New Chairs

I'm on the committee to help select an interim chair for our department. So far, we have two nominees. One person is well liked and has lots of administrative experience, and he has been nominated several times. That person, in order to make it a two-horse race, nominated someone else. At the faculty meeting where we discussed the process, there was a lot of predictable sarcasm about no one really wanting to do it. It's definitely quite a commitment, and I'm glad that I'm ineligible as an untenured, assistant professor.

It's interesting have what could be described as a "lame duck" chair. It's not that Dr. Chair is intentionally neglecting duties, which don't officially end until December. It's just that it seems like his heart may not be completely in it. We have an all-department meeting Wednesday that he typically conducts, and that will be an interesting meeting. It will be his first time to face the faculty since announcing his resignation, so we'll see how it goes and how high the awkwardness quotient gets.