Observations from meeting days...

-- I love having a philosopher as a college president. The sad thing is that the others can't keep up with him, so the suckyness of their presentations is even worse by comparison.

-- Strategic mistakes of the day:
* Stopping at Starbucks for a fancy coffee lost me my favorite spot by the wall.
* Leaving the day's agenda at home deprived me of a good place to doodle.

-- Isn't it ironic that the request for computer equipment I wanted to use to improve student learning was never processed because it was lost in a paper blizzard on my dean's desk?

-- Next year I hope the Academic VP implements the "one clap" rule common to many speech and debate tournaments.

-- Some of these folks could use a dose of service learning from my logic class -- a logical fallacy clinic perhaps?

-- Message to the administration-- if you want quick turn around time and more student involvement, REDUCE CLASS SIZES! I have 50 students in my Ethics class, I can't pretend that I have close and meaningful intellectual relationships with all of them -- hell, I don't usually know their NAMES until the end of the semester. And, if I'm going to assign writing, it will take some time to grade their papers.

-- YEA for the Academic Affairs video with a sense of humor (handwritten signs behind the staff members saying "I love my faculty" and "I love my boss") The best part was outakes, complete with the Academic VP's very classy secretary crawling around behind other staff members putting up bunny ears behind them.

-- Boo for the other video -- way too long with bored people and cheesy porn-movie music in the background.

-- Also, Good-ole-boy VP, you don't have to introduce all the new staff members.. really, we don't care and most of them are busy working and not there to stand up anyway. We don't remember the ones who ARE there, please don't waste time with this practice -- especially since some of them have been on campus for 10 months!

-- Why does thoroughly unpleasant faculty person end up near me at every all-college event? She was at my TABLE last spring and in the row in front of me today? If she thinks we are buddies, she's really wrong. I don't forget someone who caused me such a hassle....

-- YEA for student testimonials about the impacts of their scholarships. They are the only people I don't HATE for going over their assigned time. If we really ARE all about students and their learning, we ought to be hearing from MORE students.

-- Ending with karaoke makes me regret missing the conference that made it sound like a good idea. I suppose the combination of the high altitude and alcohol made it sound like a great idea...

-- I have to admit that I like my division -- and being their chair is going to be a challenge worth the energy, simply because they are so smart, funny and passionate about teaching.