The Last Straw

I have always struggled with the distinction between not letting others run all over you...and sticking out the hard times. How do you decide when enough is enough?

I have been employed at Fayetteville State University since last October. When I began, I was the secretary for the Department of Marketing and Business Education as a temp under the Department Chair. A temp, only because she needed me to start immediately, and it takes time to make someone a permanent employee. However, within the month, I was told that they had begun the process of making me a permanent employee (complete with a yearly salary and full benefits).

May 15 of this year, my department split, and Marketing combined with the Department of Finance, while Business Education combined with Business Administration. I assumed that was the end of my position, but was told that they wanted to keep me, so they would create a position for me. At this point....7 months later....I was still not of permanent status. I was told that beginning in May, I would continue to work with Dr. Jewell (whom I had been working for since October), as well as with the Assistant Dean in the Pre-Business Program. Alright...works for me. The Assistant Dean then began piling projects on me, informing me that she was going to teach me "all she knew", so that I may transfer to the university's research department at the end of the summer and spend the upcoming year creating summary reports for FSU. Cool...I liked that idea. At that point, the assistant dean pushed for my permanent status to go through...and more progress was made.

One random day in June, I was asked if I knew anything about Second Life. I told them that I was familiar with the program, but not sure of all the details involved. They (Dean and Assistant Dean) were excited, stating that they were hoping to launch a trial run of a virtual classroom in the '08-'09 school year, and wanted me to development a virtual campus in Second Life, and learn to imbed projects in the "walls" of the Second Life FSU campus buildings. Wow...pretty awesome! So for two weeks, I did research on 3D equipment and Second Life maintenance costs. Shortly after, the Assistant Dean asked me to edit the cost list on the grant proposal they were writing for the funding to follow through with this idea. Low and behold...on that grant...was a request for $60,000 to hire an individual to do exactly what they had asked me to do. It was at that point, I realized I apparently was no longer included in this idea. You've got to be kidding me!

I kept my mouth shut and simply continued coming into the office everyday, no longer sure of what I was expected to do, or who I was to answer to. In July, the Dean walked into my office and informed me that I was now part of the "support staff" to the Dean's office. At that point, I questioned what had happened to the other propositions that had been made to me, and he blew them off, telling me that he didn't know what I was talking about. So now...I'm the THIRD secretary on call for the Dean's Office. Not so great. And in case you are wondering...I'm still a temp.

Last week....I get an email from the Dean, informing me that I am expected to personally assist a professor for the semester in writing a journal for our building. Two days after that, I receive an email (sent only to me) asking me to enroll in a 7-week online "class" on Adobe Acrobat 9, as I should consider myself the "point of contact for Administrative Tech Support". Let me summarize everything at this point. 6 different job descriptions expected in 3 months' time....6 different bosses to answer to on a regular basis....and still a temp.

But yesterday was the last straw for me. My old (and one of my current??) bosses (who my office is connected to) was in between meetings and asked me if I wanted to go to lunch. So we grabbed our things and ran out to grab lunch real quick before her next meeting at 1. When the 1 o'clock meeting was over, she came back to the office, packed up her things....and left to go across campus to another meeting. 5 minutes out of the office, she calls me from her car to inform me that she had been escorted downstairs by the Assistant Dean and told that she is not "allowed" to take me off campus to lunch unless she has asked permission from my boss. When. Dr. J asked who that was....the Assistant Dean proceeded by giving her SIX names of people with whom she was expected to ask permission before taking me out to lunch. She was then told that they "desperately needed me" to make copies for the 1 o'clock meeting, and because I was unavailable, they, themselves, had to skip their own lunch to prepare for the meeting. Mind you....I was in my office until 11:40am with no pressing projects. No one had acknowledged me, nor asked me to make preparations for the meeting. And yet....my boss...or old boss....whatever....was reprimanded for taking me out to lunch when they "needed" me. And not a single word was said to me. Not one.

But what if that had been Chris taking me to lunch??? Or my parents??? Would they also have been escorted out the building and informed that 6 people's permission had to be granted for me to leave?? I don't think so!!! My blood is boiling as I'm writing this, knowing that there are 5 other secretaries in the building that do not require permission to eat lunch, and are just as capable of pressing the "start" button on the copy machine. I'm done. That was it for me. It was all I could do not to hand in my resignation yesterday, after such a thing was done to an innocent party. But I gotta wait it out 3 more weeks. Then I'll submit 6 copies of my resignation letter to all of my "bosses", and announce my last day at this institute will be Friday, September 19.

I mostly needed to write this blog to see it in writing and make sure I'm not making this decision erraneously. If you are still reading...props. And if you have any opinion, suggestions, or comments...feel free to help me out. Right now I'm just trying to lay low and keep my mouth shut. I'm hoping my resignation letter will say it all....