D:F/M Colleagues were shocked at the Wednesday, November 9, faculty meeting when Dara Meyers-Kingsley, Project Director, Arts Across the Curriculum Initiative, said several departments in the College were submitting proposals to add media to their curriculum. [The Chair, speaking in a manner that set off alerts in this Colleague, expressed to Meyers-Kingsley hissurprise that he had not been made aware of this action, as chairs are suppose to be aware of threats to department turfs. No one even blinked.]
D:F/M sobriety was also blown away when it became known that D:F/M was not represented on the AAC Committee that had been formed.
As apprehension increased, the Uh-Duh became apparent when it was brought to the attention of the most outspoken (about what they considered a slight and an insult to D:F/M) that invitations to join the committee had been sent to all departments and full-time faculty. Those grumblers, it had become clear, had ignored or had somehow were rendered oblivious to their email invitations.
Exasperation, incredulity and pique were directed at Meyers-Kingsley who deflected them well. QMfE: “I was warned about how some faculty would respond.” That produced a smirk from some of the crowd and she eventually exited stage right. [She should be happy that the Hunter College PSC Chapter Chair didn’t whip out her teenie-weenie video camera and record MK as she was leaving.]
Nevertheless, there was still time for more shock: The new curriculum, which I have often described as the Antediluvian Curriculum, and which my Colleagues had been promoting as the best thing since the Ford Model-T [academic equivalent, thereof ], and probably as old, was more than likely to be scuttled because of plans by CUNY administration to institute Pathways.
For several minutes before the end of the meeting, there were discussions and considertionsalong the lines of insurrection, civil disobedience, etcetera.
The Uh-Duh was strong.