pheller
UltimaDork
1/12/24 6:54 p.m.
Wait, is this HACC? If so, it's not really JUST a city organization. They've got campuses all across the mid-state. Lots of promotional opportunities. HU would be different, but they are still growing too.
Downside to working in higher ed is that promotions are largely tied to educational attainment. I know people who got worthless Phd's just so they'd have some chance of moving up in a state school system. Some schools however will pay for staff to take classes up to to a certain number of hours per week. You work 32 hours and get to sit in class for the other 8. Pretty sweet deal but I understand it's a rarity.
I know tons of people who work in higher ed and the only complaints come from teaching staff.
And I do have to mention that many of you said some really nice things about me in this thread. It means a lot. Thank you.
pheller said:
Wait, is this HACC? If so, it's not really JUST a city organization. They've got campuses all across the mid-state. Lots of promotional opportunities. HU would be different, but they are still growing too.
Downside to working in higher ed is that promotions are largely tied to educational attainment. I know people who got worthless Phd's just so they'd have some chance of moving up in a state school system. Some schools however will pay for staff to take classes up to to a certain number of hours per week. You work 32 hours and get to sit in class for the other 8. Pretty sweet deal but I understand it's a rarity.
I know tons of people who work in higher ed and the only complaints come from teaching staff.
It is HACC. Always highly regarded around here. I remember as a HS senior when you went around talking to your friends about college plans, if they mentioned HACC there was never that snickering like "they're going to COMMUNITY college." It was always a well-thought-of educational facility.
From what I understand, since the main/original campus is inside city limits, and it's the base of operations, it is still a Harrisburg City thing. Much like Penn State is centered in State College despite all their satellite campuses. Our Production Manager used to work at PSU Harrisburg, and she said that all of the money goes back to main, and budgeting flowed back out to the satellites.
One of the benefits is that I can take any HACC course for free (unlimited, and it doesn't have to be in my field), and if I want to do grad work (which they don't offer), I get reimbursed for 60% of the tuition. So bring on the welding class at HACC, and I may just be able to finish my Master's in Clinical Counseling for cheap.
It also kind of hit me today... I'm being asked to teach at a college, and I don't even have a Master's.
Curtis73 (Forum Supporter) said:
And I do have to mention that many of you said some really nice things about me in this thread. It means a lot. Thank you.
Don't let it go to your head, berkeley you, that better? :)
I just want to balance it out
In reply to Curtis73 (Forum Supporter) :
No Masters degree but you do have experience, knowledge and wisdom. That wisdom is the hard part and is the part that will be most valuable to pass to the younger generation.
You mentioned 50 yrs old. I also see this as being a path that lets you still prosper from your skills but the work becomes less about "earning from your back" and more to "earning from your mind". I know those are cliche's but how else do you want me to say that this Tech and Teach job will be much better for your knees and much easier to do until 72 yrs old.
johndej
SuperDork
1/12/24 7:50 p.m.
In reply to John Welsh :
Well said, I'll add just one point, to the folks slighting higher education, I'm pretty sure Curtis is exactly the type of dude I'd want in a position like this to teach my kids.
Community Collage ain't 'zactly the "higher edumacation" that was being slighted.
Curtis is absolutely the type that should be in that roll.
I think he'd be great at teaching any age (that why I said so) but especially well suited to community collage, with students from teenagers to older adults.
The fact that your current theater board is supporting this says you are welcome back if it doesn't work out.
Chalk up another vote under.. "go for it". And congratulations.
How did this opportunity come up? Did they advertise it or did they "find" you?
Steve_Jones said:
Curtis73 (Forum Supporter) said:
And I do have to mention that many of you said some really nice things about me in this thread. It means a lot. Thank you.
Don't let it go to your head, berkeley you, that better? :)
I just want to balance it out
Ahhhh... thanks for the balance.
John Welsh said:
In reply to Curtis73 (Forum Supporter) :
No Masters degree but you do have experience, knowledge and wisdom. That wisdom is the hard part and is the part that will be most valuable to pass to the younger generation.
You mentioned 50 yrs old. I also see this as being a path that lets you still prosper from your skills but the work becomes less about "earning from your back" and more to "earning from your mind". I know those are cliche's but how else do you want me to say that this Tech and Teach job will be much better for your knees and much easier to do until 72 yrs old.
