Ay-yi-yi

I'm still not done for the day, and I've been on the go sinc 8:15 a.m., when I got to campus. I still have to talk with the Managing Director of ASLE about an affiliation issue (long story and I don't fully understand it yet myself), but I'm not sure how intelligent or intelligible I'll be by then.

I was absolutely certain that I'd have a ton of time in Advisement today to work on stuff, had a huge list of things to accomplish; Paul and I were bitching about the fact that we were being required to go in (we usually don't have to show up for at least the first two weeks of the semester) and that no one would be there.... Oh, so wrong. The place was packed, mobbed, filled to overflowing. There were several issues: 1) students whose schedules had been canceled because their financial aid wasn't applied to their tuition in time, or (unbeknownst to them) didn't cover the full amount; 2) students who were brand new to NCC and either had no idea how to register, didn't know what to register for--or, in one memorable case, "didn't know that classes started this week." There were other problems as well: students who suddenly realized a class had been canceled, or who suddenly realized they weren't sure they'd registered for the right stuff, or whatever. But 99.9% of the courses are already filled to capacity, so a lot of them either won't be able to sign up at all, or will sign up for stuff that doesn't help them in their specific program, or will only be able to go part time.

And yet the administration refuses to hire back the faculty they let go last spring.

Well, I'm too tired to rant and rave about that at the moment, but I may start saying to students, "You know, you should write to the president of the college and ask him why he fired full-time faculty, and explain to him that his decision to let faculty go means that he's losing you as a student." Maybe. Depends on how energetic--and pissed off--I am by then.

Of course, one thing that results is that some of the flotsam will sweep into my electives. Native American Lit is up to 14 now, and Nature in Lit up to 8. Both numbers may rise further by Friday, when the drop-add period ends. Of course, it's unlikely that anyone who is registering at this juncture is precisely calibrated to do well in my classes, but surprises are always possible.

Today in Nature in Lit, five of the seven registered at that time showed up; I don't know where the other two were. The five who were there seem smart, and all said that they love to read and write--as well as being interested in the subject matter--and I don't think they were brownnosing. It will, of course, be interesting to see how this class shakes out as the semester goes along, but they very clearly are a "self-selected" group, ones who actively wanted to be in the class, as opposed to those who take, say, Early American Lit, most of whom sign up for it because it's the first class on the list.

The 102 worries me a bit, but I'm trying to take comfort in William's conviction that the classes we think will be magnificent usually bomb and vice versa. The students were pretty lumpish and unresponsive, though when I started talking to them about the change thing, and about the desire to appear smart ("smart is sexy"), most of them lit up. One young man already seems ready to challenge everything, seemed to walk in the door with a chip on his shoulder: I'll be interested to see if my first impression is at all correct. A couple were nodding thoughtfully. One surprised me by suddenly grinning at one of my jokes: I'd thought the lights were completely off, but no, he just was hiding them, apparently. We'll see, we'll see.

I left my desk in a completely disastrous wreck: I have no idea what is most important or where most things are in the blizzard of paper that covers every horizontal surface near where I (ostensibly) work. So I plan to get up at 6:30 tomorrow (a whole hour later than today!) and get in way early so I have a ton of time before my class at 2:30. I don't think we have P&B tomorrow, so with luck I can churn through a whole lotta stuff, get my feet--and head--clear.

But now I need to put some food in my belly and stare at the printouts about this ASLE wrinkle until the phone call at 8:45 or so--much much later than I usually like to be "working" but I also want to get this nailed down. Last time this woman and I tried to find time to talk about my position with ASLE it took us months to get it pulled together. I just don't want this to drag out any longer than necessary, and if that means a late night and a hard time letting go of work adrenaline, so be it.

Flinging this up, unproofed--not even spell checked. Dinner is ready.