New School Year

School will be starting soon. Due to the college's financial situation, we are required to implement austerity measures. Sound ominous? Well, yeah.

We have had to make tough decisions, including canceling a course that might have had more new students enrolled once the the new semester begins. 

Case in point: Second year Japanese had only 13 students--one of the drill sections had only 4--when we were being asked cut cost. Fortunately, the powers that be allowed us to carry this course for one more year. Now 10 more students have added the course for a total of 23. Where would we have been had they told us we had to cut a drill section? Tell them, "Sorry, no room"?

Anyway, we had to cancel an advanced level course and now we may have to offer more Directed Readings for students who need courses to graduate as a Japanese major. FYI: Directed Readings does not count toward our teaching load; in effect, we are offering the course pro bono. Of course, we could refuse by claiming we are too busy, but then what would happen to the students?

Unfortunately, to non-Japanese majors who want to take this advanced course: ごめんなさい

*sigh*