The best part of my day

As with any job, there are good things and bad things in my day-to-day.  Let me tell you about the best parts of my day.

Conversations.

Conversations with students, with professors, with the random person who is probably not one of "my" faculty members waiting for the elevator (and if you've ever waited for the elevator at CHS, you know it could be a while).

Take yesterday, for example.  I was on the elevator with a woman carrying a vase of beautiful sunflowers.  Struck up a short conversation about these gorgeous blooms and, later in the day, she was in the class I was teaching.  Turns out she is the faculty member who coordinates grants for RNs going back to school to get their BSN and had quite a few students in the class I was teaching.  Since she doesn't teach theory classes in at KCON, I have had little reason to find a need for interaction with her, but that small conversation we had on the elevator that morning created an immediate sense of rapport when she walked into the computer lab that afternoon.

Relationships are so important in academia.  Our students, especially here at GVSU, are expected to be well-rounded individuals receiving a liberal education.  We need to be well-rounded in ourselves - a university cannot provide the best possible experience for its students if its faculty and staff are sectioned off into their various silos.

As I continue my time at GVSU, I can't wait to have more conversations.  They are what makes me feel alive.