Chapter 60: CHAPTER SIXTY

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PART XXI

COLLEGE SURPRISES

CHAPTER SIXTY

"Fumie, why are you calling me into your office on a Friday? I mean, you skipped our first Tuesday get-together of the second semester. So why the first Friday?"

She leaned back in her chair and smiled. "Because,/ Dave, the Monbusho Ministry of Education has finally accredited this junior college to become a four year women's college starting with the new school year in April of next year."

"Huh? . . .What the hell? . . . I mean, that's so sudden!"

She shook her head. "Remember all the Tuesday get-togethers I've had to skip for the last year or so. And you kept asking me why?"

"Yeah. And you said I'd be one of the first know when you'd gotten things finalized. So that's what all these sudden cancelations have been about?"

"That's right. And now I can tell you. Many families are starting to let their daughters go to a full four year college now so they can they can get better jobs after they graduate than they could just by going to a junior college."

"But I thought you said most parents wanted them to get married when they graduate."

"Times are changing even here in Japan, David. Now many want their daughters to get good full time jobs for a few years so they can meet and marry better husbands. And the better salaries they earn will help them get started in their new married life. Many women now keep working until they have at least their first baby and some even after that."

"Hmm. That sounds like Ruriko. I mean, she's got a career and is having children, too."

Fumie nodded. "That's why I'm encouraging her to do both."

"But wait a minute, Fumie. Didn't you say this would become a women's college?"

"That's right. A new four year coeducational college in Kyoto would stand no chance of competing against, say, a school as famous as Kyoto National University. But a women's college in Kyoto is different. Many parents will allow their daughters to attend a four year college. But only if its students are all women."

"Well what about the boys?"

"Oh, they keep quitting before graduation. Except for the few like Watanabe-san -- who by the way is now studying at a cram school in the evening so he can pass the exam for a four year college in January."

"I sure hope he passes the exam. He deserves it. But what about all the other boys?"

"We'll have to keep them if they don't quit at the end of their first year. The girls, too, will at least have to apply or maybe even take a test to enter the new college as third year students. Some of their parents only let them enter here because it's still a two year college, not a four year one."

"Hmm . . . . Let's see . . . . You mean, I'm no longer going to have the fun of teaching two different classes at the same time anymore?"

"Only if all the freshmen boys drop out. If one or two stay on next academic year, you'll have to teach them for one more year. But that's all."

"Oh gosh, what a let down! . . . . But somehow I think I can get over it . . . umm . . . that is, if I try really hard.

"Ha . . . but I'm afraid that's not all the bad news I have for you today."

"Oh my God. What else are you going to hit me with?"

"Well, in order to become a full four year college the Monbusho requires me to add at least twice as many students starting next April to fulfill their minimum quota of students. That in turn means, I'll have to hire more faculty members. And there have to be a certain number of lecturers, a certain number of associate professors, and a certain number of full professors to fulfill the minimum quota of faculty members that the Monbusho also requires and which I don't have yet, either."

"Umm. Fumie, why am I somehow getting the feeling that you're thinking of promoting me to associate professor starting next school year. Hmm?"

Fumie shook her head again. But her smile was even bigger. "I'm afraid the news is even worse than that, Dave. I'm going to have to promote you to full professor."

That really did shock me!

When I somewhat got my wits about me . . . . "Can . . . Can you do that? . . . I mean . . . Aren't I too young to be a full professor?"

"That's just it. I want the faculty here to be as young as possible. Oh, I might have a slight problem with the Monbusho about that. But I know I can handle it. And I want native speakers like you for my English teachers. The full professors I had to hire to start this school with -- all retirees from other universities -- will probably try to sneak in one of their friends from their old schools. But none of them would be native speakers. And I am the President of this school after all."

"But what about Ruriko? She's been here longer I have."

Fumie nodded. "I'm promoting her to associate professor. She's still on maternity leave, remember? I just called her on the phone and she's very happy about it."

"Well what about Tomoko then? I mean she's an associate already."

Still smiling, "She's getting a divorce from her husband and plans to leave us and go back to live with her parents in the Tokyo area at the end of this semester. Can't say I'm really unhappy about that. But David, will you promise me one very important thing? Will you please promise me you'll stay with me for at least five more years?"

I leaned back in my chair, and pretended to think about it . . . Finally, "Hmm . . . Oh, alright, I guess . . . But only on one very strict condition."

"Oh? And just what is your one very strict condition this time?"

"That you make that ten years! Or better yet twenty years."

As we were clinking our large mugs of draft beer together that night at our favorite watering hole, "My God John, I just can't believe it! I'm going to a full professor starting next April!"

"Congratulations, man. You're really lucky! . . . Hey, I'll bet that means a pay raise, too."

I nodded, grinning. "Only twenty percent more to start with. But Fumie says if I stay at least five more years, it will be almost double. And even more if I stay longer."

John shook his head. "Man, now I really envy you."

"And that's not all."

"Jesus! What else did she hit you with?"

"She's going to build a new building. She needs to have more classrooms to teach all those new students. She going to call it the 'New Building' and call the old New Building the 'Library Building'. We don't really have much of a library yet. Just a large closet with a few bookshelves and not many books on them."

"But Dave, where the hell is she going to get the money to build a new building? I know she still has her U.S. dollar savings and pension and all. But it can't be that much, can it?"

"You're right. She's putting up the whole college as collateral. Buildings, land, the whole shebang."

"Wow! That's taking one hell of a gamble."

"That just what I thought at first, too. But she said she's confident that the extra tuition money she's going to get from all the new incoming students will cover the payments she has to make to the bank that's giving her the loan. And as Fumie pointed out to me, that extra tuition money will keep increasing for three more years after that as each year will add another class year of many more students and that much more more tuition money. Worst comes to worst and she defaults, the bank will repossess the college. But she can still rent it from them."

"Man, I sure hope for both your sakes that doesn't happen."

"I gotta admit, I'm pretty worried about that myself. But you know, the better I get to know her, the more I think if anybody can pull this stunt off, it's Fumie."

Submitted: December 26, 2024

Romance romance japan gaijin travel-in-japan japan-1970s

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B Douglas Slack

Very exciting news for David. Does the tenure system exist in Japanese education, or is such things as professorial levels simply given to deserving educators?

Bill

Fri, January 3rd, 2025 2:21am

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As John tells Dave in Chapter 20, the whole difference depends on whether you're full time or part time. Notice she can fire Brad because he's only part time. But she can't fire Tomoko because she's full time. But also note, she's certainly happy when Tomoko quits because she's getting a divorce.

The problem, I think, is that you're having to read this story bit by bit since you have to wait until I can publish each chapter. If you could read the whole book at ten or so charters at a time, you wouldn't need to ask.

Ken

Fri, January 10th, 2025 11:02pm