Back to School...

I am back into teaching at OCC.  The Fall Semester started last week and I am settling into my routine.  I did not have as many "first-day-of-school-late-to-class-no-clothes-or-lesson-plan" nightmares during August as I have in the past.  I think it is due to the fact that I spent a good deal of time on campus during August (finishing a special project for my VP, learning our new online course management system, assembling my tenure application material, etc.) so I never really had to "go back" to school - I was already there.
Hurricane Irene ruined our last best chance to hit the beach before school started back up.  The boys are in swimming lessons every Saturday morning through October and my schedule does not have a "free" day until late September (right before my tenure application is due!)  Therefore, our beach going is likely over until next Summer.
One positive note about Irene...we cleaned out our garage the weekend before she hit.  As it became apparent that she was headed our way, we decided to try to fit our minivan in the garage (just in case a tree fell on the driveway.)  With some minor organizing (and by folding in our van's side mirrors) we got it in the garage rather easily.  Up until this point, we had "eyeballed" the van and garage and decided that it wouldn't fit.  Now that we know it will fit, we can keep it safely locked up whenever we need to.
Once again I am dealing with troubling issues at work - it seems that September is the time for those lately - and once again I am finding my only comfort as I turn to my Heavenly Father and Savior.  Perhaps September is the "humbling" point in my own Nephite-like pride cycle.  Even if it isn't, I am grateful to know that I have a loving Heavenly Father and Savior who are there to comfort me when the world cannot provide comfort.

Brad

One big step forward...

Today my Dean and I met with the VP of Academic Affairs for my semi-annual non-tenured faculty conference.  Both of them were impressed with my performance over the past 6 months.  The VP suggested some activities that I should pursue during the Spring and Summer to strengthen my tenure application (due October 2011) but did not indicate any areas where I needed any change or improvement.  He is therefore recommending (to the President) that the Board of Trustees renew my contract for the 2011-2012 academic year.  That basically means that I am 99.9% certain that I will be renewed.

This is a great relief.  I enjoy what I do and I think I do it extremely well.  It's a good feeling to have my supervisors say so.

Looking forward to receiving the official letter from the Board later next week,
Brad

Saturday is(n't) a special day...

Well, I did accomplish a lot today. The boys bedding got washed, as did another load of laundry. Two loads of dishes got washed, the upstairs hardwood got "vacuumed" and the entryway stairs got swept. I also got grades completely caught up in over a third of my classes. Overall, very productive. Plus the Utes won. Who cares how they won, the point is: they won! I didn't watch any of it - I don't know if I could have even if I wanted to. I would have turned it off after the 13-0 score in the 3rd quarter.

So why is today not special? I don't know. I really needed to get some OCC work done, but I think that is the culprit. My mood (and I'm pretty sure my family's mood) takes a bit of a dive when I spend lots of time on the computer (most of my grading and "work" is through OCC's online portal "Ocean Cruiser" or the more general "Blackboard")

So what am I doing typing a blog entry when I've already spent all day on the computer? My wife is downstairs and I think she is done with her Primary preparation. I think I'll go downstairs and see if she wants some company.

I know I could use some,
Brad

Finding an escape...

The atmosphere at OCC is absolutely poison. I am therefore going to fall back on some classic coping mechanisms - avoidance and escapism.

Fortunately, my drugs of choice are: my classes, the clubs I advise, my wife and children, my church calling, and the upcoming Thanksgiving weekend! Much better than Four Loko - but I really wouldn't know.

So, I spoke with one of the librarians at OCC and she indicated that we had a "chess and strategic games" club on campus. I am currently the interim adviser to the "Gamers" club, and we thought that those clubs may be one and the same. I have since found out that they are not. However, she wants to hold a holiday "board game" party. Only board games will be allowed (that means no pokemon, D & D, or other card-based role-playing games) and it will be open to the public. I think we could do it as a fund-raiser for a charity of her choice (donations at the door) and really have a great time with students, faculty, staff, and the general public. I know my boys would love it - I plan to take Axis & Allies, Fortress America, and Conquest of the Empire. I figure others will bring more traditional board games (Risk, Stratego, Chess, Checkers, etc.) and I don't want to subject them to some of my Avalon Hill games that have more involved rules (Frederick the Great, Panzer Blitz, Fortress Europa, etc.)

The club officially lists 91 members at OCC - so I hope it is alive and active. I have requested membership and inquired about the adviser and leadership. If it is not active, I would love to help activate it.

