Chapter 17: Tentative Corporate Buy-in to Dan's Plan

When Dan arrived back at his office, Katie told him that Marvin had come by looking for him about ten minutes after he had left and asked that Dan see him when he got back from lunch. He thanked her and went directly to Marvin’s office.

“Come in, come in,” Marvin said before Dan had a chance to knock on the half-open door, motioning for him to enter. “I spoke to Benjamin Melamed and he seemed receptive to the idea of changing out one of the labs per your suggestion, but he wants his information technology guy to take a look at the PC clone since he has doubts about the low price. Upinder will be here by 10:00 a.m. on Monday to take a look at the computer. If he approves, we’ll have the go-ahead to make the exchange contingent on your being able to get State Ed approval for the new program and related courses. He doesn’t want to put the cart before the horse.”

I guess that’s good news a far as it goes, but it could take some time to get the approval of State Ed. One of the labs currently is being used exclusively for typing drills, isn’t it? And Jaime uses it for formatting and copying disks and the like? That could be done on the PCs. I know we’re using software that comes with one of the typing books and I can verify that it’s available for the PC as well as for the Apple. I can’t imagine that wouldn’t be the case. So, there’s nothing to lose by upgrading now anyway, if the equipment passes muster.”

“Dan, I know you’re eager to update the equipment, but understand that the Melameds don’t really see the need except for the new program you are proposing. If I can get them to agree and the program does not fly, they are going to be pissed off and it will reflect on you. They can be mercurial, and today’s happy dance can be tomorrow’s farewell waltz if you end up not being able to deliver. You are better off under-promising and over-delivering. Trust me on that.”

“I appreciate your trying to protect me,” and yourself, he thought but did not say. “But whether I can get the new program and courses approved or not, having PCs instead of aging Apple computers should be a selling point for prospective students and will give me much more flexibility as to integration of newer software into the classrooms. The new Macs are rarely used in business at this point, and I for one doubt that the technology will catch on any time soon because of their higher cost and more limited software offerings. Anyway, new Macs would cost a bundle. But essentially free PCs? Come on, they have to have already fully depreciated both labs long ago.

“Look, Dan. I’ll think about it, but I don’t think it is wise and Upinder doesn’t think it will fly with them. You’ve convinced them of the revenue potential of your new program idea, and if they now think you’re just using that to get a new lab and that you may not be as interested or committed to getting the new program approved, it will backfire on you. I know how they think. I gave them all the reasons I think getting the program approved would be highly unlikely when they called me last Monday. I for one am not going to over promise and under-deliver” There it was, Dan thought, honesty at last. He appreciated that.

“All right, Marvin. It’s your decision ultimately but be aware that if this is as good a deal as I believe it is, it may not be available if we have to put off a decision for months on end. That’s my only concern.”

“I will think about it, Dan. I just don’t want to invite the wrath of the Melameds. You’ve only seen their charming and enchanted side. Trust me that you do not want to see their disappointed and pissed off side.”

“I understand, Marvin. Really, I do. For my part I will do everything I can to get the new proposal to SED as soon as possible. I plan on working at it through the weekend from home. Can you give me a copy of at least one successful proposal that SED has approved in the past? Any of our current programs should be a useful guide.”

“Sure. I’ll make copies of the last two approved and will walk them to your office before I leave today at around 5:00 p.m. Is that all right?”

“That would be perfect, Marvin. Thank you. Meantime, I’d better get back to work. Katie, by the way, is a huge help. How many hours a day can she work for me?” Dan asked while getting up to leave.

“You can have her for four hour, the usual half day Monday through Friday. And I will approve reasonable overtime on your request when and if you need her to work longer.”

“That’s perfect. Four hours a day should do. Is her schedule up to me?”

“Sure, just have her punch in for any time that works best for you. And let me know if you need her to work overtime.”

Giving his thanks again, Dan left Marvin’s office and headed for his own where Katie was still hard at work. When he got there, he consulted the list of publishers’ representatives Mr. Chang had given him and called the two that provided the office technology titles currently used at PEMTI. As he had expected, the typing simulation drill books and software were available for the PC as well as the Apple IIe at the same price. He requested desk copies of the titles in question and was told he would have them by Monday. He emphasized that it was important he receive them by 10:00 a.m. on Monday, and the sales rep said she would overnight them to him. The school bought enough books from these and other publishers to make such small concessions ones the sales reps were only too happy to make.

