URGENT MEMO FROM THE MACCLASSROOM TO ALL INSTRUCTORS 3/6/95


Dear Colleagues(or perhaps at this time in the semester, Comrades),

To those of you who noted this last weekend that SSU is about to require computer ownership and competency of all its students it may seem strange to discover that Dean Taylor has left Pat and myself with the distinct impression that the Computer Coordinator position in this department is on the chopping block and, by extension, so is the future of the MacClassroom as we have known it. The reasoning behind this is, typically, opaque but it arises out of a peculiar arrangement which engendered the position. Back in palmier days, our first Computer Coordinator, Peg Ellingson, astutely cut a deal with Ed Buckley whereby the Computer Coordinator, instead of being granted board approved release time, would be credited with the equivalent of one 1A course worth of load for handling English 770 (Ever heard of it? Neither had I until the middle of last semester.) which is a non-credit course those students who drop into the lab during open hours are automatically enrolled in. This kept the board out of it and generated dean-pleasing ADA for practically free. Officially, the Computer Coordinator is not granted load credit for anything else--even though the considerable duties outlined in our policy handbook do not overtly mention English 770 and the coordinators of the other computer labs on campus are faculty members with 100% release time. Eventually credit for 770 became so much of a pretext that last semester the Dean did not even grant us enough staff budget to permit "open" hours (365 hours are not counted as "open."). I am preparing a memo to be submitted for discussion at the next department meeting concerning all this.

In the meantime, the directive from below is that we must increase student hours in 365 and 770 or lose the position. Consequently, I am asking you to help save--not my load "credit," since this job requires much more time and energy than any 1A section-- but the position and what an innovative and vital MacClassroom can do for our department. I urge you to 1. encourage students to enroll in the second eight week 365 starting 3/21 (sec.#4885). The hours for this are MW2-5 p.m. TuTh 2-5:30 p.m. & F 2-3 p.m. 2. encourage students to drop in to use the lab and sign the 770 roster during the above times, the "open" hours of M10-11 a.m., Tu 9-10 a.m. & 5:30-6 p.m., W 7-8 a.m. & 7-9:30 p.m. & F 10-11 a.m. or during those hours when those instructors with lab sections and no objection to drop-ins will permit them (If you are one such please let me know.). I'll be preparing a student handout for you all.


Beleagueredly yours


Marco

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Email to: Marco Giordano