This Survey Will Only Take 3 Minutes!!

I received three of those notices to complete surveys this morning in my email. Since when is it our obligation as citizens of the world to do marketing surveys? I'm accosted in the mall, on the phone, everywhere. And now here.


I also received this:
A communique involving attending an all-day workshop on "Understanding and Engaging the Under-Resourced College Student." I didn't bother reading the handout but I think in the old days we used to call them Students Who Were There in Body but Absent in Brain.

And a notice from the college that read in part:

The collegial-consultation District Strategic Planning Committee has reached consensus on a draft District Strategic Plan, based on thoughtful consideration of a variety of information, comments received in the March feedback round, and a great deal of discussion.

In addition to the Strategic Directions and Goals you have already seen, the draft includes sections on strategic issues, planning assumptions, student characteristics, updated environmental scan information, and financial planning, and specific objectives under each Goal.

Because of the Accrediting Commission's emphasis on input from and alignment with the Colleges' strategic and educational master plans, and on guidance of further College planning, you will see that the Committee has drawn heavily on the content of existing College plans in this phase of its work. (In the second phase of District strategic planning next year, the Committee will refine the Plan further.)

I don't blame you if your eyes glazed over after the first few words.

And this:
--which is a directive from a fellow faculty member about how to help the wildlife around our campus, complete with a yellow sunflower (image slightly skewed) and yellow background for the numbers of local pet shop and experts who can help us if we find fallen "baby birds."

I have now finished going through my mailbox, which took nearly one hour, because it was preceeded by a call to the Help Desk because my password has expired. We cannot update our passwords nor change them from off-campus and I am an adjunct and do 99/9% of my computer work off campus. Our passwords expire every three months, which is 12 weeks. Our semester is 18 weeks long. Do you see the problem?

Just a day in the life.