Author Archives: Michael Kane

The Hardest Semester of Your Career Fall 2021

Success is not built on success. It’s built on failure. It’s built on frustration. Sometimes its built on catastrophe. ~ Sumner Redstone Welcome to the Fall 2021 semester, one I’m sure will almost certainly be the most challenging semester of your career. I know, you’re shaking your head for one of two reasons. Either youContinue reading “The Hardest Semester of Your Career Fall 2021”

Going back to campus? Read this.

Going back to campus? Read this. Image credit, The Foothill Dragon Press For most colleges the time is quickly approaching for a full return to campus. For some schools that will be this fall, for others it will be January. For most of us, we’ve already been at least partially on campus for some time.Continue reading “Going back to campus? Read this.”

Thank you Educators for an Amazing Year

Thank you Educators for an Amazing Year The roots of education are bitter, but the fruit is sweet. ~ Aristotle Thank you educators, and let me be clear by educators that I mean everyone who works in education.  That includes instructors, aides, staff, groundskeepers, cafeteria workers, public safety, custodians and on and on.  Anyone thatContinue reading “Thank you Educators for an Amazing Year”

Strategies for Long-term Position Success

Strategies for Long-term Position Success   It’s not stress that kills us, it’s our reaction to it. ~ Hans Selye Many positions in education can be highly stressful.  Particularly higher education management positions at the Director or Deans level.  These positions are very often your prototypical middle-management positions.  What that means is that these positionsContinue reading “Strategies for Long-term Position Success”

A Thank You to Educators

A Thank You to Educators Education is the movement from darkness to light. ~ Allan Bloom So for all educators from teachers to techs, lab aides, counselors, administrators and everyone else who works to make education happen including every type of support staff, thank you! While the end of the Spring 2020 semester was certainlyContinue reading “A Thank You to Educators”

How will we be best with what’s next?

How will we be best with what’s next? So on March 11, 2020 after watching COVID rates rising across the country, while in Sacramento and checking into a hotel room for a conference I was supposed to be attending the next day, I got a call from my Vice-President.  The message was return home, allContinue reading “How will we be best with what’s next?”

Developing Work/Life Balance during COVID

During this extraordinary period of time in education it’s incredibly important not to lose a focus on keeping work/life balance. On my other blog, the Ministry of Happiness, I’ve written pretty extensively about work/life balance. We often give great lip service in education to work/life balance. We talk about how important it is and thenContinue reading “Developing Work/Life Balance during COVID”

It’s not ideal

It’s not ideal Originally posted September, 2020 So without a doubt, it’s not ideal, seems to be the motto for education in 2020.  It’s also the phrase that as a dean I’ve grown the most tired of hearing when talking with faculty.  I often remind people after hearing the phrase that I know, it’s notContinue reading “It’s not ideal”

Are administrators to blame for campus COVID outbreaks?

Are administrators to blame for campus COVID outbreaks? Originally posted September 1, 2020 Here we are on September 1st and there are already over 8,000 positive COVID cases on college campuses.  Some colleges haven’t even started yet and most are within the first couple of weeks of classes. One of the things that I haveContinue reading “Are administrators to blame for campus COVID outbreaks?”