JUST TO CLARIFY THE BELOW: In my second paragraph, I'm not saying that my 2-2 teaching load is too much to run the minor in terms of too much work for me; I'm not that much of a princess. What I mean is that I can't run the minor because if all I teach is 2-2, and two of those four courses are the companion Intro courses, we (I) can't deliver enough programming to make taking the minor possible. (And I'm not about to volunteer to teach more in an institution with very stringent standards for tenure; that would be suicide.) And yes, I should learn to be clearer in my writing and not deliver off-the-cuff rants.
I have learned that I won't get to make another hire in my program for next year. I once really thought there was a strong chance - there was supposed to be a strong chance that I would. And even though I knew the chance was getting slimmer with each passing day, I still held out some hope. But the faculty is getting exactly zero brand new positions. This isn't about my program, then - I do have some faith that if there were new positions, my Dean would have allocated one to my program. But it sure is demoralizing.
The thing is, there is no POINT to me or my position. I can't effectively run even the existing minor, with my 2-2 teaching load. I am redundant, pointless. It's a really, really fucking bad feeling.
7 comments:
I think it's a bad time in general. We just got word of a hiring freeze here, across the University as a whole. I hope things get better in the near future.
sorry about that, does not sound good...
Oh jeez - that is annoying news, especially for your program. It is fortunate that it's not just your program, but it's still not making things at all easier. Are there any opportunities for your elsewhere that are popping up? I've got fingers and toes crossed for that!
Oh, that sucks. Had you sent out the ads and everything already? Is there a possibility of (I can't believe I'm about to say this) scrounging up some money for adjuncts or lecturers?
I'm sorry. I guess it is some consolation that it's department-wide--so it really isn't about your program--but I can't imagine how hard it is to be plugging along with so little support.
Thanks for the support, all...I know it's a bad time in general. No worse for my uni than many others, like yours, plam. I just...I just was holding out hope of not feeling so bloody alone here.
MW - No, there are no positions out there for me to apply for. There's one in the US, but I don't want to go that route. I already fele displaced enough...going down there alone would be quite hard for me.
Sis - I haven't heard anything about the possibility of contractual hires...that'll probably unfold over the next couple of months. Or in January. I don't count on getting much.
Related to your clarification.... I totally got that this is what you meant. Did others not? The same problems are in place for my writing colleagues, even with the 4/4 load, because there just aren't enough faculty. Nobody thinks you're a princess (except, of course, being a princess is very nice) :)
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