We still don’t know whether the report of widespread layoffs is true. I did find the minutes of the University Academic Council meeting in which this was discussed, and that shows the group DID discuss another pending reorganization. No mention appears of specific layoffs affecting specific job classes. But of course, according to our spy, the members were sworn to secrecy about the layoffs.
Frankly, so much about this seems unlikely.
- If they intended to keep it secret, they wouldn’t have announced it to the University Academic Council, whose meeting was attended by SEVENTY-NINE people, at least two of whom (that I recognize) were from the vastly demoralized West campus and therefore certain to be disaffected.
- The UAC was charged to present the reorganization proposal to the academic senate on October 6. That was two days ago. If a layoff of ALL year-to-year academic professionals was explicitly stated in that proposal, then we would have heard about it by now.
- GDU employs a horde of academic professionals. I don’t know how many of them are year-to-year. The librarians are continuing, and so they won’t be affected. But a lot of the institution’s work is being done by academic professionals on year-to-year contracts. Laying them all off doesn’t seem very practical…or very probable.
So I’m wondering how much of this story is accurate. There’s no way of knowing, I suppose, until an announcement is made. Or not made.
Whatever. I just applied to two more jobs, bringing my total number of pitches to six. If even one of them—especially the one I just interviewed for—comes through and does it with an offer in the ball park of what I’m earning, I probably will take it even if the current rumor comes to naught. I am soooo fed up with this garbage. Morale at the Great Desert University is in the sub-basement and still riding the “down” elevator. I don’t know one person here who doesn’t bitch and moan nonstop about their jobs—everybody is miserable. No, wait: I take that back. My dean doesn’t complain…no doubt because whining about her job to the underlings would be unprofessional.
While I appreciate a job whose workload is, shall we say, minimal, it also is boring as hell. That isn’t helped by sitting around breathing toxic air in a condemned building that was magically resurrected after having been slated for demolition years ago. I’m beginning to think that I’d like to pass the last few years of my working life actually doing something, which ain’t gunna happen here. The job at the cultural center would be hugely fun, and what a gorgeous place to spend your days. And evenings: stuff is going on over there in the evenings all the time.