More Education

Orientation, day 2. Today we talked to the incoming first year grad students. I really had to motivate because this year PTM admissions totals for grads were:

Production Managers: 0
Stage Managers: 0
Technical Directors: 0
Other: 0

So mostly I thought that I should just stay home and sleep. Perhaps trying to dream up better strategies for recruiting. I'm hoping that this can help solve itself. Now that I have an actually SM faculty member, and have two classes each in stage management and production management the interview conversations should go a little better. Actually, the group seemed real small to me anyway. I guess maybe admissions are down across the board.

I reversed my speech for this group, instead of telling them to be concerned about getting to narrow I admonished them to not get too wide. Once again I failed to get to the end of my speech. I guess if that stuff is as cool as I think it is that I should move it up front so something else gets clipped. At least today I remembered to talk about our initiative to more closely tie production to classwork.

Our motley crew was augmented by quite a few more instructors today. Of special note was the vice-provost for education. Having her there really made me feel foolish about my little talk. She's got just a little bit more experience than I do - something like 8 to 10 times as much. Interestingly though she picked right up on what I was saying and continued, both like we had prepared the talk - which we hadn't, and like I knew what I was talking about - which is debatable.

We've been having a lot of trouble with expectations of grad students lately. The provost took up the theme of grad responsibility. She pinned the difference in grad and undergrad programs in a way I hadn't heard before. She says that undergrad is about "identity" and that grad is about "authenticity." That as an undergrad you are learning and establishing you identity as whatever it is you are studying and that as a grad, the identity part is assumed and that you can start to bring your own self into play - making it an expression of authenticity. Its a neat take and encapsulated many of the issues we've been struggling with.

She also seemed to express that she felt that grad school was much better in the old days, when everything was a PhD and grads didn't take classes like we have now. Its an interesting idea, although I have no idea how something like a Drama school would work in that manner.

So two long meetings later and orientation this year is complete. Classes start Monday. I wonder if I'll be ready.