Amused

I'm a bit amused that a couple colleagues who've had course release for various administrative stuffs are complaining about how hard it is to teach a full load.  And thus, they shouldn't be expected to take on certain service tasks until they readjust.

The thing is, with these administrative stuffs (not necessarily all, but these specific ones), there's a steep learning curve, so that really, the first year, the faculty member absolutely needs serious course release.  But by, say, year three or four, there's not a steep learning curve, so certain people have been able to direct their energies where they want.

And then, suddenly, they have to direct their energies where the rest of us have been.  (Yes, the learning curve eases a lot after, say, your second or third year of teaching.  But if you're doing a good job, there's still a heck of a lot of work involved.  So say I, teaching basically three new courses this year.)

(I have a couple other colleagues whose work is probably easier now that they don't have the administrative duties for which they got course release, too.)