|
Unprecedented
Unchartered
Uncertain
These words would be at the top of the list if I were compiling a vocabulary list for 2020.
It’s been a challenging year for all of us—from declining
enrollment to uncertain immigration regulations to online programs. The
past several months have required us to be flexible and adaptable in
ways that we couldn’t have even conceived last year. Yet, we would be
hard-pressed to find another group that is as well suited for these
challenges as program administrators.
We are masters at planning, and more often than not, at
revising and re-revising our plans. We are adept at surviving the first
day of class—simultaneously registering students, interviewing
candidates, and generating reports for our bosses. We know how to
squeeze our budgets to produce registration fees for one
more professional development conference. We can chair
committees and finagle groups of academics into grudgingly accepting
changes to the curriculum, all while composing accreditation self-study
reports. We are program administrators. We are experienced at
confronting and overcoming challenges to meet the needs of our staff and
our students.
My 2020 vocabulary list is not complete. In the last few months
of 2020, let’s endeavor to add a few more words to the list:
Resilient
Unwavering
Overcoming
Amy Cook
PAIS Newsletter Editor | 
