More Offshoots of the "Work Stoppage"

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Well the requests for the impossible are now coming in at the advisement and preparation level. We just spent 3+ hours in a meeting being told how we had to meet other people's deadlines, despite the fact that we have less time than we have ever had to do the total work in, and despite the implementation of a whole new "learning management system" and despite the fact that we have no time overlapping with faculty who teach the "other" vacation period (eg July/Aug. teachers) -- nevertheless we have been asked to develop new courses, revise programs, and adapt to a new learning management system (read a new technology) in a "collaborative" environment, with half of the collaborators not available.

To be fair to our immediate management, they seem to recognise the impossibility of the tasks assigned, and basically said at the meeting "do your best" ... but for those of us who take our program and course development responsibilities seriously this is ethically unacceptable. I have just paid up my pension so at least I now have the security of knowing that if I quit in disgust I am still eligible for my full pension. Which leads me to another point ... heard at the party yesterday that at least 6 people have either handed in their notice to resign or have indicated that they intend to do so by the end of June, as they simply cannot stomach the current regime (word chosen carefully). I really wonder if the college understands that 90% of the real work of program/course development is done by (my guess) less than 30% of the people. And it is 95% of that 30% who have had it with the attitudes and unrealistic expectations at this time. What will they do if all those who have reached their "80" factor (age plus seniority) choose to opt out in the next 2 years? Who have they trained to replace these knowledgeable and experienced people? I pity the associate deans (aka "chairs") who will have to deal with the fallout at the student level. A college Chernobyl is in the offing, but administration seems not to know or care. OK. So be it.

Maybe they are right, experience does not count for diddly, and younger and cheaper staff will do just fine. For the students' sake I hope they are right. Certainly they want the cheaper part of the equation. After all, I did hear a rumour this week that our senior management was saying to senior support staff that, if the arbitration resulted in a gain for teachers beyond what the colleges had offered, that there would be layoffs in the support staff. How subtle :-P That's why we need accountability at the senior level of the college. And how tactful ... did they really think that we would not hear of this tactic? Or that support staff would blame us if management laid THEM off because they failed to make the appropriate strategic financial decisions? And during this same meeting there was talk of building yet another "facility" ... this one should have made us cheer as it would be to our advantage in several ways, but bottom line is that it simply emphasized the disconnect between quality needs and palace-building. And they'll probably name this new one after the current president, as they did the last one after the last president ... grrr growl snarl.

We will do "our possible" as my dear mother-in-law used to say, but we know it will not meet our own standards. Our pride will be lacking. So be it, this was not our decision. And others in the organization will get what they want when I can get to it. I shall simply set priorities (as in student needs first, and the rest will just have to wait).