As 5:00 p.m. approached, Dan turned his attention to Katie who had been clicking away at her keyboard without making conversation or asking questions since he had returned from lunch.

“You can wind down, Katie. I’ll take over. Your shift is about done.”

“I’m almost done, just need another half hour or so,” she said.

“Let me call Marvin before he leaves for the day and get his approval to have you work another hour today,” Dan said, picking up his phone to make the call.

“No,” Katie responded quickly, stopping her typing for a moment and turning to meet Dan’s eyes. “This is on me, not a biggie. I just need a little more time and want to complete the project before I leave. It will be less than a half hour, and I’m happy to do it.”

“O.k.,” Dan said. “Just start a half hour later tomorrow and I’ll o.k. it on your time card.”

“Nope,” she insisted. “I’ll do this on my own time . . . just want to finish what I start.”

“I appreciate it, Katie. But I won’t let you do this on a regular basis. I’m sure you're paid little enough as it is, and I want you to get compensated for your work.”

“No worries, dad,” she quipped. “Just let me do my thing. I’m not a clock watcher and I like what I’m doing. It’s fun.”

Dan smiled, though she could not see it as she had once again turned her attention to her work and was happily clicking away at her keyboard. “She’s a remarkable young woman,” Dan thought to himself. “I hope I can do right by her.”

As promised, right on cue about twenty five minutes past her shift, she was done and turned to Dan rising from her chair. “The portion of the spreadsheet with three-years of teaching assignments is done. You should be able to print out a report by faculty member or by program. I took the liberty of adding a column immediately after each faculty member’s name for the program in which they teach thinking you might like to be able to run reports not just by faculty member but also by program so that you can get a listing of all available teachers for any of the current programs and the courses they have taught for the current year and the previous two years. If you don’t want that, I can delete it,” she added, taking her purse and waiting for Dan’s response.

“No, that’s perfect, Katie. Thank you. I was planning on printing out a listing for each faculty member and then manually using only what I needed for each program, but that will help . . . should have done it myself. Thanks again.”

“No prob,” she said. I’ll see you tomorrow. And with that, she was out of the office as Dan smiled watching her leave. He then sat on the warm seat she had just vacated and created his first report, pulling all the faculty members who have taught in the COS program with all the classes they had taught over the past three years. After that, he went to work creating a spreadsheet with the courses required for each period and the available rooms based on the rooms in use at present by the graduating class. Once that was done, he turned to the task of matching faculty to the required courses, trying to give them schedules similar to their current schedules where possible and making sure there was at least one faculty member with a free period in every time slot for temporary substitute duty where needed. The entire process kept him busy past 9:00 p.m., but he was done and had a working schedule before leaving for the day. Tomorrow would be a short day, since he needed to buy and prepare the food for the faculty meeting day after tomorrow. He was very tired but exhilarated as well. He had wrapped things up nicely after his full second day of work, thanks in no small part to his new secretary. That brought another smile to his face as he got his things together and walked out.

When he got home, he called his girlfriend whom he knew would be eagerly waiting for his call. He had not had a chance to check in with her from work, and he knew she would worry about his long days and subway ride and walk home. She knew his Jackson Heights neighborhood was still relatively safe, but also knew there had been some significant changes for the worse in recent years due in part to the drugs and drug dealers that had begun to permeate the area encouraged by lax policing by mayors who cared a lot more about criminal rights than victim rights, something that would not change in New York City until Mayor Giuliani took the reins of City Hall, and even then starting in the mid 1990’s when Rudy Giuliani began a serious effort to clean up New York City crime through a zero-tolerance policy towards both petty and serious crime, his own neighborhood would continue to get worse as drugs and prostitution moved from Times Square and other Manhattan locations to the outer boroughs where neighborhood policing would remain more lax and criminals freer to ply their trades.

After talking with Linda for the better part of an hour while he cooked and consumed a simple meal of hot dogs and salad, he called his parents and checked in with them as well prior to turning in, answering their myriad questions about his day and trying to reassure them that the long hours would just be temporary, while hoping himself that would in fact be true.