Classes for the coming semester are all in place. Textbooks have been selected, including the new crop of Adobe CS5 learning resources. We’re switching from CS4 over the summer, “God willing, and the creek don’t rise”, as my grandmother would say. I’m keeping my fingers crossed that software ship dates will be met, and book publishing release dates will prove to be more than public relations puffery. The new software also means that I’ll be spending a lot of time on lynda.com this summer, learning the new features before classes start again in late August.
Outsiders often think that summer break is just a giant vacation for academia, but the truth is a bit busier. There’s a lot to be done over the summer, including convening the Professional Advisory Committee for the Graphic Design program, so they can review proposed changes to the program and assess the 5-year plan. This means I need to complete the 5-year plan prior to the meeting, lest the cart run completely over the horse.
Meetings must had with adjunct instructors, instructional directors, technical support staff, and many others. Rooms must be reconfigured and computer systems tested. Curriculum must be checked against emerging factors. Assessment tools must be tweaked. An endless stream of papers, and files, and . . .
I’m also visiting Fort Hayes State University in western Kansas. They’re very interested in an articulation agreement with their graphic design program that would allow our Associates Degree students to receive full transfer credit of their degree credits towards a Bachelors’s Degree in Graphic Design from FHSU.
It’s going to be a busy summer, but I’m looking forward to an exciting Fall term of new classes, new projects, and new students.
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