November 16, 2005
Getting Off the Burnout Track
I was interviewed by Kendra Hamilton for the just-published article, "Getting Off the Burn-Out Track" -- part of a series about important faculty career trends in the latest issue of Diverse magazine. In the article, Hamilton sheds light on the ramifications of the waning of the tenure-track for academics seeking work. She raises the central question: "How do they strike the balance between the job they need right now and the job that will fulfill the aspirations they came into the field with?" Talking about everything from "freeway faculty" to professors-of-practice in the new academic landscape, the essay gives a sobering snapshot of the realities most grad students will have to face and a realistic reminder of how privileged those of us with tenured positions really are.
See Erin O'Connor's blog entry on "Phasing Out The Tenure System" for more context on this issue in relation to Academic Freedom.
Trackback Pings
You can ping this entry by using .
This is all especially dispiriting in a time when cohesion in departments and their spaces is becoming more and more important. Consider the context of outcomes assessment, where collaborative work with faculty, staff, and students is intense. Ironic in that the work requires teams but the environment and market undercut this collaboration.