a typical tuesday

I always joke that the amount of money I am paying in tuition gets offset by the amount of free food GSE provides. Today was no different. When I came into my GA-ship this morning, I was greeted by a breakfast buffet, full of eggs, potatoes, pastries, sausage, and so much coffee! It was such a great way to start out my day (especially because I slept through my alarm this morning & didn't have time to eat breakfast at home... ooops).

This mornings breakfast provided by Penn GSE.

Tuesdays are always my longest days spent sitting in class. After my work in the admissions office, I have two classes back to back: Case Studies in Higher Education with Dr. Shaun Harper and Activism & Social Movements in Higher Education with Charles H.F. Davis III. Most classes in GSE meet for two hours, once a week. Some, such as my Activism class, meets every other week for four hours. The topics in both these classes are always engaging and thought provoking. I particularly enjoyed the topic we discussed in Case Studies today. It was about adjunct faculty members & the inequalities they tend to face on campus. I am really fascinated by faculty & governance, so today's lecture was perhaps one of the most interesting we have had all year. Our assignment that is due on Sunday is to think of institutional policies that could help alleviate some of these inequalities adjunct faculty members face. I am really excited to dig deeper into this topic.  

Graph showing the change in faculty make up over time.

A lecture on cultural jamming in Activism & Social Movements in Higher Education. Who knew Drake would appear in one of classes at Penn?

After my two classes today I headed over to the Pottruck Recreation Center to squeeze in a quick workout before I had to go home & finish some assignments. The best part about the rec center is that it is less than 500 feet away from the GSE building! It makes is super easy to get in a workout before my GA-ship or after classes. The rec center here at Penn is great. It has cardio machines, weight lifting rooms, a climbing wall, swimming pools, a smoothie bar, and even a virtual golf course! The Penn recreation pass is not included in your tuition, but can be added on for a little over $300 for the entire year. I also rented out a locker for the year so I don't have to bring my workout clothes to & from home. I also keep a towel and shampoo and soap in my locker so I can shower before heading to class.

Running away from all my assignments that are due this week!

Well, another eventful day was spent as a graduate student at Penn. Keep on following me this week.

Until tomorrow,


-Austin