Day 9

While checking our mailboxes in the office's main lobby, a professor and I started chatting about our graduating PhD students, and whether they will be able to find jobs this year. He commented that the newly minted doctor so-and-sos don't have much hope for the job market this year (academia's lingo for when PhDs are looking for jobs as tenure-track professors) because of the major budget cuts at institutions around the country. He also suggested that we might have to start holding workshops or something to help students consider alternative career paths. Our PhD's dreams of becoming professors may not come true. Adjunct teaching positions might find a new place in the norm for PhDs in the years to come. These temporary teaching positions (no research support) are a much cheaper way for schools to put someone at the front of a classroom than to hire tenure-track faculty. It seems unlikely, however, that students will be as willing to endure the rigors of graduate school for nothing more than a handful of adjunct positions or a desk job unrelated to their studies. Graduate school usually consists of several years of living at the poverty level, researching and studying in a cage-like library carrel, surviving a handful of day-long exams, and writing a 200 page dissertation that will for all eternity collect dust in the bowels of a university library. If students start deciding that PhDs just aren't worth it anymore, I wouldn't blame them.

A colleague of mine asked if I could give her a hand with setting up our function room for our annual department reception this afternoon. She needed help because she wouldn't have enough time to do it herself: she had to make a run to Costco for our food. "Guess we're having a Costco party this year," another staff member quipped. "The California budget crisis has found our department." Gone are the days of nice wine, chicken skewers, and those dainty little strawberry pastries. Today we celebrate with cans of Sprite, and Ritz crackers and cheddar. Maybe the wine and pastries were a little over the top during the richer days gone by, but it was only once per year, and it was nice to enjoy a few treats to welcome our new and returning students and faculty, and get everyone re-acquainted after summers abroad (or in the case of staff, summers in the office).  Ah, well. We all have to make sacrifices.

This morning I had a dentist appointment for my semi-annual teeth cleaning. I didn't pay a dime. Well, if you want to get into economics, I suppose I paid for it through my taxes, which partially support the university (that's an interesting circle of money to think about), and lower wages because part of my potential earnings stay with the university to cover the cost of my, uh, free dental benefits. But still, it was nice since it would be a heck of a lot more expensive for me to pay for my own dental care out of pocket. As I left the dentist's office, I had a sentimental moment of gratitude for my life working in academia, and the great health, retirement, and educational benefits that university workers typically enjoy. Despite the potential that health care reform won't happen, and that insurance costs continue to skyrocket, for today, my teeth are tinglingly clean and healthy, and I didn't even have to dish out a copay.

The campus community received an email today from Chancellor Birgeneau bringing our attention to the fact that next Thursday is (apparently) Constitution Day. The Chancellor informs us that "Federal law requires all schools who receive federal funding to hold an educational program annually on this day." I wonder, does the federal government gives us any funds specifically for this educational programming? We are having a few panels/talks on campus, and the topics seem vibrant and interesting. They each have a co-sponsoring unit listed, but it isn't clear where the rest of the money comes from. I sent an email to the president's office to ask, and I assume I'll receive an answer sooner or later. I'm also waiting for a message from the UPTE-CWA Local 9119 that explains how our administrators are throwing away money that could be used for our salaries on wasteful spending like Constitution Day activities, and that they need to reconsider their priorities...Oh, I'm just kidding! The forward-thinking, university-mission-loyal UPTE-CWA Local 9119 would never say something like that.