Ah, that was refreshing! It's always nice to focus on the positive aspects of my job!

This weekend we have plans to rake the massive amount of leaves in our yard and buy our last round of ice cream from Rich's II before it closes for the season (until mid-April.)

I've been losing weight this fall and may not be up to my usual Thanksgiving Day performance. Hopefully the ice cream will prepare me.

Brad

It's not my fault - really.

So I didn't get to post last night and here's why...

I was in Atlantic City for the New Jersey League of Municipalities Conference with several students from one of the many clubs I advise. After attending the first day's meetings we checked-in at Bally's and settled into our rooms. I started up Destro (my laptop is named Destro) to check my e-mail and post; however, I found that the wi-fi cost $12.99 per day! I decided then and there that skipping a day was better than spending that much for internet access. So I relaxed, went to the Irish Pub for dinner: corned-beef sandwich (with slaw and dressing), steak fries, and carrot cake for dessert (all for just over $9!)

Today's morning meetings went well and we were able to get back to OCC in the mid-afternoon. The mood in my academic school was depressing. I think one of my colleagues had been "officially" informed that her contract will not be renewed for next year. It was really bad - I was so glad when my wife and kids arrived to take me home.

Now, some may say that the economy is what is causing the negative vibe at work. That's like saying that the economy created the Tea Party as a national movement. It certainly contributed, but other factors played a far bigger role.

Brad

O how things have changed...

After my last post, things really went downhill at OCC. A new policy that "caps" the percentage of full-time faculty that can be tenured at any time has done serious damage to any positive atmosphere on campus - especially among the non-tenured faculty. Basically, the numbers do not add up to allow all those who are eligible for tenure over the next two years to be granted tenure. NJ state law requires tenure or termination at the start of the 6th year of teaching for county colleges. So we are all a little worried. I know I am an excellent professor and colleague; however, some events during the early Fall have cast some doubt on my own tenure expectations.

No matter what happens, I know that my Heavenly Father directed me to this job. He has always been there for me I have always tried to follow Him. I know that no matter what happens, it will be for His purpose (and my good.)

I know that is a bit of a downer for a 1st post back. I will have more positive posts. I plan to post everyday between now and Christmas. If I can do that, I will definitely have established a habit.

Brad

Pondering the future...

In all my time here at OCC, there has been an increasing expectation or recommendation that I ultimately move into an administrative position. From others' perspectives I have the necessary skills to do so, and from some, I excel at the most important skills necessary to a good administrator. From my own perspective, I could see how I might be able to more effectively contribute to the overall mission of OCC from an administrative position, as opposed to a faculty position. I always knew that tenure was a necessary step to acheive before considering any administrative position (just for job security.) But within the past 2 months the issue has been strongly present in my mind. I knew I needed to do something to "resolve" my uneasiness. So I talked to a friend. The friend reinforced the idea that I have all the necessary skills for administration, but I still lack the knowledge and experience that would allow my skills to be effectively deployed. After that discussion, I was at total peace with myself. My decision was made and I was happy with it - I am an awesome professor! I love what I do, and I make a day-to-day difference in the lives of my students, co-workers, and the greater Ocean County community.

Today I saw this interview with Gov. Christie. His response about being the Governor of NJ and the idea of running for president really reflects my feelings about being a professor and the idea of becoming an administrator (especially the time with family aspect!)



At peace with the present,
Brad

Home again...

Well, we're back to the Jersey Shore and I'm headed back to get ready for Spring semester on Tuesday. OCC classes start on Monday (1/25) but I have a lot of prep and I am also teaching one course for Kean University that starts on Thursday (1/21)

I am going to be extremely busy again this semester. I almost always change things from one semester to the next - I must be a perfectionist or a masochist - but I think this semester's "new" things are somewhat manageable...

1. Teaching "Women & American Politics" as a face-to-face course (I've only taught it online up till now)
2. Creating new quizzes for the first 7 chapters of my State & Local textbook
3. Using a new edition of my Federal Government textbook (there's not a lot of new material, but it may affect the quizzes I already have from last semester.)
4. Re-formatting the first 3 quizzes for my Federal Government, Intro to Pol Sci, and International Relations classes.
5. Teaching American Federal government as an online course (2 sections of 25 students each.)
6. Teaching my own course for Kean - up until now I've only taught the Political Science part (one class session) of the Praxis capstone course for their History department.

I am excited and know I will do just fine - if I can survive my own insecurities.

