Yes. I am completely aware of how many times I used the word awesome in the title of this blog entry (and I am warning you now that I will use it at least thirteen more times before this entry is complete). Here is the deal: I really want you to think about the word awesome. We hear it most often these days as a casual slang term for something that is “cool” or “great” (and often preceded by a totally or followed by bro!). But I want you to consider a more meaningful definition, a definition dating back to the origin of the word in the late 16th century–“filled with awe” or “awe-inspiring”–because that is how I have been feeling about GCC Faculty lately. Don’t get me wrong, I have always felt like our faculty is awesome, but it was more in the, “GCC Faculty is totally awesome!” type of way. NOW, however, it is more like, “Wow. Our faculty seriously stepped up, and I am full of awe.”

With the introduction and rollout of the new PAR process, faculty district-wide have been asked to take a more active role in the development of newer faculty by serving as mentors to those in probationary status. And though there may have been a grumble here or there about how those numbers were going to work out (“What?! Two mentors for every Probationary Faculty?! That will require every Appointive Faculty to participate!”), it turns out GCC Faculty has responded…wait for it…awesomely!

Seriously. If you don’t see how awe-inspiring this really is, take a look at the numbers for yourself. We have 260 Residential Faculty, 70 of which are in probationary status, leaving 190 Appointive Faculty, of which, 95 are serving as mentors this year. Awesome. These mentors have given time to attend a mentor training (and with genuine positivity, I might add). Awesome. Many of these mentors have two mentees. Awesome. Our Probationary Faculty are more supported than ever. Awesome. These are the biggest numbers in the district. Awesome.

I really wasn’t sure exactly how all of this was going to come together, but I realize now I should not have ever worried about it because I work with awesome people who are awesomely supportive, awesomely dedicated, and awesomely awesome. Thank you, GCC Faculty, for being awesome (and totally awesome!).

I am full of awe.