I hate to admit it, but there is much truth in that. Instead of lifting heavy stuff I can just make a student do it :)
johndej said:
In reply to John Welsh :
Well said, I'll add just one point, to the folks slighting higher education, I'm pretty sure Curtis is exactly the type of dude I'd want in a position like this to teach my kids.
I straight-up don't know how to respond to that. Thank you.
(Which looks kinda funny juxtaposed against my last comment)
If it helps with the decision at all, watch the series Californication. I'm sure it's streaming somewhere. No Red Hot Chili Peppers were harmed during production, which is unfortunate.
Curtis, go for it. It seems like a real good opportunity.
No brainer to me, go for it. Far better stability, while no room for advancement there is TONS of room for personal growth with the class offerings, plus retirement/etc.
I've always viewed the career as a pathway of stepping stones. Some are linked (moving within a company), some take a step. Some are a good place to stand, some aren't. Some are a dead end. Many take something more in personal growth to get to. The community college position sounds like a much more stable place to stand (stability and retirement) and a much better place to develop to be able to step to another stepping stone if it's called for down the line.
Captdownshift (Forum Supporter) said:
If it helps with the decision at all, watch the series Californication. I'm sure it's streaming somewhere. No Red Hot Chili Peppers were harmed during production, which is unfortunate.
The greatest sophomoric humor, nearly soft core ever..
OHSCrifle said:
How did this opportunity come up? Did they advertise it or did they "find" you?
I know a few people who teach over there in the theater department. I hate to say it this way, but they more or less begged me to put my resume in. The Dean doesn't know that part.
John Welsh said:
Captdownshift (Forum Supporter) said:
If it helps with the decision at all, watch the series Californication. I'm sure it's streaming somewhere. No Red Hot Chili Peppers were harmed during production, which is unfortunate.
The greatest sophomoric humor, nearly soft core ever..
I did watch it, but it's been a long time.
Curtis73 (Forum Supporter) said:
OHSCrifle said:
How did this opportunity come up? Did they advertise it or did they "find" you?
I know a few people who teach over there in the theater department. I hate to say it this way, but they more or less begged me to put my resume in. The Dean doesn't know that part.
Then you should let her know!
OHSCrifle said:
Curtis73 (Forum Supporter) said:
OHSCrifle said:
How did this opportunity come up? Did they advertise it or did they "find" you?
I know a few people who teach over there in the theater department. I hate to say it this way, but they more or less begged me to put my resume in. The Dean doesn't know that part.
Then you should let her know!
Advocating for their friend (me) before I am hired is a fast-track to getting fired. They all asked me not to mention that we had talked because they are on the hiring committee.
Ran into another snag today. I spoke to the previous teacher of this course (also a friend, and currently directing a musical for us). The Dean had given me some incorrect information. I asked for a syllabus to peruse a couple weeks ago. She instead just said "it's not that difficult, it's just guiding students through scenic design using your experience." I actually have very little experience in the design side, but I figured I could read ahead in the text, and at least be perfunctory for the first semester until I got me feet under me.
Turns out, the syllabus is incredibly involved, and includes about 8 major facets, like paint techniques, theatrical design history, teaching AutoCAD, artistic design, modeling... only one of which I could fake. I'm starting to really dislike this Dean.
Oh, and there isn't really a text. It's more of a digital collection of photos that students can use to see examples of all the stuff I talk about.
The other side of this equation is that I didn't list scenic design in my resume, nor did they ask anything about my experience with it in the interview.
SV reX
MegaDork
1/13/24 5:28 p.m.
In reply to Curtis73 (Forum Supporter) :
My degree is in Scenic Design. Trust me.. it ain't rocket science!
SV reX
MegaDork
1/13/24 5:30 p.m.
...and almost nobody actually knows what scenic design is.
I agree, but I would have to teach paint techniques (I know they exist), AutoCAD (zero seconds using that), theatrical design history (without a text), hand drafting with all the fun tools (I used a protractor once in 6th grade math), modeling (I could learn that pretty quickly), and a few other things that I could maybe fake?
The design aspect is easy, even if I had zero experience. It's so subjective and I'm not looking for an answer to a question, it's art and function.
Oh... and my first class is on my first day. Yay.
