Question #5

5. You are given unlimited resources/money/staff to change three things about your job/workplace. What do you change?

Well, here's one near and dear to my heart. I think I've actually answered this question in the line of work a couple of times already - to little effect mind you. Still, its always an interesting exercise, deciding where the limitations of the program are and what we are lacking to be the place we want to be.

I've had to answer this about gear, people, and classes. The fun part is that no matter what you have you always need and want more. And as soon as you get something it shows you other things that were missing.

Which if you're not careful leads you to the obvious conclusion that you should just make the best of what you have and make sure you get home for dinner.

So the first list goes like this:

1. Expanded faculty to cover technology in lighting, sound, control, costumes, scenic art, and production management. Expanded staff to cover the technical responsibilities to production in each of those areas.
2. Bringing Drama, MAM, MEIM, and ETC under one banner and managing them like one unit.
3. Full automation package and production budgets such that mainstage productions are of a LORT A level.
4. Scene shop expansion to include independent and comfortable sized spaces for props, paints, metals, electrics, carpentry, machinery, and graphics - with the gear to match the space.
5. A wet dream of a classroom for teaching CAD/CAM and other computer applications, with the gear to match the space.

and so on...

But then you start to feel shortsighted and the list starts to look like this:

1. Full time, full year employment for all faculty & staff.
2. Full ride scholarships with stipend for all graduate students.
3. Full ride scholarships for all undergraduates.
4. Salary increases for all faculty & staff to reflect the wage they would be earning in the commercial sector.
5. Increased budget for travel and professional development for all faculty & staff.

Which is a big chunk of change as well. And after that you start to go a little loony and the list begins to look like this:

1. Free parking for me for the length of my employment.
2. A bigger office, with a real window, and a mini-fridge.
3. Just two classes per semester, please!
4. Full tenure with no administrative responsibilities.

Really I think the best all time idea around this issue was one that my classmates and I had when we were at CMU for undergrad:

1. Move the entire university to the island of St. Thomas.

Makes sense doesn't it?

But this offers unlimited resources, yes? So again, this has been a failure to think big. The most magnanimous wishes above really only scratch the surface and are at their very core still selfish. Unlimited resources? Ok then:

1. Place my place of employment in a world without poverty, strife, or evil.

Better?