The "Hamilton Effect"

Today the department secretary stopped by to tell me the department chair wanted to see me. Immediately my blood pressure skyrocketed. I felt my heart beat faster. At Hamilton being called in was never, never a good thing. I was written up for the most amazing things. I’ll give two examples:
1. The copier was jamming all the time in late August. I thought it might be a paper problem due to the humidity… so I went to Staples and purchased some fresh paper (on my own, not asking for reimbursement). It went through the copier fine. I was called into my boss’s office and reprimanded because I failed to go through the proper channels. The fact I solved the problem was irrelevant.
2. A capstone class (needed for graduation) was moved to Saturdays. Before the term started I told the registrar and my boss that I knew of one student who couldn’t come on Saturday because she had to work. I sent both of them e-mails in the first week explaining once again, Rosie can not come on Saturdays.
Rosie was scared that this would keep her being able to graduate. She had plans to move out of state upon graduating and she was justifiably worried. I told her I would meet with her on Tuesdays, but that I could not give her attendance on Saturday because Hamilton had a seat-in-the-chair attendance rule (with threats of firing if not followed). I met with her each week and she turned in her work on time.
In week four I was called in and given a write-up. Why? I should have told the student she HAD to come on Saturday. It was now week four and she had no attendance in the class and that created problems. I told my boss, “Any other place would have thanked me for going out of my way to helping a student. Here I get written up.”
All of this brings me to today’s interaction with my new boss. As I wrote above he called me to his office. Why? To see how things are going… and to talk about next term’s schedule. He presented two good choices and asked which I like better. I replied, “Both are fine. As long I’m not teaching at 8AM I’m happy.”
I know I haven’t been blogging much about this but every day I go to campus I have an experience I have come to call the “Hamilton effect”. Going to work every day for five years wondering when you will get fired takes a toll on a person.
Each and every day I am grateful to be out of that poisonous environment.