Monday, January 5, 2009

Vacation is DEFINITELY over

It's always quite the adjustment to return to work after a break, but this is taking it a bit too far. Since I returned I've (i) written a report on various pedagogic activities which was due at noon today and came with a four-hour deadline, (ii) been summoned to a meeting later this afternoon, (iii) got a "Dear John" letter from a journal regarding a manuscript we submitted in freakin' September, and (iv) being forced to deal with the central administration about the extremely deficient lecture hall I've been allocated for my main course this semester.

If this was a Running Wild tune, it'd be titled "Riding The $hitstorm".

What can be so deficient about a lecture hall, you may ask. Well; for one thing, it can be too small for the projected class size, and it can lack features such as a projector and a decent blackboard. The lecture hall I've been allocated lacks both these things. I had the exact same problem last year, despite having provided the central administration with all the numbers and stuff they needed well within the timeline they specified. As to why I'm left holding the bag yet again, I'm at a loss.

Oh; and one more unfavorable factoid about the lecture hall; it's scheduled to be completely renovated and sanitized for asbestos starting March 1st, and so from that date it will not be accessible. Slightly inconveniencing when taking into account that the course lasts the entire semester. So in summary, the room is too damn small, it's got Jack and $hit in the way of amenities (and Jack just left town), AND it's not accessible after March 1st due to renovation.

Outstanding. It's a good thing lecture hall allocation is done via a centralized database managed by competent staffers, or us subject teachers would be screwed with our oants on by scheduling conflicts and insufficient conditions.

Since I need new facilities, I can't even announce a timetable for lectures. Excellent.

2 comments:

Anders said...

Yeah, happy new year and welcome back. I know how you feel.

Wilhelm said...

Don't I know it