Maybe I shouldn't have started this blog now, not with everything that's been going on.

My thesis student called up today asking if, when he gives me his paper for revision on Saturday morning, I could return it to him a few hours afterwards. I said I’d try.

The department chairman, who is the easiest one among the panelists to contact, was given his copy of the letter from the student by the secretary as soon as he got in this morning. He immediately latched upon a typographical error that I didn’t notice: the date of defense given was March 20 instead of May 20. I didn’t even listen attentively when he asked me about it until he said May 20.

When he said he had a meeting with the Commission on Higher Education on that day, the secretary verified it. Jokingly I asked her why she didn’t tell us that while the student and I were in front of her discussing the schedule.

So that means if the student can give his paper tomorrow, have it revised and send it to the homes of his panelists over the weekend, he can have his defense on Monday the 19th or have it at the start of the first term.

The chairman also requested that if the defense is moved to the first term, that it not be held on the first week of classes, when he foresees he’ll be busy with possible load assignment revisions due to dissolved classes.

I just told the secretary to write down the chairman’s reply at the bottom of the student’s letter to him, so that the student will be able to get it even if I’m not there in the department, despite having told the panelists to coordinate with me.

On another subject, a co-teacher of mine has asked for my help tomorrow afternoon in making a slide presentation for the proposed College of Science High Performance Computing Laboratory, for the faculty assembly on May 21. As one of the handful of teachers in the department that handle computer and programming courses, I was approached if I wanted to be part of that group, and I agreed.