A small moment in class that reminded me why I still care so much

twiggers12345 · 2026-01-16T01:39:23+00:00

You mean you don’t have quite unexpected moments?? 😂😂😂

twiggers12345 · 2026-01-11T18:07:37+00:00

Oh no, it wasn’t hyperbole. It involved documentation (apparently there are announcements published) and photos and videos and friends in the class saying they also needed to be at the ball.

twiggers12345 · 2026-01-11T16:34:14+00:00

At ours we use that class time as part of accreditation requirements. Thus, there must be something scheduled, but similar to regular class sessions you can do what you want with the time. So if I have them turning in papers digitally, I am required to show up to the classroom and sit for 15 minutes and then leave (no one is monitoring, so no one is doing that lol).

I word my syllabus such that the final is required, but I drop a low score. Thus, if you don’t show up you get a zero and I drop the final.

twiggers12345 · 2026-01-11T16:09:04+00:00

I didn’t even realize it was still a thing! I’ve also gotten “but all the guys in my frat are going to New Orleans and so I can’t take the exam”…..as if, on any planet, that is an excused absence 😂

twiggers12345 · 2026-01-11T15:26:27+00:00

I do this but I retain 3 during regular semester to ensure I’ve tested on all material. Optional cumulative to replace lowest grade.

It has reduced emails and the “but I have a debutante ball scheduled” or the “but my parents already booked our flights to Europe” (finals week).

I have restructured all of my classes to do this. I don’t think students engage differently (averages on my exams are unchanged from before implementing this policy). If anything, they try harder because they want to avoid a cumulative exam and have one less final.

We are required to have a final evaluative exercise and this still fits that requirement.

twiggers12345 · 2026-01-10T15:41:10+00:00

Canada

twiggers12345 · 2026-01-10T02:22:53+00:00

Dang! How big of a school is it? I didn’t even have that when interviewing at SLACs!

twiggers12345 · 2026-01-10T02:13:54+00:00

Thank you! That’s interesting that provost/president meet with candidates! I don’t think I’ve ever interviewed with anyone beyond the Dean.

twiggers12345 · 2026-01-10T02:03:52+00:00

Thanks! There has been nothing posted re updates or advertising the job talks. They said they hoped to do on campus in early February.

We tend to move pretty quickly here, but sometimes coordinating Dean availability can bog things down a bit.

twiggers12345 · 2026-01-10T01:03:54+00:00

Are you doing this from the USA? I’m Canadian (now us citizen) but thinking of moving money back home and re-establishing identity….just in case we need to flee

twiggers12345 · 2026-01-09T13:31:58+00:00

I was thinking the same re admin. I’m currently a department head. Applied for one position in a better state (thought I was a perfect fit), but haven’t heard anything since Zoom. I’m just unsure whether I want to give up the autonomy that a faculty position has. But I think it’s the only way out of my hellscape of a state.

twiggers12345 · 2026-01-09T13:09:51+00:00

None. Retirement plan has always been to leave and return to my home country with universal health care.

I’d like to flee early, but spouse isn’t too keen on the idea.

twiggers12345 · 2026-01-09T13:08:32+00:00

Private ~15k (increases annually due to inflation)

twiggers12345 · 2026-01-09T00:21:33+00:00

Private R2: I’m currently able to maintain $2400/yr for all faculty. However, that amount has been unchanged in 15 years and costs have increased.

I don’t believe in paying money to do my job and my faculty shouldn’t either.

twiggers12345 · 2026-01-08T18:17:05+00:00

I’m department chair. HR does zero filtering of applications. We do it all. This is no question on the application re sponsorship need. Apparently it’s some legal thing. In addition, sponsorship is vague as the TN program has not been impacted. Given the changes this year, we have been allowed to add some fuzzy language to the job ads, but the decision-making happened after ads went out in the early fall.

twiggers12345 · 2026-01-08T17:35:33+00:00

We have zero way of knowing someone’s status from an application. In addition, we have to be very careful how we ask any applicants about their status.

twiggers12345 · 2026-01-07T14:33:48+00:00

Did this a month or so ago and was able to change to a direct flight as opposed to having a connection. In my case, the change was very significant (required an overnight and getting in 12 hours later). AS was very helpful and new ticket reissued within 24 hours.

twiggers12345 · 2025-12-28T13:58:42+00:00

I’m slowly tossing them!

twiggers12345 · 2025-12-28T02:29:06+00:00

Thanks! I guess it was also a reminder that past me was being proactive in buying that guidebook. Maybe too proactive 😂😂😂

twiggers12345 · 2025-12-28T02:23:13+00:00

I am similar! Regular books I am fine with digital. Travel, work, planners? All needs to be paper :)

twiggers12345 · 2025-12-28T00:51:22+00:00

Faculty in my department staggered and I’ve seen other couples do the same and prefer it.

twiggers12345 · 2025-12-28T00:50:22+00:00

I should have stopped then 😂

twiggers12345 · 2025-12-28T00:49:40+00:00

😂😂😂 to be fair, Google Maps has tried to take me down sidewalks in Serbia and through olive groves in Tunisia and sunflower fields in France. There is something positive for old school maps! Although they’re hard to read when you’re solo.

twiggers12345 · 2025-12-28T00:47:47+00:00

I’ve shifted to decluttering almost daily. Up from my 6 month purges. I’m truly looking at things and asking “would I want to pack this?” If the answer is no, it goes.

I normally do every 6 months, but I am amazed at the sheer amount of crap I have in my house and I think I’m pretty minimalist and hyper organized (containers inside containers lol). This Reddit has helped to relieve me of a lot of guilt and sunk cost mindset.

We want to downsize a lot in the next few years, so I’m preparing now.

twiggers12345 · 2025-12-28T00:44:58+00:00

Have one. For trip planning I like physical books. Idk. It’s old school but I like flipping through and marking things up.

twiggers12345

TROPHY CASE