So, one of the students pointed out that I had not done a blog post in a couple of weeks. The others either haven't noticed or were too unconcerned to comment. But we are here in the last week of the semester. Final examinations are about to begin. Fall Semester 2008 will soon be history.
For my students, this is the first semester of their college career. For me, this is very close to the thirtieth fall semester. . .ok, 28, but still that's close to thirty. The point I'm trying to make is that I stand in a very different place than my students do. . .this is all new for them; this is all. . .old hat for me.
And that is unfortunate. One of the things I do truly enjoy about academic life is the opportunity to bring things to a close and then to begin again every few months. Unlike other jobs, where one works pretty much the same routine 28 or 50 weeks out of the year, academic life is constantly changing. We are starting a semester; we are ending a semester; we are preparing for summer; we are preparing for fall. . . but having been through this cycle, first as an undergraduate student, then as a graduate student, and now as a faculty member, so many times, the newness has definitely worn off.
So over the weekend and now as this week begins, I have been returning to the mission statement and asking myself some good questions: Did I stimulate my students' intellectual developments this semester--and if so, how? And if not, why not? Did I find ways to contribute to their social, spiritual, emotional, and physical development as well? Did I move them one step closer toward meaningful careers of their own, life-long learning, and service to God and others.?
Along the way, what did I gain for myself? Did I grow intellectually, spiritually, socially, emotionally and physically? Is my career full of meaning and service?
The answers to these questions may not be easily found. One other aspect of academic life which is sometimes difficult is that the "results" of a particular semester in a particular student's life may not be seen or understood for years. But asking the questions is a good process and I do live in hope--both for myself and for my students.
