The end (or not?)

Rosemary and I have been in St Andrews for nearly twelve years, on temporary contracts. The current contract expires at the end of February 2025, and there is no money to renew it. So we will technically be retiring (or being made redundant) on that date.

However, we will not immediately disappear, and it seems that the School doesn’t want us to. We will be in the middle of a teaching semester, so we will carry on until the end of the semester and the examining period.

Moreover, we will be able to keep our links with the School (our office, use of the library and computer network, and so on), and will be given some kind of emeritus status, details to be confirmed.

As you might imagine, this was a bit of a shock to me when it was first proposed; without thinking, I had just assumed that things would go on in the same way. But on further thought, it has its attractions. After the coming academic year, no more administrative jobs, no more examining, no more teaching unless I want to do it; so, more time for research, and to catch up with many jobs on which I have been very slow lately (and apologies to all of those involved in these).

There is a suggestion, completely vague at present, of some kind of event in the summer to mark the occasion. (It would not be sensible to do this while we are still teaching.)