For those of you not happily employed by the State of California, the word "furlough" may bring up images of soldiers on leave. In my case, it's professors on leave. We have two furlough days this month: the Friday before and the Tuesday after Labor Day. For me that works out to one instructional day and one non-instructional day.
In addition to four fixed furlough days throughout the semester, we're expected to choose another five, for a total of nine. There is something of a furor among the professoriat about whether we should be taking furloughs on instructional days (to make some sort of political point) or non-instructional days (so as not to harm students any further than they are already being harmed).
When I said I'm taking all of my non-fixed furlough days on non-instructional days, I was told "that's just what they want you to do." They (presumably, the nefarious powers that be) apparently are counting on the good will of professors who are unwilling to completely eviscerate their classes. On the other hand, by taking furloughs on non-instructional days, I'm not really taking days off, since I use those days for prepping.
At the UC, meanwhile, professors have been told that all of their furlough days will have to be non-instructional.
For those of my colleagues in the CSU system, what's your plan?
7 comments:
We are in exactly the same boat: 9 furlough days per semester, some fixed, most chosen by us. One of the mandated days falls on an instruction day, and I chose to take one personal furlough day on an instructional day. This is what most of the faculty seem to be doing here, and it hasn't been too controversial, from what I can tell. I don't think my students will be upset that we will have two fewer days of class, and I've arranged the syllabus to take that into account. If anything, they, like me, will use the time to catch up on other things. My other 7 furlough days are not on instructional days. My understanding is that furloughs are a one-year measure and that next year there will be a lot of layoffs - the school spokeswoman mentioned 200 teaching positions!
My chair suggests taking my furlough days as instructional days, which works out to roughly 10% of the teaching days. I think that makes sense, since we're being docked 10% (despite my vote on principle for no furloughs).
Okay Mike, I think you as a prof at a school known for its radicalism (?) need to mine the possibilities of analysis and critique inherent in the military metaphor of the furlough. I personally am planning to get drunk, get a tattoo, and go to a whorehouse on each of my furlough days.
Of course I won't let this get back to my chair as Traductor has mentioned the cuts coming next year.
I mispoke--she recommends taking HALF my furlough days as instructional days.
Kent, perhaps you could go on one of your furlough benders up this way. I just bought a fishing license ...
Kent, perhaps you could go on one of your furlough benders up this way. I just bought a fishing license ...
I like of the tatoo and whorehouse idea, but for EACH of the furlough days? You're really taking it to the edge.
Tattoos, Whores, and Furloughs... A conference panel waiting to happen.
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