Little Accomplishments

People keep asking if I like being Chair. I’ve only done it for two weeks, so it’s way too early to say. But here’s one thing I do like.

Usually, academics have a sense of accomplishment, of having achieved something when we get published. Which is a couple of times a year. There is no daily feeling of, “wow, I’ve made something out of nothing.” And as Chair, I do have little but important accomplishments almost every day.

We have 7 languages and I’m now making sure we have people to teach everything in spite of two retirements, one sabbatical, one instructor getting a better job elsewhere, and me getting course releases. It feels important, like I’m making things happen. I like that.

It also helps to leave everything work-related locked up in the office and not bring it back home.