uni. prof, ask me anything

[Anonymous]

What's your annual salary? Do you have any other sources of income besides being a uni prof? Do you have tenure or are you on a tenure track?

[Anonymous]

How much you make?

[Anonymous]

Anonymous wrote:are you serious about the non-consensual fraternization policies in place. The days of the predatory professors hopefully being over.

Yes, institutions are really serious about this, and students and faculty both are really serious about this. At the same time, bewilderingly, it still happens. Surprise, hormones, bad judgment, and lack of self-restraint by predatory (mostly) males seems endemic. But it is way, way harder to get away with this now. The tough situations are when you have an undergrad falling apart, weeping, needing some level of just god-damned human comfort, and you have to worry about leaving your door open, asking a female colleague to come help, for fear that something gets misinterpreted. Sigh.

[Anonymous]

Anonymous wrote:

Anonymous wrote:How many years have you been teaching?

What changes have you seen in students over the years?

I taught a number of years during grad school at a big research uni (not my own), three years at my phd institution (top of the top) and then 13 years where I am now.

Overall, the students seem to have greater pressure to succeed financially. At the same time, the paths to that success are much more diverse. 15 years ago, it was clear tracks to big consulting firms, or banks, or other similarly defined institutions. Now the tech bulge has blown all that up. There are students who think they can do startups, live in the Maldives, and make billions.

Overall, students' abilities to interpret texts and analyze ideas has PLUMMETED.

They seem afraid. Honestly afraid that the world is on the precipice of falling apart.

At the same time, I'm honestly blown away by how much intellectual ability many of them have. If it can be shaped and directed in good ways, we have some hope for the future.

Also, general note: I see a substantial difference between student abilities coming out of private schools and out of public schools (esp. in the ability to read/interpret, think analytically, and in level of confidence). There are some standout public school students, but the numbers of top private school students outweigh the numbers of public school students (caveat: total anecdotal evidence from my own limited experience, but it's been consistently the case over 20 years).

Remember that those private school kids came from an advantaged upbringing to begin with.

[Anonymous]

Anonymous wrote:How much you make?

$175. More than a ditch digger, about what my plumber makes. Some days I think he has the better gig.

[Anonymous]

Do you know the Fly Jammy?

[Anonymous]

I liked this thread more when I thought you were a woman.

[Anonymous]

Anonymous wrote:How often are parents of students actually contacting you? I hear so much about it and am not sure if it’s a rare thing that gets talked about a lot or if it is actually common..

I've never had a parent contact me in 20 years of teaching.
That said, I've been in situations, (running a center, etc.) where I've had to deal with a dicey situation with a student/staff conflict, and it's been very apparent to me (phd and trained in law), that a parent *and/or* a lawyer was clearly coaching the student. I've had colleagues who have parents call/email. DON'T DO THIS. Your kid is an adult and has to handle it as such.

[Anonymous]

Anonymous wrote:I liked this thread more when I thought you were a woman.

I'm a humanities prof. My gender is constructed, and you can construct it any way you want.

[Anonymous]

Anonymous wrote:

Anonymous wrote:are you serious about the non-consensual fraternization policies in place. The days of the predatory professors hopefully being over.

Yes, institutions are really serious about this, and students and faculty both are really serious about this. At the same time, bewilderingly, it still happens. Surprise, hormones, bad judgment, and lack of self-restraint by predatory (mostly) males seems endemic. But it is way, way harder to get away with this now. The tough situations are when you have an undergrad falling apart, weeping, needing some level of just god-damned human comfort, and you have to worry about leaving your door open, asking a female colleague to come help, for fear that something gets misinterpreted. Sigh.

Good to hear this is taken seriously now.
Now.
I appreciate your respect and sensitivity.
I can tell you the damage is real.
Having to ask a colleague to come help is a minor issue - happens in all sorts of settings.
Again, appreciate you respecting the issue.

[Anonymous]

Anonymous wrote:I don’t have any questions.

that's okay! you can sit in the back and watch quietly while your classmates run circles around you, and you won't get the strongest recs, and you'll not get into the top (or any) law or med schools.

[Anonymous]

Are you pressured to give top grades to top athletes who never bother to show up for your class?

[Anonymous]

Anonymous wrote:

Anonymous wrote:are you serious about the non-consensual fraternization policies in place. The days of the predatory professors hopefully being over.

Yes, institutions are really serious about this, and students and faculty both are really serious about this. At the same time, bewilderingly, it still happens. Surprise, hormones, bad judgment, and lack of self-restraint by predatory (mostly) males seems endemic. But it is way, way harder to get away with this now. The tough situations are when you have an undergrad falling apart, weeping, needing some level of just god-damned human comfort, and you have to worry about leaving your door open, asking a female colleague to come help, for fear that something gets misinterpreted. Sigh.

This is where I constructed your gender as "male". Actually, you did that. Sigh.

[Anonymous]

Anonymous wrote:

Anonymous wrote:

Anonymous wrote:are you serious about the non-consensual fraternization policies in place. The days of the predatory professors hopefully being over.

Yes, institutions are really serious about this, and students and faculty both are really serious about this. At the same time, bewilderingly, it still happens. Surprise, hormones, bad judgment, and lack of self-restraint by predatory (mostly) males seems endemic. But it is way, way harder to get away with this now. The tough situations are when you have an undergrad falling apart, weeping, needing some level of just god-damned human comfort, and you have to worry about leaving your door open, asking a female colleague to come help, for fear that something gets misinterpreted. Sigh.

Good to hear this is taken seriously now.
Now.
I appreciate your respect and sensitivity.
I can tell you the damage is real.
Having to ask a colleague to come help is a minor issue - happens in all sorts of settings.
Again, appreciate you respecting the issue.

I would say that when I started, it was becoming recognized as a problem, but it was widespread enough even while it was kind of under the radar. Now, the radar is way more intense, people talk way more about such issues, and there is much more of a culture of protection for undergrads.

[Anonymous]

Anonymous wrote:

Anonymous wrote:

Anonymous wrote:How many years have you been teaching?

What changes have you seen in students over the years?

I taught a number of years during grad school at a big research uni (not my own), three years at my phd institution (top of the top) and then 13 years where I am now.

Overall, the students seem to have greater pressure to succeed financially. At the same time, the paths to that success are much more diverse. 15 years ago, it was clear tracks to big consulting firms, or banks, or other similarly defined institutions. Now the tech bulge has blown all that up. There are students who think they can do startups, live in the Maldives, and make billions.

Overall, students' abilities to interpret texts and analyze ideas has PLUMMETED.

They seem afraid. Honestly afraid that the world is on the precipice of falling apart.

At the same time, I'm honestly blown away by how much intellectual ability many of them have. If it can be shaped and directed in good ways, we have some hope for the future.

Also, general note: I see a substantial difference between student abilities coming out of private schools and out of public schools (esp. in the ability to read/interpret, think analytically, and in level of confidence). There are some standout public school students, but the numbers of top private school students outweigh the numbers of public school students (caveat: total anecdotal evidence from my own limited experience, but it's been consistently the case over 20 years).

Remember that those private school kids came from an advantaged upbringing to begin with.

By private do you mean Catholic and christian schools as well? These are generally that much more expense/have many financial aide students.