[AGAIN] here I go again

About a month ago, I wrote to my colleagues whom I trusted...


...this is the thing about hiatus...keeping the world in your loop. Remember my insane situation at work? Its been since labelled "departmageddon". There was a huge union meeting which in effect expressed university wide support and solidarity against mistreatment of the lowly part-timer. Members of my department remain steadfast and insistent in purging our department of the lowly part-time...despite what the collective agreement asserts. But when you hold tenure, I guess you have that much security that you can breach the collective agreement. I digress.

About a month ago, I wrote to my colleagues (not the boogie people in my department who are ignoring the collective agreement) and reported that I had come to a difficult decision. I would not be returning in the fall - there was only one course up for the offering, at times when all the kids were out of school. I would make more money on the dole. So, I decided to finish my intersession course and be done with the whole university schtick.

The next day, I saw an advertisement from the anthropology department, for a part-time course that I am qualified to teach...at a perfect time. I sent out some feelers in the department, expressing my interest, wondering about my chances and the response was enthusiastic and encouraging! Imagine that! So I busied myself preparing a teaching portfolio, rounding up letters of support and got the application underway. The teaching portfolio is a beast of a document. Mine fills an entire binder with 16 pages of types elaboration and explication in 11pt garamond. I plugged away at this document ...little bit by bit until it was completed and I submitted my application last week. Its too much work for a course that will pay a little under 4000$.

In the midst of all this, a course opened up through the bad administration of the boogie people full time colleagues. In a move to push out all the part-time people in the department, they sought to create a new full time positiion, and scheduled a full course load of classes never taught by our department. I am not sure how this all bypassed senate or the curriculm committee, but whatever. The department was declined for this hiring by the university no less than three times. Somehow these courses were scheduled with hopes that this magic professor was going to pop out of the ether and make all the dept's problems go away...namely the part-time folks and the lone full timer who continues to assert their rights. Many weeks of slow and plodding administrative maneuvering later, the professor will not be hired, the courses are opened and one of the courses is "Buddhisms then and now". (This shows the deep and wonderous thinking that went into the creation of this course). Anyway, I apply, and the department deemed me "unqualified and unsuitable" but unanamously encouraged me to apply when it gets advertized.

And many moons later, more administrative wranging, and the university refuses to advertise until there is someone who can act fairly and objectively on behalf of the entire department.
Which excludes all full time members of my department.

So what went down yesterday...the anthropology department met to decide its hirings.
I had a meeting with the head admin to discuss the situation with this Buddhism course, and the problems it poses to hire me (namely that I have nary a graduate course to prove I have any competancy...don't get me started on this...or else I'll get pissed off.)...but I will get fair and full consideration.

I have not heard a thing about either. And it could go three ways...I could get both, which would be exciting, and a helluva lot of work this summer. I could get one or the other...which would put me in financial strain for the year, and force me to wonder whether I should be considering an all or nothing scenario... Or I could get none, and be in the same place I was a month ago.

Wonder what cards will be dealt to me.

I hate waiting for the world to decide.