By: johnosborne

johnosborne — Tue, 24 Apr 2012 16:05:58 +0000

Thanks, May. This comment was of course directed specifically at faculty and students, for whom the rhythms of the year do change appreciably at this time of year, and especially once grades are submitted. Support staff members have their work spread more evenly over the entire 12 months. Yes, the work is unrelenting and exhausting, and the financial realities are such that it will likely get worse before it ever gets better, as seems already to be the situation at other universities across the country where budget cuts are resulting in cuts to both faculty and staff complements. I believe that it takes a very special sort of person to work in this challenging environment, someone who, like you, derives strong personal satisfaction from being part of a university and making an important contribution to its mission. It is not just a “job”, but a “passion”. That said, I hope you too will find some time to take a bit of a breather in the coming months.

By: May Hyde

May Hyde — Tue, 24 Apr 2012 15:54:37 +0000

Dear John,

Thank you for your advice to “get a good rest over the summer”. If only that were possible! While there are fewer students and coffee outlets on campus during the summer it is the busiest time of year for many support staff. An enormous amount of work must be done behind the scenes to launch the forthcoming academic year. Many departments offer summer courses.

Most support staff who take a few weeks leave will face seemingly insurmountable backlogs of work when they return. They will also perform additional duties when their colleagues are away.

The work is unrelenting and exhausting. It is my humble opinion the University is far too under-resourced for anyone I know to “ease back on the throttle” as you suggest during the summer or any other time of the year.

Sincerely,

May Hyde
Undergraduate Administrator

Comments on: Intervallo

By: johnosborne

By: May Hyde