours of contact time.

Moreover, I found out that my advanced specialty course was under-enrolled, and at risk of being cut by the dean. If I would have "lost" that course, there would be consequences.

• My load would be lighter, and my pay less (good/ bad)
• It is taught only once every two years, so some students would have really missed out.
• I would be sad. I love this course. It makes me happy to teach it.
• I keep it very current. I have been working on finding material for it all year, so that work would be for naught.
• This is the course I would be hired to teach if I ever moved institutions. It's in my specialty. Having it worked out "perfectly" an running smoothly is a high priority.
• This is the perfect year, as the national meeting in the field will be in town this year. I'm going to take the students to the meeting if approved...

It had 4 undergraduate students pre-enrolled in it, but the masters-level students have not enrolled yet. The problem was resolved by my adept chair asking the director of the master's program to foot part of the bill, assuming that some of the grad students will enroll.

Stayin Aliiiiiiiive, Yeah

Maybe you could move here?

Ran across a colleague at the coffee machine, a potential collaborator who is up for tenure this year.

She asked "How's the research going?"
Me, "All done, analyzing data"
*brief description of my project*
She, "How long will you be here?"
Me,  "About two weeks more"
She, *pouty face*
Me, "Hopefully I will get to come back in summers and such..."
She, "I'm sure they will be looking for tenure-line faculty soon, as we are expanding."
Me, "Oh, I would really like that. It would be so good for me in so many ways"


It is important to me that if I were to apply for a job here at sabbatical institution, that I have the support of the other tenure-track faculty (see here, number 2). It seems on the surface, I might.



 

Add more sections?

Got a note from my department chair:

Bread and Butter course too full. Need to add another section. Since you are loaded one extra hour for a course which will not have a lab this year due to the renovation, we are thinking about adding it to your load.

Note that adding one section will have me teaching lab on Tuesdays from 8-10, 10-12, 1-3, 3-5.

I argued that the advanced course (missing the lab) will be going to an major meeting this year (we are!), so that more than compensates for the hour of missing lab.

Think they will buy it?

Getting Ready to Return Home

These past weeks have been consumed with:

Analyzing data
Deciding we need a higher N
Doing more experiments
Making sure I have all the software I need  loaded on my laptop to take back with me.

and
Driving back to my home institution to pack my office and lab for the remodel
Driving back to permanent home for social engagements including weddings and grad parties.
Thinking about packing but not packing

and
Trying to get daughter into free pre-school at son's school. We exceed the income limits but can get some points for "family factors" including Hub's weekly absence
Trying to get son into an immersion program at his kindergarten.

:)

The Pres and the Hub

Soooo, apparently the White House called the institute this week to ask about Hub's project. No lie.