Faculty at universities can be divided into two camps: Those who teach over the summer and those who don't. And it is almost a tautology that research active faculty do not teach over the summer -- summer is when they are most productive, without those pesky students to bother them. Moreover, in mathematics, having a grant that provides summer salary is the primary badge of approval of a successful research program. (In particular, at all of the universities with which I've been affiliated, promotion and/or tenure is nearly impossible for faculty not holding such grants.)
Since the 1980's I have had summer grant support essentially every year, with a couple of gap summers where my family and I just made do with the 9 month academic salary or with a small internal university grant.
But this summer I find myself for the first time since graduate school without summer grant support and with a frighteningly low bank balance. So I'm teaching two summer courses -- which amounts to essentially a full time job for six weeks. Since my various other professional responsibilities are not going away (not to mention research that I still want to finish this summer, in time for a Fall conference), it now feels like I'm doing two jobs. It's making me cranky.
I don't expect to add much to this (admittedly vanity) blog until the summer term is over.
