Mayhem!

Mayhem: A state of disorder or riotous confusion. Havoc or uncertainty.

That is absolutely a description of the theme of this month – unfortunately, today is only the fifth day of a thirty-one-day May! What will happen next? This month is usually one that is relatively predictable and set. It is the ending of the Spring semester at university and allows me the commencement of my “all-too-brief” Summer holiday!

Notation: The above situation was presented by a colleague of mine to her class. With her permission, I “borrowed” the theme and developed the post entry here today.

Is 2025 destined to be a totally unfortunate and completely unlucky year? The reason I question this is that the final days of our academic year are nothing except chaos and confusion—beyond any sane expectation! The official ending of this semester doesn’t occur until 15 May, so the madness isn’t even over yet!

Normally, the ending of the scholastic year brings no “last minute” changes in our routine. As faculty, our final month is fairly routine: grades due and plans due. This year, the last month contained one surprise after another and all with the due date of 15 May – no exceptions.

This year, there was an outstanding exception to every expectation of normal and routine. And not just in my school, but throughout the entire university. It was as if the administration was giving awards to which school, department or division could render the most disruption possible!

The school where I’m a professor implemented a review of curricula and evaluations during the month of September 2024. Fine. Not a problem. The goal, as explained to all of us, was to revise, update, and modify the offerings within a three-year period. There were no complaints from any of us as the process was most definitely long overdue. That was the last the subject was addressed with us.

Then, the end of March, 2025, it was announced that the entire revision of our school was due by the end of the academic year! The middle of May of our current year! What happened to our timely and coordinated efforts? Why the rush?

Needless to add, pure pandemonium followed. That, in turn, was then followed by anger, more anger, frustration, then anger (again) to be followed by fury! Those were the reactions on the “good” days!

That issue was slowly resolved by the end of the month of April. No one is actually certain as to how all hell came into being, simply that the original resolution deadline of September 2027, implementation was returned. The threat of fist fighting on the faculty level was diminished!

We’re continuing to wait for a more detailed explanation as to what precisely caused the serious mismanagement of the change process. Someone blatantly miscalculated their professional position and the professional reaction to their error.

In the meantime, the “rank and file” of the university – us, the educators – have resumed our anticipation of a summer of freedom and fun, maybe not in that order!

Naked hugs!

Roger Poladopoulos/ReNude Pride: Guys Without Boxers

Author’s Note: The next post entry here is planned for Friday, May 9, 2025, and the proposed topic is: “Canada and USA: Mother’s Day, 2025!”