Are We Ready Yet?

Right now I'm sitting in an institution-wide meeting, learning about our readiness to welcome new and returning students to campus in just over a month. Even though I'm not functionally involved in any of the preparations, I find that my knowledge of higher education operations is significant, and I have much to contribute to the conversation. In my role as a bureaucrat, I know lots more about funding and the logistical ends of things than I used to, but my real mission, as I've just related to a colleague, is equity. Teaching is more a labor of love for me, while my work as a grants administrator is mostly just labor. My credo has always been "Stimulating work that does good," and while the actual work I do right now is not all that stimulating, the outcomes of this work are so vital.