the "things you wish you could say" thread

[ciao_yall]

PA = Physician's Assistant?

Wow.

Hold firm.

M.

Yep. He sounds like he already decided not to go to Med School because it was too hard to get in.

[FishProf]

Student cancelled the meeting - decided 30 minutes wasn't enough time.  Good luck getting more than that in my schedule.

[smallcleanrat]

Can I have a hug?

[mamselle]

Yes. Anytime!

M.

[Thursday's_Child]

Can I have a hug?

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[evil_physics_witchcraft]

Not related.

Please stop belching loudly from your office with the door wide open. Just stop.

[FishProf]

That student trip you just canceled over coronavirus pandemic fears?  The place they were going is likely safer than staying here.

You just wasted tens of thousands of dollars and a ton of goodwill.  Good luck ever getting either of those back.

[archaeo42]

I wish I could put you on mute.

[mamselle]

That student trip you just canceled over coronavirus pandemic fears?  The place they were going is likely safer than staying here.

You just wasted tens of thousands of dollars and a ton of goodwill.  Good luck ever getting either of those back.

So sorry to hear of that.

It's not helping with the zenophobia that is already getting in the water and making people dichotomize all the issues...

Be wise, be careful, yes.

But don't be clueless.

M.

[marshwiggle]

That student trip you just canceled over coronavirus pandemic fears?  The place they were going is likely safer than staying here.

You just wasted tens of thousands of dollars and a ton of goodwill.  Good luck ever getting either of those back.

So sorry to hear of that.

It's not helping with the zenophobia that is already getting in the water and making people dichotomize all the issues...

I realized that this is a case where I'm not really sure what the default "left" and "right positions are in this.

For instance,

Being against imposing quarantine

• could be "right", defending individual liberty
• could be "left", avoiding stigmatizing/marginalizing individuals or groups

Being for imposing quarantine

• could be "right", maintaining civic order
• could be "left",  protecting society

I could see loud voices from both ends of the political spectrum on both sides of this.

[mamselle]

Unrelated to the above....

Right, people.

Re-inventing the wheel is much more exciting than truing the spokes.

M.

[polly_mer]

Dear president of Super Dinky,

We've never met and yet I feel obligated to point out some harsh realities based on your recent interviews in the media.

The current budget shortfall is 15% of your operating budget and that's before any effect from the corona virus.  I don't know if you're underinformed or just wishfully thinking, but the natural disaster was several years ago and SD recovered.  The probation with the regional accreditor from a few years ago was related to planning and resources, not anything to do with student learning assessment.  I see no strategic or related plans on your website.  I don't even see the two-page summary of vision that is pretty common for tiny institutions.

All the actions you've listed as ways SD could change in this new higher ed environment have either been tried recently and are in various states of abandoned (online, more transfer-friendly general education, degree-completion programs) or are flat out stupid (premed and nursing are very different curricula and no one majors in English while minoring in nursing).  The new majors you implemented despite my research on how those wouldn't attract new students are not attracting new students based on the course enrollments that are visible to the general public.

I made presentations to the trustees about 4 years ago how dire their situation was and stated it would be about 5 years before SD closed if no changes on the list I provided were made right then.  I see almost no evidence that those changes were made, and yet I have personal correspondence regarding what happened when others continued to work on getting those changes implemented.  Almost all of those folks left or retired instead of continuing to make futile efforts.

Based on the lack of a triumphant announcement that fundraising to fill this year's budget shortfall was successful by the announced deadline (now several weeks in the past and the publicly visible fundraising tracker is still short), my bet is the next public announcement will be the institution is closed at the end of this academic year.

Regretfully,

Cassandra
Polly

[mamselle]

Yes, it's sad when what you tried to say went unheard and/or left unenacted.

I'm in a smaller but similar setting where it's not going to be joy, but sorrow, when the whole thing collapses and "I told you so" is the only true response.

M.

[FishProf]

In a single person election, writing abstain on your ballot is Passive-aggressive (and technically not an abstention).

[apl68]

Dear president of Super Dinky,

We've never met and yet I feel obligated to point out some harsh realities based on your recent interviews in the media.

The current budget shortfall is 15% of your operating budget and that's before any effect from the corona virus.  I don't know if you're underinformed or just wishfully thinking, but the natural disaster was several years ago and SD recovered.  The probation with the regional accreditor from a few years ago was related to planning and resources, not anything to do with student learning assessment.  I see no strategic or related plans on your website.  I don't even see the two-page summary of vision that is pretty common for tiny institutions.

All the actions you've listed as ways SD could change in this new higher ed environment have either been tried recently and are in various states of abandoned (online, more transfer-friendly general education, degree-completion programs) or are flat out stupid (premed and nursing are very different curricula and no one majors in English while minoring in nursing).  The new majors you implemented despite my research on how those wouldn't attract new students are not attracting new students based on the course enrollments that are visible to the general public.

I made presentations to the trustees about 4 years ago how dire their situation was and stated it would be about 5 years before SD closed if no changes on the list I provided were made right then.  I see almost no evidence that those changes were made, and yet I have personal correspondence regarding what happened when others continued to work on getting those changes implemented.  Almost all of those folks left or retired instead of continuing to make futile efforts.

Based on the lack of a triumphant announcement that fundraising to fill this year's budget shortfall was successful by the announced deadline (now several weeks in the past and the publicly visible fundraising tracker is still short), my bet is the next public announcement will be the institution is closed at the end of this academic year.

Regretfully,

Cassandra
Polly

Wish I had time to go back to the old fora and review the Super Dinky story there.  It was quite the cautionary tale.  I've several times checked up on my own (dinky, but not super-dinky) alma mater to reassure myself that they don't appear to be falling into some of the same kinds of traps.  So far, so okay.