One of those weeks, I guess

I have not blogged much of late. Partly that has been due to stress and grading. My father has had some health problems of late and that has concerned me. I think he is doing much better, but last week was tough. Tougher on him and my mom than me, but not easy for us.

Today, I received confirmation that one of my spring classes will be cancelled. One of the risks of being adjunct, perhaps, but nonetheless frustrating. I would have little problem if that cancelation was dictated by economics, but it appears to be more about a political environment that wants to reduce the number of adjunct instructors. Odd really, because some of that antagonism comes from people who are tenured. They see adjuncts as exploited and want to eliminate that exploitation, but the result is not more tenure track lines, but just different levels of exploitation. And when you are one of those people who doesn't feel exploited, but likes the freedom that adjunct teaching gives you, then it is frustrating. And adjunct instructors also often allow tenure track professors reduced loads to work on publications and research projects.

Academia is a weird little world. I guess that is the best way to put it. Today I am frustrated, but not devastated. But that is one of the reasons I have not been terribly present.

Anyway.