Beginnings of a Blog

So fall semester is just around the corner...faculty are busily putting the finishing touches on their courses, students are (hopefully) enjoying their final days of freedom, and stoic staff are bracing for the onslaught of questions, calls, e-mails and visits from both of the previous two groups mentioned, panicked, uncertain, stressed as only a new semester can cause them to be. In spite of this there is a sense of excitement, a feeling of embarking on a new path, even for those of us who have seen a LOT of semesters come and go.

I recently had a conversation with an administrator who said that "this" (meaning higher education) was the best job in the world. My immediate response was to laugh, but he was sincere. This got me to thinking about my own career. I discovered upon some reflection that I really do love my job. Higher ed is going through rough times with decreased funding, rising costs, increasing scrutiny and accountability, and a depressed economy. Uncertainty is everywhere as students and parents question the value of a college education. Still, many, many of us continue to cherish education and see it as the key to a better self, and a better life, and a better society. Could I envision myself doing anything else? No, not unless someone paid me to travel and experience the world at my own pace, or to write whatever I wanted with no deadlines. Short of that, I'm pretty happy in higher ed.

While I might grumble inwardly at being a problem-solver or pushing paper or dealing with bureaucracy, the end result is that I get satisfaction from helping students. I like learning with them. I like seeing them succeed. 





I "fell into" university life, but I immediately felt comfortable and at home in its environment. Fifteen years later I'm still here, hopeful and excited about the possibilities and the future of higher ed. This blog is a way to share thoughts and ideas and invite conversation about what's happening in higher education. 

Here's to many, many fruitful semesters. - Peggy