Lead Time

Herein, one of the more frustrating aspects of academic administration that nobody tells you about until you’re in it.

• Let’s consider a change to the schedule.
• Yes! We won’t get different results until we do something different.
• How about [outlines proposed change]?
• That could make a real difference. Let’s put together a working group to do some background research and develop a proposal.
• Great! How much time do you think they’ll need?

• Probably a few months to do the research, then allow some time for the campus to digest and debate the idea.
• Sounds right.
• Of course, we have to allow for the summer.
• True.
• And exam period.
• Yeah.
• And the run-up to exams.
• Uh-huh.

• So they might get something done in the fall.
• Okay, that’s not terrible.  
• Then allow some time for discussion.
• Yeah …
• That could take several months or more, depending on how it’s received.
• So that means next spring …
• Yeah, but we have to have the ’27–’28 schedule in the system by January so registration can start in March. We probably won’t have consensus by then. We’d have to wait until the following year.
• So if we follow the process, the earliest we could see a change would be fall of ’28?
• Looks that way.

• That’s two and a half years from now.
• Yup.
• That’s not exactly “nimble.”
• And don’t forget the next faculty contract cycle that starts in fall of ’27. We’d need to ensure that the change is built into that.
• Before we’ve actually committed to the change?
• I guess so, yeah.
• So we’ll have to negotiate for something while still debating whether it will actually happen?
• Yeah.

• And if the negotiation isn’t smooth?
• That could push it back another several years.
• Seriously?
• Yup.  
• During which time we would continue to get the unsatisfying results we’re getting now?  
• Pretty much.
• (facepalm)

Even after years of doing this work, I’m consistently surprised by the number of “you should have already …” barriers to doing something new.

If you’ve ever wondered why admins sometimes cut procedural corners, try not cutting any and see what doesn’t happen.