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Sazerac · 11-05-2001, 09:01 PM

Well, this is the way my work has been going:

1) We are now down to 1 functioning printer for all the student labs at the school (3) because the printer in Lab 2 (which services Labs 2 and 3) has a broken print server. So that leaves the Lab 1 printer, which now (wonder of wonders) is out of its laser toner cartridge. This is the printer which ALL faculty and students have to use. Guess what now? We're plumb out of toner cartriges. NO PRINTING--Period.

2) Half of the computers in each of the labs are non-functioning for one reason or another. Some of them have faulty network adapters, others have video cards that have gone on the fritz, some have gotten so old that they won't support the latest applications. We're talking Pentium 100's and 133's on some of these...out of date by at least 4 years. In my day Internet class alone, I have seven students, and five computers in the lab that can connect to the Internet (in 256 color, 640 x 480 max resolution). So for their exam tomorrow, I'm faced with having to put one student on the faculty computer in Lab 3 so they can take their test, and just pray that there is a computer available in Lab 2 so that I can squeeze another student in...or hope that someone doesn't show up for the test.

3) We are down to 9 faculty members (non-administrative), of which only 4 (of whom I am one) are full-time. At one time, we employed 22 day and night faculty. I am working a 42-hour week teaching schedule (that's actual hours IN the class, teaching, NOT grading, record keeping, and lesson plans) which is the equivalent of a 64-hour work week for a regular job. Max in-class hours for full time faculty in the State of Texas is 30 work hours. I'm 12 hours over, and the load is killing me.

What is the problem here, you may ask? LUBBOCK. At one time, our campus (in Denton) was autonomous, part of a larger group of schools that were all connected, but individually run. Since last year, Lubbock (the main campus) has taken back over management of all the campuses. The man who is in charge of all of the campuses (who I will not place his name up here because of legal reasons) is an anal-retentive, control-freak, penny-pinching jerk who makes everyone submit purchase orders through Lubbock for any item, no matter how important or trivial it is (I forgot to mention that we're out of staples, too, so I have to bring my OWN stapler from home and my own staples if my students are to have attached exams). All because this @$$hole has to PERSONALLY approve every little nit-picking thing from every campus, and then if it gets tended to three weeks later, we're lucky (our terms last for 6 weeks at a time, so you can imagine the problems this causes).

At one time, the Denton campus of IBS was the "model school": our students had better placement from graduation and we had great retention of students. They scored the highest on any of the certification exams we give. Now, that campus is a pathetic heartbreak. Students are leaving and not returning; morale is low, and even the faculty is talking about quitting. I'm looking for another job even as I'm teaching there. I told some of my colleagues today, "So when do we riot, or should we strike?"

And THAT is how my job is. Something that at one time was one of the most rewarding occupations I could have chosen has been turned into a cesspool. An absolute tragedy of mismanagement. I know why the "owner" doesn't come to see the campus. He knows he'll be lynched; strung up by us faculty as soon as he sets his penny-pinching @$$ on the premises.

So, I ask you. What should I do? WHAT DO I DO????

Regards,

11-05-2001, 09:01 PM	#26
Sazerac Ironworks Moderator Join Date: January 7, 2001 Location: Monroe, LA Age: 61 Posts: 7,387	Well, this is the way my work has been going: 1) We are now down to 1 functioning printer for all the student labs at the school (3) because the printer in Lab 2 (which services Labs 2 and 3) has a broken print server. So that leaves the Lab 1 printer, which now (wonder of wonders) is out of its laser toner cartridge. This is the printer which ALL faculty and students have to use. Guess what now? We're plumb out of toner cartriges. NO PRINTING--Period. 2) Half of the computers in each of the labs are non-functioning for one reason or another. Some of them have faulty network adapters, others have video cards that have gone on the fritz, some have gotten so old that they won't support the latest applications. We're talking Pentium 100's and 133's on some of these...out of date by at least 4 years. In my day Internet class alone, I have seven students, and five computers in the lab that can connect to the Internet (in 256 color, 640 x 480 max resolution). So for their exam tomorrow, I'm faced with having to put one student on the faculty computer in Lab 3 so they can take their test, and just pray that there is a computer available in Lab 2 so that I can squeeze another student in...or hope that someone doesn't show up for the test. 3) We are down to 9 faculty members (non-administrative), of which only 4 (of whom I am one) are full-time. At one time, we employed 22 day and night faculty. I am working a 42-hour week teaching schedule (that's actual hours IN the class, teaching, NOT grading, record keeping, and lesson plans) which is the equivalent of a 64-hour work week for a regular job. Max in-class hours for full time faculty in the State of Texas is 30 work hours. I'm 12 hours over, and the load is killing me. What is the problem here, you may ask? LUBBOCK. At one time, our campus (in Denton) was autonomous, part of a larger group of schools that were all connected, but individually run. Since last year, Lubbock (the main campus) has taken back over management of all the campuses. The man who is in charge of all of the campuses (who I will not place his name up here because of legal reasons) is an anal-retentive, control-freak, penny-pinching jerk who makes everyone submit purchase orders through Lubbock for any item, no matter how important or trivial it is (I forgot to mention that we're out of staples, too, so I have to bring my OWN stapler from home and my own staples if my students are to have attached exams). All because this @$$hole has to PERSONALLY approve every little nit-picking thing from every campus, and then if it gets tended to three weeks later, we're lucky (our terms last for 6 weeks at a time, so you can imagine the problems this causes). At one time, the Denton campus of IBS was the "model school": our students had better placement from graduation and we had great retention of students. They scored the highest on any of the certification exams we give. Now, that campus is a pathetic heartbreak. Students are leaving and not returning; morale is low, and even the faculty is talking about quitting. I'm looking for another job even as I'm teaching there. I told some of my colleagues today, "So when do we riot, or should we strike?" And THAT is how my job is. Something that at one time was one of the most rewarding occupations I could have chosen has been turned into a cesspool. An absolute tragedy of mismanagement. I know why the "owner" doesn't come to see the campus. He knows he'll be lynched; strung up by us faculty as soon as he sets his penny-pinching @$$ on the premises. So, I ask you. What should I do? WHAT DO I DO???? Regards, __________________ "And all my days are trances, and all my nightly dreams, Are where thy grey eye glances, and where thy footstep gleams, In what ethereal dances, by what eternal streams..."