Good News!

After waiting patiently -- okay, some days not so patiently -- since I moved here in June, I finally have a JOB!!!  Which means I get to stay in Denver!!!  And the job even allows me to stay in the same apartment, so I won't have to move -- for awhile anyway.

I submitted my application for this job on June 28th with a closing date of July 1st.  I called once in the middle of July to see where they were in the hiring process only to be told that they had not decided on interviewees yet.  I finally received an email from them on the 26th of July for an interview on the 6th of August.  I had my interview on Tuesday morning which I thought went very well.  I received a call the next morning offering me the position -- and could I please come in that day to start filling out paperwork since meetings would begin Monday morning the 12th with classes beginning the following Monday!  Kind of reminds me of my previous place of employment where I received my textbooks for classes two days before classes started and those two days were full of meetings :-).  For you DMACCites, I heard about retention, completion, transfer and flipped classrooms at the meetings on Monday.  I wondered if I had really left DMACC :-)

The position I have is an Assistant Professor of Chemistry -- One-Year Limited position at the Community College of Denver.  The permanent position will be posted in January.  I can apply for it then if I so wish.  This semester I will be teaching two sections of General Chemistry I and one section of General Chemistry II.  Both which I have taught for many, many years.  A big difference is that I will have someone else doing all the lab preparation, set-up and tear down!!!  This is something that should be a real time saver for me.  One less class and no lab prep -- I won't know what to do with myself.

I will be on what is called the Auraria Campus.  This is located right in the heart of Denver as the pictures below show.  It is a campus that is shared by the Community College of Denver, Metropolitan State University of Denver and the University of Colorado Denver Campus.  In fact, all three colleges have their science departments in the Science building where I will be spending my time.  I drive about 3 miles to get to the Light Rail station and then take the Light Rail directly to the campus.  It's about a 30 minute train ride, so I'm getting lots of reading done.  Sure beats having to drive in the Denver commuter traffic and then try to find parking -- expensive parking!  My Light Rail pass is $25/month -- I'd pay that to park on campus in 4 days!!!

So far it has been a week of meetings, meetings, meetings!  But the students will be there bright and early Monday morning.  I hope I'm ready :-)

Thanks for all your love, prayers and support.  Watch for further adventures as the year continues.  Cindy

The view of downtown Denver from the courtyard outside the science building.

The Denver Performing Arts Center is directly across Speer Ave from the Campus.

This is the Denver Convention Center which is also right across Speer.  For those who know Denver, the big Blue Bear is on the other side of this building peeking in the windows.

The Denver Dancers sculpture between the Performing Arts Center and the Convention Center.

This is St. Elizabeth's church which is on the campus next to the Science building.  I think there was a funeral there one afternoon this week as there were lots of cars parked outside of it.

The Pepsi Center is just north of the campus.  This is where the Denver Nuggets and the Colorado Avalanche play.

And this is just to the west of the campus --  Peyton's play-place in Denver.

This is another church, St. Cajetan's, again right in the heart of the campus.  I didn't get a picture, but there is a house next door called the Golda Meir house.  So some real history right on campus.

 

And finally, here is one of the Light Rail trains that I get to ride twice a day!