Time to take a chance. Time to make a change.

Suddenly, much faster than is reasonable it’s August and time for the new academic year. RAs are returning, new students are arriving and the pace is picking up. Even if you don’t work on campus, there are signs that the neighborhood school will be starting soon. In our case, the middle school track team is has started running through the neighborhood. Even though I haven’t worked on campus for six years, I still think August is the start of the New Year.

And I’ve finished my break from writing this newsletter. I took the break after writing for the past three years to think about the direction, usefulness, and interest of this effort. Several people have asked if I’m bringing it back which was both lovely and persuasive. So, Gage’s Notes will continue, but in a slightly different form. The range of topics may be a bit wider and more random though there will always be education and leadership elements. Maybe more about my writing and other creative activities.

It will still have quotes because I have fun looking for them, but less focus on resources and links because that often takes the most time – unless the resource is the impetus for the essay. In other words, each issue will likely be a bit shorter. All of this is to keep things a bit fresher for me and, I hope, for each of you.

But there’s another reason for the changes. I’ve written before about my career advice – say yes to opportunity and about Dr. Chickering’s version – turn toward challenge. Most unexpectedly, I’ve decided to do both. As of Monday, August 15th, I will join the Ziegler College of Nursing at the University of Oklahoma as an Associate Dean. My primary responsibility will be working with the Academic Affairs staff, but I will also be working with the Student Affairs team in the College while the search for their new Executive Director is in process.

I have not been interested in returning to campus to do the same work I had been doing, but after working with the College of Nursing for the past year and a half, this felt like the right challenge at the right time. As I explained to someone today when I was on campus to do a presentation for New Faculty Orientation, I like working with good people doing good work in places where my skills match their needs. I think OU Nursing will be a great fit.

It’s also kind of fun in the way of life’s connections and intersections that here, in the later part of my career, I’ll be working at the same university where I had my first campus job as an RA (though the College of Nursing is on the Health Sciences campus in Oklahoma City rather than the main campus in Norman).

As for Gage Paine Consulting, it will still exist, but in a more limited capacity. I won’t be available to do campus retreats or program reviews, but I will take on a limited number of coaching clients and I’m always ready to do a book chat with a team or book club about either one of my books. And I’ll be sending these missives out to the world through the newsletter and on the blog. I hope you’ll stay with me and continue to follow along through my adventures.

As always, thank you for reading these Notes and please feel free to share your thoughts at any time. Have a great week!

Take care,

Gage