I just want to grade. I want to work for my students. I want to learn from my students and to produce scholarship that helps them, the field I work in, and the future individuals like me who are assigned to do the same.
This, I believe, is why faculty have handbooks, guidelines, responsibilities, and roles to carry forward the day-to-day needs of keeping the University afloat. Yet, when the actual requirements of service and meetings to upkeep such documents take over the actual teaching and research, then I believe there's a labor issued needing to be addressed, especially in departments who are short of faculty to uphold the required responsibilities of our bylaws and responsibilities. The fewer faculty to divide the work of all the responsibilities, the more each who is in a department has to take on.
It's impossible, and a problem, especially when it gets in the way and intrudes on the teaching responsibilities. I know I'm typing into the wind, but I'm thinking of the skyline at day's closing before the day ended and the morning sunrise that will inevitably arrive.
That faculty are working hours and hours into the night to accomplish the work required of the handbook (all uncompensated, because it's service) is inane, especially when administrators do a 9 to 5, don't teach, and more often than not have not maintained research responsibilities.
I'm just writing here because I need to use a small window to grade when I have it (which is this morning). I'm tired. I've said that every day this week has felt like a Monday, and that includes, today. Saturday and Sunday will be used to get all the other work required done. It is something and I'm trying to process what that something is.
Meanwhile I'm wet because I walked to the car in the rain, drove home in it, and had to get inside once home. Soaked. Whomp Whomp Whomp. Let me complain to The Great Whatever, because I know nothing will be done about it.
