🚀 go-pugleaf

Let's face it, administrators are necessary.  I've been a full-time
English teacher, evolved to a half-time instructor/half-time project
director, and am now a full-time administrator.  Maybe it's just me,
but I often long for the nine month contracts, flexible days, and constant
interaction with students to the meetings, paperwork, and other managerial
duties of administration.  I've been associated with institutions where
administrative competence was an exception, but the quality of the faculty
was equally dubious.  Most universities have good faculty and good, productive
administrators.

I honestly think that faculty can't really understand the administrator's
role until they become administrators.  There's nothing like having to
budget on meager funds, to handle personnel problems, to juggle the various
interests of students and faculty, to get out the endless reports to the
regents, the state, the feds, etc., there is nothing like administrative
experience to clarify what the "A" word means.

I teach writing--one course each semester.  I do it because I love to
teach writing and language.  It isn't part of my contract, and I'm not
paid for it.  I also write and oversee a grant that provides all the
remedial instruction and tutorial services for our campus.  I also oversee
services for the disabled and advise 30 to 40 students each semester.  My
boss (a vice-president) is busier than me.  He also teaches one course each
semester.  He says it keeps him grounded.

I once believed that adminstrators were the bad guys.  Now I've figured
out that most of are us good guys (forgive the sexist cliche).  And Tom,
most of us are also ex-faculty.

ralph                rwahlstr@hp.uwsuper.edu