The weather here is cool/cold, but at least no snow. Well we had a few flakes a couple of days ago but they melted when they hit the ground. Can't say that I miss snow hanging around.
Well we still have an Art Department, which seems like some sort of a blessing in this, yet again, budget crunch. The powers that be have decided that we must cut from 7 departments to 4 and apparently it is not negotiable, from Administration's viewpoint. Which in all sincerity is fine, as you cannot put more than 3 faculty members in a room and reach any sort of agreement...lol...on most any issue presented.
In the art dept., we just decided to suck it up and agree with the merger. What is the point in arguing something that is apparently inevitable. Anyway, joining with the Music and Theater dept makes us a bigger department and essentially one with a bigger voice. Which perhaps in the long run might come back and bite some administrators in the collective ass....lol.
Enough groaning about work, I am glad to have a teaching position that I love. I just wish we could just go about the process of teaching without worrying about budget cuts.
I have been working on the art department website and my faculty website and changing stuff all around. If you have not checked them lately, please take a peek.
Jamie and Andrew are healthy and doing well, as per usual. They are such a blessing. I am doing well and my cellulitis is almost completely healed in my knee....what a pain that was....againnnnnnn....lol.
I will try and blog again soon.
Sunday, January 18, 2004
Well it has been a bit of a trying week here at the ol SOSU art department. We found out at the beginning of last week that the Administration has decided that a number of departments at the university are to merge as a budget saving measure.
So as of July, the Art Dept will be merged with the Music and Theater dept. The budget savings will be in terms of: instead of 3 separate Chairs of each dept., there will only be 1. Gleny the Chair of the Art Dept will be no longer, which sucks. She is a good Chair.
The new chair of the combined department will be the Chair of the Music Dept. He is also the President of the Red River Art Council, which I am a board member of. He is a good leader and should make a good Chair of this new merger. So that is good news.
The other cost saving measure will come in the fact that we will lose our secretary (and so will Theater). Which sucks for the faculty and sucks even more for Glenda as she is a year from retiring. So hopefully, she will be able to transfer to another department.
All this news was followed with the news that the Art and Science department has a budget cut of 270,000 dollars. So we are all scratching our collective heads as to where other cuts are going to take place to make up this deficit. The good news in all this is the fact we still have an Art Dept and that I still have a teaching job. And it looks like the merger of departments is better than Administration doing something like........ummmm.....who needs Art....lets cut the Art Dept. So thank goodness that is not the scenario.
Well enough about work. Jamie and Andrew are both in good health and seem to be enjoying school. As much as kids can enjoy school anyway....lol. I am doing ok and my leg is on the mend and I am getting around quite well. It does not ache nearly as much as it did 2 weeks ago. I do not recommend anyone contracting Cellulitis, tis a painful infection. I hope it leaves my body for good and never comes back.
Time to get off of here....need to get some beauty rest.....zzzzzzzzz
So as of July, the Art Dept will be merged with the Music and Theater dept. The budget savings will be in terms of: instead of 3 separate Chairs of each dept., there will only be 1. Gleny the Chair of the Art Dept will be no longer, which sucks. She is a good Chair.
The new chair of the combined department will be the Chair of the Music Dept. He is also the President of the Red River Art Council, which I am a board member of. He is a good leader and should make a good Chair of this new merger. So that is good news.
The other cost saving measure will come in the fact that we will lose our secretary (and so will Theater). Which sucks for the faculty and sucks even more for Glenda as she is a year from retiring. So hopefully, she will be able to transfer to another department.
All this news was followed with the news that the Art and Science department has a budget cut of 270,000 dollars. So we are all scratching our collective heads as to where other cuts are going to take place to make up this deficit. The good news in all this is the fact we still have an Art Dept and that I still have a teaching job. And it looks like the merger of departments is better than Administration doing something like........ummmm.....who needs Art....lets cut the Art Dept. So thank goodness that is not the scenario.
Well enough about work. Jamie and Andrew are both in good health and seem to be enjoying school. As much as kids can enjoy school anyway....lol. I am doing ok and my leg is on the mend and I am getting around quite well. It does not ache nearly as much as it did 2 weeks ago. I do not recommend anyone contracting Cellulitis, tis a painful infection. I hope it leaves my body for good and never comes back.
Time to get off of here....need to get some beauty rest.....zzzzzzzzz
Sunday, January 11, 2004
Hey there
Been awhile since I blogged...but not much new here. Jamie and Andrew were here last night and today and had a good time as per usual. Happy little hooligans they are.
Well I start back teaching this week, although I went in most of last week preparing for classes.....fun fun. I did a few new artpieces for the student/faculty show. They are mainly tar-based and don't stink as much as I thought they would. A couple of them actually look pretty good. I will have to take some digital pics of them and send to those who are interested. And if no one is interested, I will post them on my website at the university.
Well I guess I should get ready for bed....back to the old grind tomorrow. Hi ho hi ho...its off to work I go......
Been awhile since I blogged...but not much new here. Jamie and Andrew were here last night and today and had a good time as per usual. Happy little hooligans they are.
Well I start back teaching this week, although I went in most of last week preparing for classes.....fun fun. I did a few new artpieces for the student/faculty show. They are mainly tar-based and don't stink as much as I thought they would. A couple of them actually look pretty good. I will have to take some digital pics of them and send to those who are interested. And if no one is interested, I will post them on my website at the university.
Well I guess I should get ready for bed....back to the old grind tomorrow. Hi ho hi ho...its off to work I go......
