Disorganization and ineptness lead to a big f-ing mess!

So this semester started with a number of headaches which have just gotten progressively more frustrating. All of these headaches have been predominately caused by the ineptness and disorganization of the PSU registration system.

Headache #1: trying to figure out my teaching schedule.

Now you would think this would be an easy thing. You'd assume that before classes started I would have student lists and know which classes would be canceled because of a lack of students. However that's not how things seem to work anymore. We have to wait for the first week of classes to be over just in case the sneaky students decide to not sign up for their classes until the end of the first week, effectively putting everything a week behind! Then we have to tell them during week 2 that we are closing the class and they have to find a new class.

Now I remember being in college and having to register before the end of semester to be considered a student for the next semester. But, obviously that doesn't happen here. I also remember getting emails during the break about classes being closed for lack of students and that I was being removed from the course, well before the semester started.

SO, the registration system is a mess that needs to be organized to cause less confusion before a semester starts.

Headache 2: Dealing with my boss who wants to suddenly give me new classes 3 weeks into the semester.

Ok I understand that AJ.Tim suddenly had an emergency and had to be hospitalized (baby issues). But, we already knew she was VERY pregnant before the semester started and by doing a little bit of research they would have known that she might have complications since this baby #2 in less than 18 months. They should have had a contingency plan just in case she couldn't finish teaching her classes before she took maternity leave. But, NO we can't plan ahead for a just in case...since Becky had to cancel a class she can suddenly take this one over even though it's at the same time as another class she IS teaching.

I had to explain to my boss that I cannot teach the class and that it is impossible to move the class since the students are all from different majors and will not all have the same free time. On top of that I do not have time to figure out how to teach this class and make a midterm in the time I have before I go home for vacation.

Headache #3: Still dealing with my boss who wants me to teach a short BS class after I get back from my trip.

After she gave up on the real class my boss wanted me to teach some work practicum course that they just decided to suddenly add more sections of after midterms. I cannot figure out why they decided to do something so asinine since we are lacking in staff and half of the staff is already working overtime every week.

During this half of the conversation I had to point out that again I will not have time to plan this course. I also would not have time to teach it since I have to do make up classes, grade midterms, and make finals after I get back.

It would make much more sense to me to put these extra classes off until next semester and to stop offering so many classes each semester so we stop running into the problem of not enough students in each class.



Having to to put up with this 2 semesters in a row has made me start to rethink staying here for so long. I still love my students but I'm getting really sick of the office BS and the inept people who are in charge of my department.

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