Acadia Geology Alumni/ae Newsletter Issue 21 December, 2009 Department of Earth and Environmental Science, Acadia University, Wolfville, Nova Scotia, B4P 2R6
[email protected] VIEW FROM ACADIA As I write this message, my term as the “acting head” course, it costs less to deliver. Another aspect of of Earth and Environmental Science is rapidly budgetary constraints is a lack of replacements for drawing to a close. Rob Raeside returns as head faculty on sabbatical. In the “good old days” such beginning Jan. 1, 2010, and it is probably a “toss-up” absences were typically covered by a full-time faculty as to which one of us is happier about that! To be replacement, but now we are lucky to receive one honest, however, I found many aspects of being “per-course replacement”. Such replacements have department head to be rewarding, and if we did not been great but they are paid specifically to teach the have a capable and willing incumbent returning to the single course assigned to them, and hence do not job, continuing in the role would have been OK. provide any coverage for other activities integral to running a department, such as counselling students, The past year at Acadia has more than lived up to the supervising honours and special project students, supposed ancient Chinese curse “may you live in serving on committees, and so on. This ripple-down interesting times”. The main topic occupying effect hits especially hard in a small department such everyone’s mind on campus has been the university as ours. Fortunately, faculty in E&ES have been budget.