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MineralMan

(149,221 posts)

28. I made that decision way back in the 1970s.

Reply to zazen (Reply #27)

Wed Oct 23, 2013, 12:15 PM

Oct 2013

It was based on what I observed in the department where I was a grad student. I got to see a lot of stuff I hadn't as an undergraduate, since I was also teaching Freshman Comp classes, so I was sort of semi-faculty. I didn't like what I saw or the politics of the department. After completing my Masters degree courses, I simply stopped bothering and went in another direction.

I had already published a few papers in recognized journals, and got a lot of encouragement to continue, but I just didn't like the environment I'd be working in for many years to come. So, I went solo, and had an interesting career as a magazine writer. Fortunately, I hadn't gotten completely immersed in the academic writing style, so I was able to shift directions fairly easily.

I'm sure things have changed in academia, but I'm out of that environment, so I haven't experienced them.

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What Would an Ideal College Look Like? A Lot Like This [View all] cali Oct 2013 OP

Without tenure, there is no freedom of expression. That part is not a good idea. leveymg Oct 2013 #1

+1. Tenure is ESSENTIAL. n/t Laelth Oct 2013 #4

baloney. they have multi year contracts cali Oct 2013 #5

Tenure is basically a guarantee of lifetime employment. It's essential to free expression leveymg Oct 2013 #10

That's exactly what it is. duffyduff Oct 2013 #30

Perhaps the administration at this college at this kiva Oct 2013 #19

It seems that you don't understand the purpose of tenure. n/t Egalitarian Thug Oct 2013 #20

Furthermore, I would add "tenure" does NOT exist in K-12. duffyduff Oct 2013 #29

Which is a deficit. Tenure is not a "lifetime job" and it's not perfect, Egalitarian Thug Oct 2013 #31

if it's a teaching college, tenure matters less, but I so smell academic capitalism zazen Oct 2013 #6

you're simply wrong. cali Oct 2013 #14

"maybe it really is a non-toxic environment" and "I'm suspicious" zazen Oct 2013 #18

So how do countries such as the UK manage just fine with no concept of "tenure"? Nye Bevan Oct 2013 #8

Do they really? leveymg Oct 2013 #11

That's the intention of tenure, but it isn't always the result. MineralMan Oct 2013 #15

Word gets around about the time-servers. leveymg Oct 2013 #21

Yes, of course. However, tenure is not the do-all it is touted to be. MineralMan Oct 2013 #22

That's no reason to do away with the tenure system. leveymg Oct 2013 #24

Well, since I didn't go into academia, it doesn't really matter to me MineralMan Oct 2013 #25

I'm seeing hard-working tenured folks forced into early retirement now zazen Oct 2013 #27

I made that decision way back in the 1970s. MineralMan Oct 2013 #28

I stopped at "immediately employable" and "no tenure" frazzled Oct 2013 #2

then you stopped too soon. Liberal arts are fundamental to the cali Oct 2013 #7

I didn't say at all they weren't first rate frazzled Oct 2013 #13

that you know family members who don't want to work in far away places cali Oct 2013 #16

I agree, it's a vocational school. LuvNewcastle Oct 2013 #12

not even close to being true. ack. cali Oct 2013 #17

I don't mean to put the place down, cali. LuvNewcastle Oct 2013 #23

this series focusing on Vermont that Jim Fallows and other Atlantic cali Oct 2013 #3

Whoa there. What about athletics? Nye Bevan Oct 2013 #9

1977 University of Vermont graduate here! cilla4progress Oct 2013 #26