name change swag!

What's in a name?
Quite a bit, as you well know.
Armstrong Atlantic State University is no more.
Long live Armstrong State University!
Everyone calls it simply "Armstrong" anyway, and have since the school's inception as Armstrong State College. That is evidenced nowhere more strongly than in the name of its website, predating its promotion from college to university.
That promotion in status was the impetus for the name change, about fourteen years ago. You see, a geographical locator was deemed mandatory for all state universities in the Georgia system.
Now, of course, that has been repealed, no doubt because of a change in the membership of the Board of Regents.

I was on campus for the Fall Convocation. As I've said before, I do enjoy these pep talks!
This time was a little different.
This time, President Linda Bleicken was reiterating to one and all that we are, always have been, and will continue to be, a teaching university.
Believe me, there are tenured instructors here who think we are primarily research oriented.
No.
The students are not here to perform research for the instructors' benefit.
The instructors are here to encourage the students to explore a different dimension of the learning process, to better serve the sutdents.
The instructors are here for the benefit of the students.
Period.
This is not a new message from her.
However, this time, she means to get tough on violators.
She has enhanced communication between her office and the deans, between her office and the student government, between her office and the faculty senate, between her office and the department heads.
That's a two-way communication along those avenues.
She intends for the deans to have better intracollegiate communication, too. In other words, any faculty member who insists that they are "special" might want to look for work elsewhere.
As have some of the deans and administrators already.
Me?
I fully support her, as I always have.
I believe in what she wants to accomplish here.
Why?
Because she is restoring the school to the one I so loved attending, to the one I have so enjoyed as an instructor.
Well, except for the past few years, after the current department head took over. I still enjoy teaching, but not my interactions with him or with the "department" secretary. Primarily, she acts as his guard dog, there to drive away all but the staunchest applicants for his favor. That's not how she started out, but it is something that developed over the past few years. You know, ever since he became department head.

Today, as part of the celebration of a new school term and a new name, gifts were being bestowed upon attendees.
A lunch bag or a drink mug?
Lunch bag, please!
Now, I will have two to choose from!
Oh!
Even better!
I can use the Armstong bag to keep cool items cool and the Red Cross bag for the hot ones!
(Think about it. You'll get it...)
Makes sense to me!
(smile)