Thursday, April 3, 2008

Finally, some good news -- really cool good news

I just heard today that I'm being awarded one of the four university-wide teaching awards. Since you must be nominated by students, this means a lot to me, especially since a student must be motivated enough to go out of their way to write a nomination application. After that a committee made up of previous winners secretly gathers intelligence on you. OK, not really -- I think they just talk to the chair of your department to get more info or something. At any rate, I didn't even know I'd been nominated, so this came out of the blue in a very frustrating and demoralizing week and raised my spirits immensely.

And also, there's a significant monetary award. I was excited even before I knew that, but it was definitely icing on the cake since I'm saving for a down payment on a new car and I'm really, really lusting for one of these in chocolate with silver accents. Maybe now I'll get a cutesy vanity license plate, too. But first my tenure has to be finalized, because it's going to be my tenure reward.

And really, truly, I'm most pleased that I was nominated by my students. I wish I knew which ones, so I could thank them personally. A mass thank-you will have to do (remember, some of them have probably figured out where I blog):

Thank you students!

18 comments:

Flavia said...

CONGRATS!

And I have no doubt you deserve it.

Hope the week just keeps getting better--

medieval woman said...

Many many congrats - that's wonderful news! Can't wait to see pics of the new car when it comes (I have no dount you'll get tenure!)...

What Now? said...

Dr. V -- Very cool! Congratulations on the award. And I'm sorry to hear about things sucking at Rust Belt U.

Not that there's a pattern here, but ... I will say that winning the student-decided teaching award in the spring my tenure was granted was one of my final acts at St. Martyr's, where the atmosphere was, in your words, "so demoralizing." That being said, options and alternative careers are fabulous! And being a vet would be so very cool.

heu mihi said...

Congratulations! That's wonderful!

~profgrrrrl~ said...

Congratulations! And a tenure car sounds like a lot of fun!

Thoroughly Educated said...

Way to go! I love the idea of a tenure Mini!

Janice said...

Congratulations! That's so wonderful that your students spoke so strongly on your behalf -- clearly you deserved this so much. Now enjoy!

Anonymous said...

Mazel tov, Dr. V!

Prof. de Breeze said...

Let me add my congratulations to the growing pile. It couldn't have happened to a nicer blogger.

I'm curious about how the "info-gathering" process works. One of the more absurd traditions here at Hawtch-Hawtch CC is a "Faculty Member of the Year" award. Like yours, the initial nomination for this award is from students, but then the top ten faculty members nominated are simply voted upon by the faculty at large. Every year, then, I have to choose to give an award to one of ten faculty members, most of whom I know personally but none of whom I have ever observed in the classroom. It's always struck me as the worst kind of popularity contest. And, again like your award, this one is not insubstantial: $1000 plus a all-expense-paid vacation to a Palm Springs resort owned by an alum.

I've long wanted to suggest an alternative method, so any details would help.

Sisyphus said...

Soooo cool! (Oh yeah, and the student award thing too!) You totally need a black and silver one though.

It's so interesting to see what people get themselves for tenure. I had a prof who got major dental surgery and braces ---- I'm not sure I would want to be wearing braces while professoring but she said she had always felt miserable about her teeth but could never justify that kind of expense when her kids' needs and mortgage and bills came first.

Anonymous said...

Congratulations!

Feirefiz said...

Congratulations! That's great! Not only do your colleagues love you, so do your students. Universal acclaim is not easy to come by! And I like your taste. I too have lusted after the Mini when it first came out.

No new car for me alas but I recently got a little money for a talk and upgraded my violin--from a low-end to a step-up student instrument. Not a huge improvement, but I only got a little money. I guess that'll be my tenure reward (even though I haven't gotten an official missive yet--should come in a month I think). Don't know what my S.O. might want--probably something electronic.

Bardiac said...

Gosh, I thought I left a note of congrats, but it seems to have disappeared!

Congratulations!

And remember, before you get the Mini, make sure it goes with Pippi and meets her approval! (Aren't you glad you didn't get a Mastiff?)

Anonymous said...

Pippi will look beautiful in a chocolate mini. And you can't get black since your niece already has that one covered.

Congratulations. I am very proud of my "little" sis.

Dr. Virago said...

Thanks everyone!

What Now -- you're freaking me out a little bit! But yes, if I decide to leave, I have you as a wonderful model of ways to forge alternative careers. So thanks for that!

Sisyphus - As Virgo Sis points out, I can't get black because Eldest Niece already has a black one (albeit the regular Mini, not the Clubman). And since I've got a pet whose name rhymes with Youngest Niece's cat's name (it's Tippi), I've got to set myself apart from the rest of the family. And chocolate is a good color for me, Pippi, and Bullock. Plus...mmmmm, chocolate.

But braces, huh? Yeah, that's weird.

Feirefiz -- Ooh, a violin, that's cool!...Maybe your S.O. should get fencing gear? :) Hey, btw, I know he's going to be at K'zoo, are you?

Bardiac -- Ha! Yes, my rule that our dog had to be small enough for me to lift was a good rule. (She lets me pick her up without complaint, too.) Otherwise I might have ended up with a Great Dane or a Bernese Mountain Dog. I love those big, goofy dogs.

TheCrankyProfessor said...

yay, you!

Belle said...

That's great! Congratulations!

The Pastry Pirate said...

just saw this... big gobs of congrats to you, especially because you were nominated by student(s). to me, those kinds of awards have much more cred for the reasons you already noted. mad props to ya!