Saturday, January 21, 2006
Saturday Not Stumbling
Luckily, I'm having a more productive day than Profgrrrl.
I've made good progress on my annual performance report. Each year I promise to stay up to date with it . . .. Oh well. I have more incentive since it looks like my sabbatical will be approved and I will be in a different mindset by the time it's time to hand them in. It's always interesting to me that we are hired from August to May but we are evaluated each January. So that makes it difficult your first year since you are only evaluated on one semester's "productivity" and then, when you take a year sabbatical, it affects not one but two annual reports.
The union at our shop recently agreed to allow for a less complex report in exchange for fewer faculty being given "exceptional" ratings. Those of us who still want to aim high have to fill out the old narrative form but have less of a chance of being awarded the highest evaluation level and the highest (although still modest) pay increase. I'm not sure that is a move forward - we're doing more to reward mediocrity- and only points to another reason that this particular union doesn't always seem to move in the right direction.
Just as important - I've made great progress on TAH grants today. I've lined out more details and have more of a detailed list of what else needs to be done. I was able to get the ball rolling several weeks ahead but Mom's hospital stay and the broken water pipe threw me off track last month. Ah, real live intervenes. But, I have my mojo back and we still have a few weeks before the deadline. I work with a great woman who is the grant manager at the organization I work with on these. She's a budget wizard!! And, that's my weakness, not being good with numbers except how to spend it.
Speaking of money, I'm headed out for a break to go to a nearby big city (for these here parts) to eat out and do some shopping and pick up some things I can't get here.
Happy Weekend!
Saturday Stumbles
I simply cannot find my groove today. I slept in, feel well rested, but also a bit immobile. Stumbling blocks. Little stumbling blocks. I need to knock them over, one by one, and find a way to get the day moving.
I've made good progress on my annual performance report. Each year I promise to stay up to date with it . . .. Oh well. I have more incentive since it looks like my sabbatical will be approved and I will be in a different mindset by the time it's time to hand them in. It's always interesting to me that we are hired from August to May but we are evaluated each January. So that makes it difficult your first year since you are only evaluated on one semester's "productivity" and then, when you take a year sabbatical, it affects not one but two annual reports.
The union at our shop recently agreed to allow for a less complex report in exchange for fewer faculty being given "exceptional" ratings. Those of us who still want to aim high have to fill out the old narrative form but have less of a chance of being awarded the highest evaluation level and the highest (although still modest) pay increase. I'm not sure that is a move forward - we're doing more to reward mediocrity- and only points to another reason that this particular union doesn't always seem to move in the right direction.
Just as important - I've made great progress on TAH grants today. I've lined out more details and have more of a detailed list of what else needs to be done. I was able to get the ball rolling several weeks ahead but Mom's hospital stay and the broken water pipe threw me off track last month. Ah, real live intervenes. But, I have my mojo back and we still have a few weeks before the deadline. I work with a great woman who is the grant manager at the organization I work with on these. She's a budget wizard!! And, that's my weakness, not being good with numbers except how to spend it.
Speaking of money, I'm headed out for a break to go to a nearby big city (for these here parts) to eat out and do some shopping and pick up some things I can't get here.
Happy Weekend!
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