I've read this a day or so after walking into the last class of the semester, and I notice the thickness I feel, the futility I feel, the numbness I feel. A million thoughts, as usual, so let me snatch a few and try to say something. First, I went to Hampshire College, and I naively think that it might still be able to offer students a different experience, some growth, routes into 'self agency' and intellectual depth. [But I don't have kids and am not a parent, so I have a different POV I guess.] Then I started thinking about the dominate-ing-ly heavy heavy burnout I cannot shake, mostly due to laboring in academia. The 'never enoughness' of current professoring feels like an acid corroding me, de-etching my ability to think, remember anything, "rest," read anything scholarly, or write anything at all besides emails and administrivial reports.
[See my above remark about not being a parent...obviously I have viscerally reacted to the rest of your email/interview/article, where you and Josh share reflections about the pushes out of academia.]
Oh my, "administrivial"--what a perfect portmanteau. I'm sorry the end of the semester is hitting you so hard, and hope this summer will be restorative. And I hope you are right about Hampshire College!
I'm still in higher ed, though not in a campus role, and am watching as my son begins to navigate college planning (as a 10th grader). He's very clear that he intends to go to college and given that his (current) chosen career requires a college degree, I don't have qualms about him going to school. He wants to be a high school history teacher and I think he'll be a good one but I'm also really clear with him about how much debt I think he should take on to accomplish that goal. As much as having a traditional, residential, liberal arts undergrad experience felt essential to me at his age, I'd be thrilled if he decided to start at a community college first to save some money.
I'm so glad that this conversation is resonating, Liz! I do worry about turning into a curmudgeon before my time, but I think that the challenges we discuss here are real, and people need to talk about them. Thanks again for the collaboration 😊
I loved this conversation. I'm so glad I found your Substack via Josh's post. As I commented on his, I returned to higher ed nearly 7 years ago after 10 years away, only to find that everything has changed. I’m not on tenure track, thankfully, and now I have a son attending the same university where I teach. His perspective has been such a valuable lens on the young people that I teach and the institution where I work. I’ve jotted six pages of notes in response to your conversation so rather than subject them to you here I will probably be writing a post on this soon. I'm very skittish about academia and have never really played the game unless it suited me. And I have the job security to prove it (ha! one-year contracts is the best they can do w/ us).
Honestly, I'm still thinking about what you said about revising your course to center plants' utility for solving human problem. I recently revised my seminar and I felt that.
Oh, I DID do that! I had to unlearn that devaluatoin of application, and embrace what was motivating to students rather than what was motivating to me. But I couldn't help but feel a little unhappy at doing so!
I've read this a day or so after walking into the last class of the semester, and I notice the thickness I feel, the futility I feel, the numbness I feel. A million thoughts, as usual, so let me snatch a few and try to say something. First, I went to Hampshire College, and I naively think that it might still be able to offer students a different experience, some growth, routes into 'self agency' and intellectual depth. [But I don't have kids and am not a parent, so I have a different POV I guess.] Then I started thinking about the dominate-ing-ly heavy heavy burnout I cannot shake, mostly due to laboring in academia. The 'never enoughness' of current professoring feels like an acid corroding me, de-etching my ability to think, remember anything, "rest," read anything scholarly, or write anything at all besides emails and administrivial reports.
[See my above remark about not being a parent...obviously I have viscerally reacted to the rest of your email/interview/article, where you and Josh share reflections about the pushes out of academia.]
Oh my, "administrivial"--what a perfect portmanteau. I'm sorry the end of the semester is hitting you so hard, and hope this summer will be restorative. And I hope you are right about Hampshire College!
I'm still in higher ed, though not in a campus role, and am watching as my son begins to navigate college planning (as a 10th grader). He's very clear that he intends to go to college and given that his (current) chosen career requires a college degree, I don't have qualms about him going to school. He wants to be a high school history teacher and I think he'll be a good one but I'm also really clear with him about how much debt I think he should take on to accomplish that goal. As much as having a traditional, residential, liberal arts undergrad experience felt essential to me at his age, I'd be thrilled if he decided to start at a community college first to save some money.
Yes! We didn't really touch on finances in our conversation, but that's a whole conversation on it's own. As you well know!
I'm so glad that this conversation is resonating, Liz! I do worry about turning into a curmudgeon before my time, but I think that the challenges we discuss here are real, and people need to talk about them. Thanks again for the collaboration 😊
Always! Curmudgeons unite!
😂
I loved this conversation. I'm so glad I found your Substack via Josh's post. As I commented on his, I returned to higher ed nearly 7 years ago after 10 years away, only to find that everything has changed. I’m not on tenure track, thankfully, and now I have a son attending the same university where I teach. His perspective has been such a valuable lens on the young people that I teach and the institution where I work. I’ve jotted six pages of notes in response to your conversation so rather than subject them to you here I will probably be writing a post on this soon. I'm very skittish about academia and have never really played the game unless it suited me. And I have the job security to prove it (ha! one-year contracts is the best they can do w/ us).
Oh wow! I'm glad you are here. And really look forward to hearing your perspective on all this.
Honestly, I'm still thinking about what you said about revising your course to center plants' utility for solving human problem. I recently revised my seminar and I felt that.
Oh, I DID do that! I had to unlearn that devaluatoin of application, and embrace what was motivating to students rather than what was motivating to me. But I couldn't help but feel a little unhappy at doing so!