After being oriented 6 ways from Sunday I've now taught my first class and had my first day on campus. I've taught too many first days of class to say this one was remarkable in any particular way. The students were all alive and well at 0800, which is a good sign. We'll see how it goes this afternoon.
A big issue on this campus is community, or lack thereof because, we're told more than half the students commute to school. The chair has asked that we be on campus, which I expect I will be to see and be seen. But even the students who are here, many of them, are tied to their cell phones so that physical proximity does not community make. We've come a long way from the walkman so they're really here without being here.
Meanwhile, I've just met a former 1-year faculty member who is now an adjunct, a glimpse into my future as I said to him. If some of this other work pans out it would be a fine life, assuming my wife starts a full time job, but we'll cross that bridge when we come to it. There's a tenure track line opening up and so it feels like this will be a year-long interview, very stressful.
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