is the word 'diary' better than the word 'blog'? probably not.
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Don't Laugh.
I was in a meeting the other day, because I proposed a new course at my college, and in order to get a new course approved, the proposal has to be written up in a very strict format and then passed through many committees, and, man, you would not believe how bureaucratic it is. I really mean that you would not believe it. If I took the time to describe everything I've done so far to get this course approved, you simply would not believe me, or it. But you would also be bored to the point of wanting to stab yourself. So I'll desist.
However, in this meeting where I observed all kinds of behaviors, and tried to figure out what it all meant, or whether it meant anything at all, and, oh how time passed, and so on, this happened: a woman was trying to get a course passed on Anglophone Caribbean literature. Seemed interesting enough to me, and seemed to have a well-planned rigorous syllabus. But someone had a question. Someone on the committee wanted to know why the syllabus had a week devoted to ballroom dancing. Everyone looked very confused. And then someone else on the committee said: "Not ballroom dancing, dancehall reggae."
HAHAHAHA. Quite a difference, that one. And one makes a lot of sense in a class on Caribbean literature. The other, not so much.
I could not stop giggling. But giggling was totally not the right response. So I sat there, silently giggle-shaking, trying to think of things that aren't funny, like starving cats and Norm MacDonald.
Then it was my turn. But I didn't get raked over the coals, because my coals had already been raked by some lower committees, and this committee voted to pass my course. I thought that was the end. Then I learned that I have to go sit in on another meeting in May to explain or defend my course to another committee. I actually thought the person who told me this was joking when she first told me. But it is no joke.
12:34 a.m. - April 13, 2008
RZ - 2008-04-13 12:35:18
You get teaching release for serving on committees, right? Makes sense that you'd make sure everything needs a lot of committees to look at.
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js - 2008-04-14 22:11:08
sadly, though there is course release for SOME committee work, lots of committee work doesn't come with any course release, including work on the committee in question. some things just make no sense at all!
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