How has term gone?

[KStockHERO]

Back in autumn, we had a bit of a chat about how we were all feeling heading into 2024/25. Well, we're a term in. How's it going?

For me, this term has felt incredibly intense. I only had teaching on one day per week and the students were mostly lovely, but there was an intensity to it that I can't quite put my finger on.

Research has gone amazingly well - a few impact grants have come off so 2025 is looking like an exciting year for 'change-making' 😅

I'm planning on being ruthless and religious with timemangage in Term 2. I'll be blocking whole days out of my diary and refusing any and all meetings which aren't core to my plans and priorities.

How's this term gone for you? What are your plans for Term 2?

I was optimistic at the start of term and it had been ok. Submitted a massive grant that exhausted me, but also two smaller ones and one has been funded. Teaching was ok. Two phd vivas. Next term I have much more teaching but am going hell for leather on a paper so going to block off two whole days a week on it. Looking forward to three weeks off now!

I'm always behind. I sat down this afternoon to try to clear my pressing emails, and here I am on MN! I almost feel like I've got that "pathological demand avoidance" syndrome - I feel like everyone wants a piece of me, and my blood.

But OTOH, today at the end of an essay supervision, a student told me how much she'd enjoyed my module and thanked me! I almost cried.

Teaching went really well! Research went really well - gave a couple of great conference papers! Funded projects going really well too.

Going through a brutal restructure to shore up other departments, so I'm at risk of redundancy once the external money dries up, which it will at some point.

I'm regrouping. It's possible that next week is my last week of lectures/seminars.

I'm devastated. I will sorely miss my research and my collaborators.

Can you use the funding to jump ship?

Sadly no - none are individually that substantial! Not right now when all institutions are retrenching.

I appreciate the thought and care, but sometimes you can't strategize yourself out of a situation. This is what a sector-wide crisis means.

I'm grateful I had a good term, with some real high points.

I didn't lose my job - yay!

It went OK. I got away with a relatively light teaching load, although I still didn’t do as much research as I hoped.

My university is in financial crisis and has announced redundancies. There’s a meeting tomorrow and we will hopefully found out more about their plans. This is on the back of at least four rounds of redundancies over the last 15 years and not replacing people who left for almost as long. my department has gone from 18 people to 11 people with the same number of students. There isn’t much left to cut without the degree programme collapsing.

We're carrying massive vacancies in our teaching heavy dept which has unsurprisingly then caused significant long term sickness. Recruitment freeze and more in year admissions will give us the excitement of working out how we can put someone/anyone in front of classes.

VS been announced but will be focused on other less STEMish faculty's

We are of course going to remain focussed on giving our students a high quality experience

Never known so many off sick. Voluntary redundancy sending people out in big numbers - no one who applies is turned down. Re-deployed staff coming from other subjects… 😬
working double the hours I’m paid for….

cant think of anything else I’d really rather do though, that’s the bind 🤣

So few of us are left and are picking up as much or more of what apse all did before..it has been a killer of a term. Seems like most of professional services went too, so we are having to do lots we didn't do before. God it is tough, I am too old to find anything else, and just have to cling on...as kids still dependent on me and I need the money! Sometimes it is lovely and gratifying, like the old days, and sometimes just a grind.

The best thing about this term is that it was my penultimate term before leaving the Head of Department role. So only one term left to go now! Had a few research achievements but the best thing is that I've managed to secure a few new posts for my department - ok not all are permanent or full-time, and this has only come after a big retirement, however my institution is practically in hiring freeze mode so getting these posts was a welcome surprise.

It was an horrendous term in terms of workload. but at the age of 46 I have finally been promoted to associate professor (on 2nd attempt). Good timetable next term with only modules I have taught 1000 times before. I feel I can finally relax a bit after years of fighting. And breathe....!
If my career continues developing at the same glacial speed, I might even make professor in my mid 50s...!

I finally retired. Thank God.

I'm about to hand in my notice so all in all excellent!

So jealous of all you notice-handing, redundancy-taking, retiring people 😂

Well, I reached breaking point with the amount of teaching and meetings I had, on top of the admin that goes along with that. Add in the general disinterest of students, who prefer their phones to the lectures/seminars and the constant stream of marking that comes in as students are given chance after chance to submit, and I am done.

@LCM001a I’m jealous! What do you plan to do when you leave? I’ve been tempted to take voluntary severance as I’ve had enough of being permanently stressed, but I’m 49 so would need to get another job and haven’t got a clue what else I could do.

I'm taking up a post doc (I did my Phd in my 50s but have been teaching a long time). It's a gamble, a fixed term contract etc, but its with a very prestigious university with a strong research culture. I am really looking forward to it

Hoorah!

My semester has been ok. Taught one lovely group (marking ATM and they've done far too well which is a nice problem to have) and my difficult group were easier than last year. I'm happy enough with everything.

Same again next semester, two full modules. One new, one I haven't taught for years. It'll be full on but hopefully doable.

Is it Easter yet?

Have had v minimal teaching this term, and all postgrad / CPD so that side of things has been fine. But am completely ground down wth another year of uncertainty and chaos and just really, really want to leave right now. Massive restructuring, huge numbers to be made redundant, plus PSRB scrutiny like never before, and unsurprisingly all the love / passion I had for this job has finally evaporated. I am simply going through the motions.

Trouble is, what the fuck else would I do?

There is some hope that by this time next year things could be better, but I honestly can't promise that I won't have run screaming from the building before then.