I also have to lose the 8 pounds I brought home from Utah (in addition to the 10-15 I had to lose before I left),
Brad

Reinventing the blog...

Lately this blog has become too political and sparse in its content. I have decided to make it more of a journal of personal and family happenings. I am doing this because my own journal writing has fallen off considerably - and I recall that my old blog during grad school often provided an excellent accounting of important events in my and my family's lives.

I am finished teaching for the summer - my two classes during the second five-week session were canceled due to low enrollment - and now have a "honey-do" list almost two pages long. I still have some commitments at OCC. Today, after I donate platelets, I will go in to finalize the grades for my earlier summer classes, write the report for the department assessments, and attend a meeting of the Advising Policy ad-hoc committee. Before next Tuesday I have to submit a budget for my team's part of OCC's Perkins Grant. After that, I will only have the College Senate and an ad-hoc bylaws committee to worry about until I start preparing for Fall.

That's all for today - I will try to post more regularly and include information about the family (especially the kids) to keep it interesting for everyone.

Looking forward to a more family-focused summer,
Brad

Spring Break finally arrives...for real...I think...

Late Tuesday night I returned from a 3-day trip to Washington, D.C. It was the annual OCC trip to the USIP (United States Institute of Peace.) 19 students and 2 professors traveled to the DC this year. We attended two 2-hour sessions at the USIP - one on Monday morning and the next on Tuesday afternoon - in which we participated in discussions about Israel/Palestine, Iraq & Civil Society, and the use of child soldiers. The rest of the time was left to enjoying the sites and cuisine of DC. I am still tired after driving 4 hours each way, staying up late each night, and walking all over the Mall and through the monuments & museums. It was nice to have a somewhat restful day today. I think the rest of the week will be more restful...

Until Easter Sunday! We had our "Spring Celebration" on March 21st (the first day of Spring) complete with chocolate eggs & bunnies, candy, and an egg hunt. That's not what will make it busy. The ward choir (I'm the choir director) is singing two selections during Sacrament Meeting. I am also the concluding speaker (I found out on Monday and haven't started preparing yet.) And did I mention that the missionaries are coming for dinner that night? Yes, we have a lot going on.

Finally, I watched the first half of the infamous "Big Love" episode last week (it originally aired on 3/15, so I caught the re-run.) Two things tell me that the writers didn't do their "mormon" homework (no, it has nothing to do with the "inside the temple" stuff; it has everything to do with the alpha-wife's mother.)

First, the mother's initial objection to alpha-wife going to the temple is that she hasn't "tithed" in months/years. No Latter-Day Saint ever uses the verb form of "tithing" (unless they are a recent convert from a church that uses that phrase - but lifetime LDS do not.) Within the Church the verb phrase is some variation of "pay tithing" not "tithe."

Second, no Latter-Day Saint parent would ever find joy in sitting in the celestial room of the temple with their child who is openly and proudly there unworthily (especially if the parent is an accessory to that fraud!)

I went to bed after that, so I don't have any other blatant errors to point out.

It looks like this post is headed for the same fate...the long minute hand is pointing to the 6 which means it's half past something. The short hour hand is pointing between the 10 and 11. That means bedtime today is at half past 10.

I know I'll never meet the Polkaroo - everyone knows the man IS the Polkaroo,
Brad

This is what is sounds like, when Olympic doves cry...

We are finally settling into the new house. Almost all of the boxes are unpacked and all of the rooms are mostly "put together" and functional. In the midst of this all, I got to attend a Foundations of Excellence conference in Asheville, North Carolina last week. This conference will ultimately lead to OCC examining its entire approach to the "first-year" experience and making a grand plan for at least the next five years. For a junior faculty member to participate in this conference, and serve on the steering committee, is quite impressive (not to toot my own horn too much!)

The two weekdays after the conference I managed to bike into work. It felt good to ride my new route and get back into a little exercise. The new route is only 5 miles one way, which means I can ride it in under 20 minutes. That's nice for my commute time, but it means I won't get as much exercise as I used to (my old route was just under 7 miles one way.)

Last night my wife and I watched the Olympics. We were up much later than we should have been, but were rewarded with the U.S. victory in the 4x100 freestyle. It was the best moment of the Olympics so far.

