Trustees

I often attend the meetings of our Board of Trustees as a faculty guest, for at least part of the meeting, because of leadership roles that I have had on faculty committees.

Our trustees are not evil, but there is something about the power differential that being around them seems to warp reality. Administrators who are used to acting as kings start acting like peons.  There is a real sense that we are not to speak unless spoken to.  I wonder how much of that is just my university and how much of that applies to other universities.

A large part of these meetings is designed to educate the trustees to the point where they will agree with the decisions of the president and provost, where the merits of the proposals will be absolutely clear. The proposals before the trustees always deal with long-term planning for the institution, which I am painfully aware involves a broader perspective than I have from my place at the university.  In that sense, even as reality warps it is a grounding for me in issues that I don't normally contemplate.

Fall Break

I don't handle breaks well at school.  Without my usual structure I raise my expectations for both work accomplished and rest taken.  I ensure that I can not be satisfied at the end of my break by keeping my expectations of myself ridiculously high.

One of these days I need to get therapy---

Approaching Midterm

There is one week of classes left before our Fall Break.  The semester has been flying by.  I am doing more and sleeping less than I usually do, and it has been a particularly sleepless week, so I've been slipping into dreams a good deal during my waking hours.

I currently have nothing scheduled for my two days off;  I anticipate coming to work and trying to feel ahead of the curve.  We'll see.