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| A shrine to speech/forensics, that gaudy bauble |
I don't mean to be cynical, but sometimes it seems that college presidents are like politicians: they seem attracted more to the splashy and meretricious than to the restrained and substantial. Here we see this SHRINE to speech/forensics dominating the second floor of the Business Sciences & Tech Innovation Center (BSTIC), a building for a school that has few students. (Meanwhile, Humanities & Languages, a school that does half the instruction at the college, has no building at all. But I digress.)
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| It overwhelms the 2nd floor of BISTIC |
Listen, I like these kids who go to our college. And so I'll refrain from offering my opinion of speech and forensics—and, in particular, of one of the guiding lights of speech/forensics at IVC.
Lots of prizes, eh? Yeah. Lots of travel and photo ops? Great. Color me seriously unimpressed.
Give me a reason to say more, G.
Make my day.
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| Oh good. Offices for adjuncts! |
Now, until very recently, adjuncts—at least those on our end of campus—had a tiny office to themselves. It was up against the absurd Gensler Memorial duplicating cubicle in A200. The large window between these rooms was always open, rendering this office space nearly useless for student conferences.
Well, what with recent remodeling in A200, that office is gone.
Luckily, a few years ago, a new building—BSTIC—was constructed (for a school with few students), and we were told that it would include office space for adjuncts! Whoopee!
OK. So, today, the Reb and I walked over to BSTIC. We examined the building directory (see above). Sure enough! The "adjunct faculty office," it said, is room 213. That was just a few feet away. We walked to the room.
It's been taken over by the speech and debate team. Natch.
We opened the door. It's a decent sized room. Nobody was home. Actually, I've walked by this room many times, but I've never seen anyone in it.
But what about the adjuncts? Surely they've been given some a new space! We made inquiries. Adjuncts' new space, we were told, is room 2021 of BSTIC. So we walked over there.
There was a sign on the door:
There was a sign on the door:
OK. Here's the adjuncts' new office space.
Students aren't allowed in it. No exceptions.
Here's a clear view of the inside of 2021. Four computers, four chairs. A duplicating machine against the wall. A table.
Later, I spoke with an administrator. I said, "if students can't come in that room, in what sense is it office space for adjuncts?" The administrator did not disagree with our concerns.
I headed home. I took this pic from my car at the opening of Lambrose Canyon Road.
It's been a beautiful day.
11 comments:
Adjunct used to have the office space that is now dedicated to the Model UN club - which, I too like, - but sometimes I wonder that priorities here.
2021 also has a sink and mail files. It's not an appropriate place to meet with the students. The former adjenct office was embarrassingly small but at least you could meet with students there. Then we were moved for 30 seconds into the office spece next to Honors - which was GREAT - but we got bumped by the MUN. We were told that the BTSIC building would be better but it's a joke.
We can "work" there but not meet with students there. Get a clue. Meeting with students is our "work."
Can I get an office where I don't have to meet with students?
The administration likes programs that win trophies, titles and ribbons - it doesn't matter if a minority of stundents benefit or participate as long as the guys in suits get photo ops. So the resources go to them - thus it has ever been. They are the "face" of the college even though the real "face" of the college are the thousands of other students who sit in our classrooms without acclaim.
I am confused.
I thought BSTIC was for the Business and Tech people - why is Speech there? Aren't they on the second floor of the B-200 building? Or in the Fine Arts buildings? Why are the part-time offices in there?
I remember the announcement about the P/T office moving to Bstic - BUT I don't remember the announcement that they couldn't meet students in their new "offices." That's just wacky. Who decided that?
I guess that shows you the value they put on teaching.
How do our decisions affect students? ha ha ha ha ha
Must I paint you a picture...
Forensics actaully has TWO dedicated rooms on the sceond floor of BSTIC - one large classroom for students, the other room (the former P/T office) for the elite.
Is this one of your jokes? An office space in a spanking new building for dozens of part-time faculty member - but the catch is they can't actually MEET with stduents there?
When was the decision made to dump the part-time faculty out of an office where they could meet with their students in favor of giving the speech team yet another office space so they could meet with themselves?
Who made this decision?
With whose input?
Did anyone ask the people most affected?
The administrators imagined that what part-time faculty wanted most was COMPUTERS, not a space to meet with STUDENTS. That shows what they think we do in the class.
Plus the speech team gets whatever it wants.
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