<p>LaxTaxi… </p>
<p>Beyond the student experience, when it comes to faculty, who shore up a school’s reputation in my opinion, it’s a little bit of a catch-22. So many top schools have instituted a hiring freeze, which would suggest that those willing to do any hiring whatsoever, will be in a great position to be very selective. However, a pay freeze is not exactly the best way to secure your resources (professors) for the future when the economy warms up. And you certainly don’t want some grand exodus when the economic times improve because you’ve been uncaring or concerned for their welfare. So… how committed are the professors in the face of lighter paychecks and heavier workloads (in slightly larger classrooms) - -even as few as two students in a class is that many more papers to grade, exams to be scored, students to meet with, support, etc. So just as important as the student experience, how the faculty feels is important as well. Is everyone on the same page, somewhat? If their paychecks are smaller, are they finding non-monetary support in some way so that they remain happy? We certainly wouldn’t want resentments between students (who some may appear indulged or spoiled) and professors. </p>
<p>All of this said, from what I saw over the weekend… it’s a solid community. Lots of local folk on campus, young families, professors, parents, alumni etc out and about at games and whatnot. It was a beautiful, if not really windy day and seriously, everyone looked pretty happy. I didn’t see a bunch of gray clouds weighing down the mood in any way while we were there, and remember, this was not an “accepted students day” so I imagine we saw the real deal.</p>