On the first day of August, 1996, I arrived in Amherst and undertook my new position as Director of the Biology Computer Resource Center for the Biology Department at the University of Massachusetts Amherst. Now, on the last day of August, 2026, I am concluding my career in academia.
I had thought I had performed my last professional duty on July 21. That was the last scheduled meeting of the Rules Committee. But a couple of weeks ago, the Secretary floated three dates for the Rules Committee to meet to discuss an issue before the new semester. Two of the proposed dates were in September, but he also proposed August 31 — my last date of employment. And that was the date they chose. It was fun to see my colleagues one last time.
The Faculty Senate and Union are discussing coordinated action. Often, their spheres of responsibility do not intersect, but current actions of the administration are impinging on both. It gave me an opportunity to offer a historical perspective. My perception has been that faculty and departments have been substantially weakened over the time of my career. Of course, it started much earlier: I was hired as part of the wholesale replacement of tenure-system faculty with non-tenure-system faculty that substantially weakened the power and independence of the faculty. It actually started later here than many other places. I told them about the Lazare Commission in 2001 that evaluated the needs of the campus while choosing a new chancellor. In 2011, I looked back on the outcome of the Commission. I had believed they had recognized the value of the faculty as a unique strength — but instead they chose to invest in anything and everything else in order to bring down the quality of the faculty to the same level as all of the other parameters at the University. Similarly, when a subsequent Chancellor tried to develop a new budget model using Responsibility Centered Management (RCM), the effort largely failed — but it did have the effect of siphoning off most of the budgets from Departments and giving them to the Colleges under the control of the deans. Departments are much weaker now than when I joined the Faculty. I wished my colleagues well as they undertake the continue the struggle.
For my part, I began my career with the goal of empowering students to take control of their own educations. I wanted them to come to see every class they took — not just mine — as an invitation to immerse themselves in some new area of study and work to satisfy themselves, rather than slavishly try to merely do what was “required.” This was the actual learning goal of every class I taught and every assignment in my teaching. Few students came in with that perspective. Some were ready to learn it. Others realized it during my teaching. Some did not. But I felt it was the right goal to strive for and was always overjoyed to see the light bulb go on.
I wrapped up one other duty yesterday: a student who took my writing class last spring requested a letter of recommendation. I will probably get a few more of these over the next year. But they will tail off pretty quickly now that I’m no longer teaching. It was always fun when students let you know they were accepted into a new program. But I won’t miss writing the letters.
Someone asked if I was doing anything to celebrate. I actually spent most of the day taking my mother in for a medical procedure. Going through the procedure myself would have been easier than watching her go through it. But afterwards she requested a scoop of ice cream, so I got one too. That’s as much celebration as I need.
And tomorrow, I begin my new life.
