Keep Mike Lippman as a professional Classicist

Keep your eye out for updates!

Well, it's been a long and bumpy career, y'all. At this point, following Ringo's advice, I'm gonna have to get by with a little help from my friends. As of this writing, I'm only completely certain that I will be a paid Classicist until May 12, 2023. After that, honestly, who knows? I know many people have encouraged me to stay in this profession, but I'm getting pretty burnt out. If I stay, I will need support.

To be 1000000% clear (I'm now 24 hours into this thing- and am bowled over by the support! I didn't expect this to move so fast!)- any money raised is going into a sort of rainy day fund. Once I am no longer employed, this is what I'll use before I switch careers entirely. For now, it's going into a savings account for that time, and it will be used as y'all tell me you want me to use it. If I am ever lucky enough to get a steady job that is not a constant claw to stay alive (literally and figuratively) you have my word (which I hope any reader knows is solid) this money will be kicked back to students, assuming I have some, or will be donated to some sort of charity that is pro-Classics. This is assuming I do not need it to continue being...well...me. So it's not a "survival" fund. I am confident I can do that. It is more a "keep on doing it" fund- which could get harder, although, naturally, I have come up with some ideas.

I'm trying to figure out how this site works on the fly (new years resolution), so we'll see how it goes. If you're reading this, think about this one thing. Socrates, my teaching hero, while he was put to death at 70, made it at least that far. He did so, because he had the extra money to keep speaking to the youth of Athens, corrupting them in his normal way, and still was able to keep a roof over his head and support (sort of- if badly) his family- and, even if he didn't buy shoes, he did have a threadbare cloak- and did attend some fancy parties of some high class people. Seems not a bad way to live, given my current situation.

So, if this site doesn't give me a chance, anyone who supports will help me decide how best to keep me doing this, if no one else will. Assuming I can find out who you are, I'll make this like an Athenian liturgy (I am the didaskalos in this scenario) and you can tell me what project/concept you want to support. If I were supported, I'd consult with my support(ers) as to how best to stay a Classicist. I'm either gonna be a teacher, a researcher, involved with outreach, or become a businessman. These are hardly mutually exclusive. But, any funds raised will go towards one of those goals. If I know who you are (who the fuck knows how this site works?). I'll send you a further document (or more) to get feedback and tell you what I'm thinking. Money will kick in the minute UNL tells me I'm out- unless something drops into my lap in the interim.

Get Lit will continue, no matter what, forever.

Other things- well- without a way of turning it into some sort of way to survive in a world, will not. I'll have to walk away from the thing that I've worked my ass off to do, that I've battled constantly since I graduated (and before!) to keep doing- and that I hope has contributed some good to this world. Sure, I can rent cars, or I can become a Bond-villain, but my goal, really, now and forever, is to keep doing what I think I'm good at, and what I hope any reader of this thinks I at least was somewhat good at to some people. If I'm to keep doing it, I need help.

And in case this site doesn't give me another opportunity of saying as much, Ringo's suggestion means not just $ - but other ways of help. There's tons of help I need. Money is part, for sure (as the Beatles also sing, The best things in life are free...but you can keep them for the birds and bees- I need some money...(that's what I want). They also paradoxically sing (μεν...δε) that money can't buy me love. That too. So if you're here and reading...to quote them again: Help! I need somebody! Help!

Well, fuck. It's been a few minutes, and I can already promise this. Once my funding is cut off, I'm staying at least one more day!!!!! Whoa. I want to cry now.

-Mike

UPDATE (1/3/23): Well! I am so moved by the last 24 hrs! I am already set for at least a week or two if (when) I am no longer a professor. That means, given the dopeyness of my current contract, if the shareholders so decide, I can at least give my final exams and grade them for this upcoming semester (how I will enter them depends on UNL's flexibility). So there's that!

Oh, and I'm going to write up a very short version of "How it got this way" for anyone who does not know. If you want it, I'll either tell you in person, or I'll send it to you.

UPDATE (2/6/23)

Ok, breaking news. Despite the uncertainty of my contract being renewed (it is still in the process), my department chair has finally confirmed to me that she will follow what I had understood, via the administration, were official rules. Even though I am not on the schedule for next AY yet, I will have that option for sure. At this point, given the number of authority figures who have said so, I think they'll all stand by this.

The question remains: will I take the offer? And, if I win in the ongoing process, should I stay when I'm treated like shit?

I'm NOT going to make a decision about next year for several months, regardless. I welcome feedback.

Plus, for those of you have generously contributed (or will), know that I am coming up with a long game for this money if I ever get a steady job. It'll not end up in my pocket (or the craps table). It'll likely end up helping students in some way, or in building some way I can sort of encourage this school- or any school- to let me do my job without the constant abuse and bullying. Happy to discuss, as always.

If you have not figured out what to do with your share of Rubicon Solutions, please feel free to write to me (via any medium) and I will send you the appropriate document that begins the "choose your own adventure" portion of this! I have a lot of ideas, and I guess I want to know what the shareholders think! Right now, that money's just staying in an account (that'll earn interest) til August- and, as some of you know, I'm taking some actions based on shareholder votes, just to hear feedback. Ain't costing me anything...just responding. I mean, generous as you all are, you're hardly at the level of the Venetian Hotel and Casino (the only reason I'm willing to do an independent study this semester!). If this doesn't make total sense, and you'd like it to, touch base! If not, well, we'll all talk when we cross paths (hopefully sooner rather than later), and if I do end up getting the full renewal sometime this semester, I'll let you all know.

If I do not, I'll decide about continuing to fight, or staying for my "pack your bags" year sometime over the summer. There's a lot of factors- too many for this update.

UPDATE 2/18/23:

I now know for certain that, no matter what, I would have always been able to stay not only through the full end of this semester (not, as per the contract's verbiage, only to a date in the middle of the end of classes- but all the way through exams!), but, as I now believe is the most likely worst case scenario, through the full end of the Spring semester in 2024 (whatever that date is- I suppose I'll find out). This was always the case, and I was confused, and was not sure if everyone would enforcee rules.

If I am not reappointed, I will have my final year- and if I am reappointed, I will be offered... I do not quite know how many years.

I remain uncertain as to how I will handle this, however it turns out, but this is my clear understanding- and anything previously written that might have suggested otherwise is due to both my not understanding the rules/earlier communications and the way it would play out...plus my fear that they might not be upheld, even if they were rules. Now, I am assured the rules insofar as the current process of my renewal- and my what may be my final year (AY 23-24) will be upheld. My current contract, instead of being "in appeal" (as I said before) is, to use the proper lingo, technically just following its way up the ladder. First it goes through department (unanimously denied), then chair (denied), and now is in the hands of the Deans (awaiting input). So, it is not and never was an "appeal"- but just the normal process, where, in no small part due to my being devasted by a unanimous vote against me by my colleagues, I misunderstood proper terms and process. My bad. Apologies for any misled readers- and hope this is now straightened out.

If you read this and have any questions, by all means, give me a call/shoot me an email!