Misperceptions and Mis-musings on Academe

In an entry entitled “That’s How We Do It” I gave an erroneous picture of the academic life in modern times. The morning I wrote it, T said it was a misperception because only 10% of academics are granted tenure, and even tenure itself stands on shaky ground these days as some universities are doing away with the track all together. She said most of her colleagues are subject to the grist mill of teaching four classes and uncertainty year to year about their positions. In an email this morning, another academic friend weighs in on my entry saying that it sorely romanticizes the academic life, which in turn leads to misperceptions that professors don’t work hard for the money, or even that there might even be money involved in this endeavor, much less job security. So I stand corrected – my career path has a different rhythm no doubt, but perpetuating the notion that academics live a life of contemplation belies the modern day academic’s life – where publish or perish is met with teaching to a head count that satisfies the bottom line, compensation is thin and job security is even more tenuous. In the meantime, I like this part of the email I received this morning – when I was walking Loca through the park on this amazingly gorgeous spring day (evidenced by the yellow and purple Louisiana irises blooming in harmony along the banks of the lagoon), I was given to think of Faulkner and how he came about naming one of his novels – Light in August – rumor has it he was on his back porch, with a bourbon, and the way the afternoon sunlight danced off the nut colored elixir gave him the title. This is what my friend writes:

But perpetuating the notion is one of the reasons the general public thinks we keep bankers hours, and is also one of the reasons that I have to try to stretch 47 grand over 12 months (barely a living wage these days) and why the starting salary for our new hire in English is 45,000 while that of an assistant professor in marketing is 125,000! Teaching Faulkner just ain’t worth much to the culture, but teaching kids how to display signage at Macy’s will allow one to live pretty well. Ah, those good old laissez faire market values. . .     

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