I was about to go upstairs for my math 17 class yesterday morning, when out of the blue I heard someone called me....
It was our new chairman, Sir Ernie.
Well, I didn't feel anything unusual in that sudden encounter. For one, we always see each other in the department, whether in the administration office, the corridors of the Math Building, or even in the fishball cart outside the building. But when he asked me to sit down and talk to him, I felt something was coming....
In his unusually serious tone, he asked me about something I was a bit familiar with: the sentiments of the lecturers of the department. For one, I am a lecturer of the department, so he felt it necessary to summon me that morning in haste.
Without any introductions, he told me straight that he was told about the sentiments expressed by my fellow lecturers especially in the hiring of many rookie teachers to fill in the many vacancies left by resigned teachers. He was not aware of such sentiments, he told me, since he has just assumed the post in May. The hirings was still under our former chairman, but Sir Ernie just finished the final papers. The lecturers were in an advantage than the newbies if they applied for reclassification, since they can boast of teaching exprerience that the newly-grads, well, don't have.
I expected this statement from Sir Ernie though: that he should have known that many of us lecturers had the intention to apply for reclassification. In short, we should've told the department our intentions before the interview of applicants, since the department has posted the announcements ahead of time (well honestly, I didn't see any of those posts...it can be my fault not to see them, though). When he said it, I remember what a fellow lecturer told me: in her former unit, the department first asks the lecturers if they want to be reclassified before they hire new teachers. Hmmm, it might be just a difference in policy....
About the reason why I didn't apply, I told him that I planned to do so but deferred it for next sem. The interview date was within the summer classes, and I had two classes then so I might not finish the requirements for application. He then learned about the predicament that me and my other fellow lecturer experienced during the second semester of 2004, and told me that he will look into that matter. (See the post "(Re)Classified Odd: Another Letdown?" for the details of that incident)
When asked if I knew of any specific rants or of my fellow lecturers, I just shrugged and said, "Sir, I am not in the position to speak in behalf of my fellow lecturers." It was a safe answer: I really didn't want to speak in behalf of my other colleagues, since they have specific sentiments on their own. I have mine, too, but they may not be the same as the others. I just answered "yes" when he asked me if he can talk to the others.
With no other matters to discuss, we ended our conversation and headed off for my class.
The thoughts of that conversation, though, didn't end there....
About the sentiments, well, there will always be sentiments...They should be addressed right away. And I think Sir Ernie wanted to do that, that's why he wanted to talk to us lectureres.
Well, let's just wait and see what happens next.
