Well, it's official.

I get a course break next year. Well, technically, a 'half-course' break, since around here a full course is a full year. So for the most part, I teach five half-courses a year, fulfilling my obligation of 2.5-full course equivalents. And it's still that way, even though the new computer system can't actually handle full-year courses, and you have to link, by hand, to two virtual half-courses. But whatever.

So, under current agreements, I get a course break next year, in exchange for consenting to be Graduate Chair. Which, frankly, takes a lot more time than teaching a half-course, but whatever. The plan is to eliminate the course break for Grad Chairs, in exchange for a (small) global reduction to 4.5 full-course equivalents in 2 years across the board. And I'm told my department is small enough that we technically aren't supposed to get administrative course breaks for our grad chair. So as long as it looks like I have to be grad chair anyway, I'm d*mn well getting my course break while I still can.

So it looks like one of my courses next term is going to get pulled, which is too bad for anyone who wanted to take it. But oh well. I ain't doing it out of the goodness of my heart. Especially since it looks like I still be Undergraduate Chair, and quite possibly acting Head for the fall term. Next year is going to be Administrative Hell, what with all the new administrative responsibilities, trying to get the new lab up and running, and trying to get a couple of articles and a grant application out the door. It's going to be a rough summer, come to think of it.

But at least there's three-hours a week, one term, that I don't have to spend in the classroom, and with it the possibility that I might actually get enough sleep without having an 'early' morning class to teach. So on the balance, I'm happy. I guess.