Eh-oh

I have a bad feeling that fecal material is about to hit the fan where I work.

I am not in direct line to suffer; it is not anything I have done (if anything, I'm one of the ones held up as a good example). But apparently one of our newer hires is not working out well. Two of the other individuals who have responsibilities that overlap with this person had a long, semi-hushed (I overheard some of it from my office, although I was trying specifically not to listen in, to the point where I turned on the Internet radio so I didn't hear so much) meeting, which then led to a meeting with the department chair.

It sounds to me like either (a) the person is in pretty serious trouble in re: how they teach and will need a come-to-Jesus meeting or (b) they're not getting their contract renewed or (c) they're not coming back. As I said, I was trying not to overhear so I just know who the person is who's involved and that there's some general displeasure.

If it's b or c, we're all in trouble. I am already overloaded to the point (for fall) that if I am given another credit hour, they will have to pay me more (unless they claim super-duper financial hardship). I don't want more pay; I want the time free to advise students and work on research and maybe get home before 5 pm some days out of the week. But if this person isn't coming back, their 14 or so credit hours will need to be carried, somehow, by someone.

I don't know. I said a while back - back in January, maybe? that a lot of people are expressing dissatisfaction with their work because they feel like a lot of things have been removed from their control, and like they're waiting for shoes to drop. I think that's how it's been a lot of the year here. We've been told to expect budget cuts but never told how badly. I did see my next-year's salary and it's pretty much the same as it was. That's OK, it's not a cut. But I really hope they don't expect me to pick up another lecture section out of the goodness of my heart.

I'm glad I'm going out of town next week to visit family; if there is a storm a-brewin', I don't want to be here for the start of it.