Blogging from the USO in Atlanta, GA …

For some reason, the mobile version of my WordPress displays everything except the Publish button. When I retire, I think I will volunteer at the USO because it has been such a blessing to our family to have a friendly, welcoming place to wait in major airports (not to mention, the free snacks and other services like tv & Internet access are awesome!).

So, here I am, waiting on the last leg of our flight home from Georgia. It has been a great weekend, and I’m pumped about this next [and final] chapter in my academic career. I was already excited – albeit, more than a wee bit nervous – to attend Residency Weekend for my new doctoral program in Georgia this weekend, but the warm welcome & encouraging atmosphere put my anxieties at ease.

I was particularly impressed to see that in addition to several faculty members, the welcome dinner also included the dept chair, dean, provost and university president! I remarked to my husband that I couldn’t recall the last time all of those folks from my home university were in one room at one time – commencement, perhaps? It is truly an honor that they hold the DPA program at Valdosta in such high regard!

The president spoke about the origins of the program – my class is only the fourth cohort – and his respect for the faculty. He mentioned the competitiveness of the application process and told us all how proud he was for us. 😀

He also shared that the university has lost about 35% of its state funding because of the economic downturn. Providing access to distance-learning programs is a progressive way for the university to stay relevant and opens the doors to students (like me) who would not otherwise have reason to attend/invest in the school.

I’ve heard similar figures from my colleagues at other public universities; schools that previously relied heavily on their endowments have had to get creative in order to make ends meet. Unfortunately, that has resulted in lay-offs & furloughs in a number of places.

The president also talked about the recent capital projects around campus: $100+ million to rebuild & remodel outdated facilities that were in dire need of upgrades. The campus is lovely, and although I didn’t see the “before,” I can tell that they’ve put a lot of effort & pride into the improvements.

What struck me is how much they were able to accomplish with that amount of money. Don’t get me wrong … $100 million is a huge chunk of cash, but in this day & time, I’m still amazed at how much they were able to build. I think other universities – public & private, alike – could learn a lesson or two about wise spending. I’m thankful everyday that my university hasn’t had to undergo any personnel cuts; I pray that we’ll remain in a strong financial position, going forward.

I will leave you with a funny comment from a fellow student (an esteemed “2nd year,” no less! Proof in the pudding that it can be done). He has three master’s degrees and now is working on his doctorate. He’s also retired military and has worked his way up to what sounds like a very nice civilian position, from what I gathered. He recently promised his wife that this is the end of the road and said, “Some people collect butterflies or stamps; I collect degrees.” lol!