Phone Interview

I had a pleasant phone interview with a university that sounded very interested in me yesterday. The school is located in a very sunny part of the globe, but it's a little isolated from my family. I should have a better idea of where I stand in a week or two.

Thoughts on Regalia

I noticed a couple of faculty members at Purdue today talking about how they avoided buying or renting a gown. One person said she uses one from a faculty member who retired years ago. (Except its not the same color as the ones her university uses.)

Three weeks ago when I was interviewing at a small liberal arts school I observed two faculty members talking about the virtues of buying versus renting gowns for the commencement ceremony. The senior faculty member was trying to persuade the junior faculty member that he really ought to buy a nice gown that he would use for decades.

One thing to bear in mind about these differences. At a small school faculty are required to march in the graduation ceremony every year; by contrast, Purdue faculty are only required to march once every five years. And there are four ceremonies three times a year at Purdue. By my estimation, less than two percent of the faculty would be at a given ceremony.

Done

After the honorary degrees, I was the first in the ceremony to be awared a degree.

Time to March

The processional starts in two hours and fifteen minutes.

Tomorrow's the Big Day

Did I mention my wish list?

Regalia

Picked up the cap, gown, and hood today. I rented, but I'll probably want to buy one because I'll need to wear one for graduations in the future. Every year at a smaller school, less often at a bigger school. (At Purdue faculty rotate and only march once ever 5 years.) But if I do buy one I'll want a new one because the hood on the rented one is darn near threadbare.

Only 2 days left until the big day

Graduation

Saturday morning I finally get the diploma and someone puts the hood on my gown. If I get an academic job I'll have to wear the gown and hood -- once a year at a small school, less often at a big one.

It's my brother's b-day today. Be sure to wish him all the best.

Today I got an email from a school I applied to asking if I could teach creative writing as well as writing and technical writing to ESL students.

Commencement

One week from today I get to march. The Dean awards me my diploma and someone else puts the hood on.

Seems simple enough, so why does the ceremony take 3 hours -- not including the fact that I have to get there early to be put in the right line and order?

Waiting

I had a campus visit at a school last week. I know I was the first to visit, of three candidates. Now I'm waiting to see what happens with them.

A couple of other jobs have been advertised recently that I'll probably apply for. One in Turkey and one in Hong Kong.

Hard to predict where we might be in the fall because there are so many possibilities still open.