Professor C (camren)

16 - Jauregui (Part 1)

Those details, Lauren endorses to the panel of other instructors and officials of the college, who will ultimately decide if the candidate will be awarded the permanent position.

"Prof. Mueller." Smiling, Lauren stood up to properly acknowledge the dashing gentleman with gray hair, offering her hand to shake his. "How are you, sir?"

"I am doing, well, Miss Lauren. How about yourself?" Professor Mueller chuckled, vigorously jolting Lauren's hand as if he was salvaging the last contents of his salt shaker.

"I've been good. Thank you, professor." Lauren retracted her hand and extended it towards the chairs by her desk. "Please, have a seat."

"Oh, thank you." He expressed gratefully, pressing both hands against his chest and successively lifted a hand to push his glasses up the bridge of his nose. "You know, old folk. We need to rest the knees."

"You don't look a day over 50, sir." Lauren insisted with a small chuckle, sauntering over to her own seat, leaving a significantly impressed professor behind.

"I didn't know young women could swoon me."

Lauren personally thought Prof. Mueller deserved the tenure. If not, he would make a great addition to the officials of the college as vice-chairman. She was certain that the man would effectively represent not just the faculty but also the student body, who all seem to adore him. Prof. Mueller is level-headed and sensibly offers his overwhelmingly impressive opinions. He is experienced in his field of work and is a genuine person and friend to many of his colleagues. Apart from that, the man has published numerous books as a product of his research, and lengthy and prolific professional experiences.

"So," Lauren huffed as she adjusted in her seat, dragging it closer to her desk. "You were informed of the reason for your visit to my office, right?"

"Yes, Miss Lauren. The tenure, am I correct?"

"Yes, professor." She lifted her left arm to check the time, taking note of her guest's class schedules. "And I understand you have a class in 40 minutes. So, we will make this quick. Shall we get started?"

"Sure. But start with the hard ones." Prof. Mueller jested, unbuttoning his coat to be more comfortable in his seat.

"I don't think there are hard questions, sir." Lauren reasoned despite comprehending the lighthearted tone. She leaned towards the table, clasping her hands together as she mustered her best serious tone. "We're going to see if a marriage between you and the college will last a working-lifetime. A panel will look into your credentials while I focus on something more-"

"More psychological competence." He finished for her, earning raised brows from Lauren.

"I would commend you on your observation, professor but you already know that." Lauren grinned, shaking her head in amusement. She cleared her throat, hoping to begin the more serious conversation that was the intention of the professor's presence in her office. "I would first like to ask about what will change should the tenure be awarded to you, professor?"

"Well, I don't think there will be much change apart from my platform." He answered truthfully, inquisitively looking up as he reached to scratch at his stubble beneath his jaw. He then shrugged, glancing at Lauren. "I will most definitely have the same opinions but I may have a responsibility to raise the concerns that most of my colleagues cannot in the fear of losing their jobs. Some employees would rather have the reassurance that they could keep their means to feed their families or sustain their quality of living despite grievances that will probably never surface and reach the ears of those who could make a change."

Lauren was quite impressed with Prof. Mueller's answer despite expecting nothing less. There was a reason why he was well-loved but for it to be reaffirmed by the sincerest of words, Lauren was just about ready to write a recommendation letter.