As the associate director of academic services, Jane McDonald develops and maintains the schedule of classes.
It’s a job that has her living one year in the future.
So how well do you know Jane? Pop quiz: who are her teammates?
As the associate director of academic services, Jane McDonald develops and maintains the schedule of classes.
It’s a job that has her living one year in the future.
So how well do you know Jane? Pop quiz: who are her teammates?
Jane: The main part of my job is creating and developing the schedule of classes with the faculty, Ken and the advisors. That’s a big process. We’re already looking at fall 2018 through summer 2019. It’s interesting because we’re always operating a year in the future.
Jane: As ombudsman, I make sure students know their rights and how they resolve academic issues. Or a faculty member may talk with me about a student they haven’t seen in a couple weeks and I’ll reach out to them to make sure they’re ok, if there’s anything we can do to help. In the academic officer role, it’s more about handling misconduct among students. If a student’s been charged with an offense such as cheating or plagiarism, I work with the faculty to determine if we want to move forward with the process. I often then work with the student if he/she would like to pursue an appeal of the charges.
Jane: I like to know what’s going on, what’s coming up, what am I going to do this weekend. I guess it’s true that if I get up on a Saturday and I don’t know what my plans are, I ask my husband what’s on the agenda. Otherwise, I feel at a loss. I don’t necessarily work as far out as the 2018-19 academic calendar, but a week or two in advance is nice.
Jane: I like the independence of it, but that’s also a double-edged sword. I like that I’m solo in my office and can do the things that need to be done when it needs to be done. It’s black and white and I know what’s going on. When I was an academic advisor, my schedule was booked so I like the flexibility I have now. But the downside to working solo is I belong to all programs, but at the same time, I’m not really on any one’s team. (I’m technically part of the Dean’s office staff but not located on that floor). Everyone does a great job including me in their department gatherings, but I’m often off on my own.
Jane: My husband, Bill, and I celebrated our 10th wedding anniversary Oct 27. Currently we have four furry kids, two of which are new. We recently adopted two pug mixes- what a wakeup call! They join our 14-year-old pug mix and a 17-year-old black cat: Looney and the pugs. They all manage somehow to get along!