Summertime Goals

Dean’s Update, August 2022

August greetings everyone! One of my summertime goals this year was to sketch out an FCEA course calendar for 2023. The draft is now finished.

New student cohorts and more advanced-level classes await us in the months ahead! But we are about to begin Virgo season and how perfect as I fine-tune the FCEA course landscape. I can’t help but think, “It’s all in the details!” So, I am working with our staff to provide a schedule that will enable us to grow at a steady pace, and yet still provide the breathing room students, staff and tutors need.
This past year, we planned a tight, rigorous calendar of courses that I know at times caused a few people to voice concern for some rest, a chance to absorb and review. As I write, Uranus, Mars and the north node sit together in the sky in the sign of Taurus.

How can we spark change and fresh insights, so we can better take care of ourselves and find relaxation and peace, while studying and learning with commitment and passion?

One immediate fix that comes to mind is making sure to increase the number of weeks between each course offering. In 2023, the FCEA calendar includes a break of at least two weeks before students start the next course. We know many are enthusiastic to jump into the next stage of studies with Steven and the tutors. But we also know sometimes the workload seems heavy and the material is a lot to process in a short time. Extra time offers all of us a chance to pace ourselves. Nothing wrong with taking stock of where we are at! After all, we are evolutionary astrologers, right? The FCEA staff can use this additional time too. It allows for more efficient transitions between classes and time to complete course preparation and registration.

I also frequently hear from students wanting a summer and holiday recess. Of course! Many take holidays and breaks on their own from classes when needed. But official holiday time is also doable and it makes sense. Since the FCEA opened in 2021, we recognized a break in December and January is a must! This year, final assignments and exams in most fall classes end by late November. Our last course to finish in 2022 will be FCEA 202, ending on December 1st. We will have a Solstice gathering and the last Member Q and A call of the year in early December, so we can wind down the school year by December 9th. The first week of January is Steven’s birthday, so we extended the holiday season through to January 11th. There will be plenty of time for a family vacation, even after New Year’s Day. At the end of 2023, we have built into the calendar a similar break to enjoy the yuletide season and New Year celebrations.
In spring of 2023, we continue with a robust schedule to get everyone working hard for that well-earned summer break end of August! No classes will be in session after August 24th until mid-September. Three weeks of self-study, reflection and time away from the online classroom will give all of us at the FCEA a moment to stop, breathe, and reconnect with what our goals and desires are for our education and where we are going as astrologers and counselors. In order to accommodate these changes and to schedule our growing number of student cohorts, 300-level orientation calls will be scheduled on Fridays beginning in 2023.
I am so excited for these new adjustments to our busy school calendar. I wish everyone a richly rewarding Virgo “Back-to-School.” I look forward to seeing many of you in our five FCEA course openings in the weeks ahead. Yes, five! And please take the time to welcome (on one of our Zoom calls, perhaps in the chatroom!), our next new student cohort joining us at the 100-level in early September. Blessings!

Catie Cadge, PhD
August 2022