Wow...

Wow, what else can I say? I had my meeting with the Provost, perhaps the worst meeting of my life. He began the meeting by saying I didn't fit in. Then he proceeded to cite my personal testimony using it as "evidence" that I flaunt a persona of being an outsider. Then he continued by saying I question things (he specifically said that "challenge" would be too strong of a word). When I told him I though questioning and examining all aspects of something was a good thing, especially in education and asked if I was wrong; he replied, "It's just what you are." He could not deny that I had the right credentials, my students were meeting the objectives and I always got positive evaluations from the students. So the problem? I guess I just don't fit in, but the more I learn, the sad the situation becomes and the more I am glad I don't "fit in."
I will admit that this whole thing caught me off guard and I found it extremely upsetting. Perhaps what bothered the me the most was the misuse of my personal testimony. I shared that testimony of what God had done in my life with my colleagues at a faculty retreat in August. The testimony was not at all about "being and outsider," in fact it was about reconciliation. The testimony was about being reconciled to God, being reconciled to the Body of Christ and being given the ministry of reconciliation.
At the end of the meeting, he simply said "I don't know. If I was you and my wife were me, she would say to ask the other faculty in your department what they would advise you to do in seeking another job." I have a hard time thinking that would be what his wife would say, I'm thinking that sounds a little too "male." After he said that, however, I took a closer look at what my coworkers had that I didn't. What I found... A fake degree from a diploma mill? Yes, indeed it was, right there on the school's website for anyone to see. It's not listed up there anymore, but that doesn't fix the fact that they have been hiring people who lie about their credentials and people who aren't qualified for their jobs. My biggest concern is that this is deceptive to the students and if the program loses accreditation, what they all going to do? As angry as I want to be and much as my human nature want's to retaliate, I think I'm just sad. I love the program, I love the idea, I love the students... Right now all are in peril and I can't do anything about it but pray and God for stregnth to finish out the year.