We also watched the opening ceremony. It was amazing! Sadly, the most memorable part for me was the announcement of the opening of hostilities between Russia and Georgia. There is little doubt that Russia has abused whatever legitimacy it may have had for an intervention by pressing into parts of Western Georgia. This is an invasion to conquer and permanently occupy. It makes the U.S.-led invasion of Iraq look retrained and completely legitimate. Sadly, the world has not responded with the same outrage. Why? First, the Russians invaded rather quickly. No attempt to legitimize their actions, no attempt to negotiate, no effort to address international norms or law ("tell me of this mythical UN of which you speak.") Second, everyone knows that the Russians/Soviets have and always will be brutal butchers that don't give a rat's about international law or morality. Basically it has behaved as most Great Powers have always behaved. The U.S. was, and is, the major exception to that Great Power tradition.

The Russians are partying like its 1979,
Brad

Back on track...

Last night a cold front came through and took our 105+ heat index with it. My bike ride this morning was in the low to mid 70s and felt great (despite a 10mph headwind.) It looks like the wind is still blowing the same way, so I should have a tailwind for the ride home. I must say that riding to work makes such a difference in my attitude. I have felt so much better about myself and what I'm am doing today than I felt yesterday or Monday when I drove in. I look forward to biking the remainder of the summer - unless it gets stupid hot again.

Today in class we talked about election systems (how you count votes and decide who wins elections) in different countries. As a part of the discussion, one of the students talked about his experience running for the Seaside Heights school board. He ran and won election at the age of 18. One thing he mentioned, that had little to do with election systems, was the difficulty he had being taken seriously. There is a definite bias against youth in that regard. I can easily sympathize with him (I should probably say "empathize," but I'm a strict empathy constructionist - the experiences have to be exactly the same for empathy to even be possible.) As the Program Coordinator for the department, I have the responsibility of observing and evaluating the adjunct professors. I did my first 15-20 this last semester. One of them was not very impressed with my evaluation and wrote a page and a half letter in response. As I discussed the matter with others in the department they feel it is my age and apparent "lack of experience" that is at the core of this instructor's reaction. I can understand that, but I was hired as the Program Coordinator for a reason. Evaluating adjunct instructors is part of the job and my academic and teaching experience and training have prepared me well. Or as someone in the department put it, "you know [lousy teaching] when you see it." Therefore, my response to that adjunct is:


Brad

Commencement...

Last Thursday I attended commencement for Ocean County College. It was the first time since my school graduation that I had put on a graduation gown (so I needed a little help from my wife and the other faculty when it came to the Masters hood.) The weather was a little chilly, and we had to endure a little rain as we paraded to our seats, but overall the scene was great and the event went off without a hitch. The keynote speaker was the head of New Jersey's Department of Environmental Protection. She gave a short talk that was inspiring and practical without being preachy. My only critique of the entire event was that too many of the recognitions and awards were directed at people other than graduating students. Commencement is about the students! I don't really care how much money or time or effort these other people have put into OCC or education in general, we're here to recognize the students!

I won't get into a rant about some of the idiots who give graduation speeches (I don't have that much time!) Rather, I will give an excerpt from a graduation speech that I think perhaps should be given after enduring years of college.

Maybe I'll incorporate this into my class next week,
Brad



Fairness, idealism and other atrocities
Commencement advice you're unlikely to hear elsewhere.
By P.J. O'Rourke

May 4, 2008

Well, here you are at your college graduation. And I know what you're thinking: "Gimme the sheepskin and get me outta here!" But not so fast. First you have to listen to a commencement speech.

Don't moan. I'm not going to "pass the wisdom of one generation down to the next." I'm a member of the 1960s generation. We didn't have any wisdom.

We were the moron generation. We were the generation that believed we could stop the Vietnam War by growing our hair long and dressing like circus clowns. We believed drugs would change everything -- which they did, for John Belushi. We believed in free love. Yes, the love was free, but we paid a high price for the sex.

My generation spoiled everything for you. It has always been the special prerogative of young people to look and act weird and shock grown-ups. But my generation exhausted the Earth's resources of the weird. Weird clothes -- we wore them. Weird beards -- we grew them. Weird words and phrases -- we said them. So, when it came your turn to be original and look and act weird, all you had left was to tattoo your faces and pierce your tongues. Ouch. That must have hurt. I apologize.

So now, it's my job to give you advice. But I'm thinking: You're finishing 16 years of education, and you've heard all the conventional good advice you can stand. So, let me offer some relief:

1. Go out and make a bunch of money!

Here we are living in the world's most prosperous country, surrounded by all the comforts, conveniences and security that money can provide. Yet no American political, intellectual or cultural leader ever says to young people, "Go out and make a bunch of money." Instead, they tell you that money can't buy happiness. Maybe, but money can rent it.

There's nothing the matter with honest moneymaking. Wealth is not a pizza, where if I have too many slices you have to eat the Domino's box. In a free society, with the rule of law and property rights, no one loses when someone else gets rich.

2. Don't be an idealist!

Don't chain yourself to a redwood tree. Instead, be a corporate lawyer and make $500,000 a year. No matter how much you cheat the IRS, you'll still end up paying $100,000 in property, sales and excise taxes. That's $100,000 to schools, sewers, roads, firefighters and police. You'll be doing good for society. Does chaining yourself to a redwood tree do society $100,000 worth of good?

Idealists are also bullies. The idealist says, "I care more about the redwood trees than you do. I care so much I can't eat. I can't sleep. It broke up my marriage. And because I care more than you do, I'm a better person. And because I'm the better person, I have the right to boss you around."

Get a pair of bolt cutters and liberate that tree.

Who does more for the redwoods and society anyway -- the guy chained to a tree or the guy who founds the "Green Travel Redwood Tree-Hug Tour Company" and makes a million by turning redwoods into a tourist destination, a valuable resource that people will pay just to go look at?

So make your contribution by getting rich. Don't be an idealist.

3. Get politically uninvolved!

All politics stink. Even democracy stinks. Imagine if our clothes were selected by the majority of shoppers, which would be teenage girls. I'd be standing here with my bellybutton exposed. Imagine deciding the dinner menu by family secret ballot. I've got three kids and three dogs in my family. We'd be eating Froot Loops and rotten meat.

But let me make a distinction between politics and politicians. Some people are under the misapprehension that all politicians stink. Impeach George W. Bush, and everything will be fine. Nab Ted Kennedy on a DUI, and the nation's problems will be solved.

But the problem isn't politicians -- it's politics. Politics won't allow for the truth. And we can't blame the politicians for that. Imagine what even a little truth would sound like on today's campaign trail:

"No, I can't fix public education. The problem isn't the teachers unions or a lack of funding for salaries, vouchers or more computer equipment The problem is your kids!"

4. Forget about fairness!

We all get confused about the contradictory messages that life and politics send.

Life sends the message, "I'd better not be poor. I'd better get rich. I'd better make more money than other people." Meanwhile, politics sends us the message, "Some people make more money than others. Some are rich while others are poor. We'd better close that 'income disparity gap.' It's not fair!"

Well, I am here to advocate for unfairness. I've got a 10-year-old at home. She's always saying, "That's not fair." When she says this, I say, "Honey, you're cute. That's not fair. Your family is pretty well off. That's not fair. You were born in America. That's not fair. Darling, you had better pray to God that things don't start getting fair for you." What we need is more income, even if it means a bigger income disparity gap.

5. Be a religious extremist!

So, avoid politics if you can. But if you absolutely cannot resist, read the Bible for political advice -- even if you're a Buddhist, atheist or whatever. Don't get me wrong, I am not one of those people who believes that God is involved in politics. On the contrary. Observe politics in this country. Observe politics around the world. Observe politics through history. Does it look like God's involved?

The Bible is very clear about one thing: Using politics to create fairness is a sin. Observe the Tenth Commandment. The first nine commandments concern theological principles and social law: Thou shalt not make graven images, steal, kill, et cetera. Fair enough. But then there's the tenth: "Thou shalt not covet thy neighbor's house. Thou shalt not covet thy neighbor's wife, nor his manservant, nor his maidservant, nor his ox, nor his ass, nor anything that is thy neighbor's."

Here are God's basic rules about how we should live, a brief list of sacred obligations and solemn moral precepts. And, right at the end of it we read, "Don't envy your buddy because he has an ox or a donkey." Why did that make the top 10? Why would God, with just 10 things to tell Moses, include jealousy about livestock?

Well, think about how important this commandment is to a community, to a nation, to a democracy. If you want a mule, if you want a pot roast, if you want a cleaning lady, don't whine about what the people across the street have. Get rich and get your own.

Now, one last thing:

6. Don't listen to your elders!

After all, if the old person standing up here actually knew anything worth telling, he'd be charging you for it.

P.J. O'Rourke, a correspondent for the Weekly Standard and the Atlantic, is the author, most recently, of "On The Wealth of Nations." A longer version of this article appears in Change magazine, which reports on trends and issues in higher education.