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[quote=Anonymous][quote=Anonymous][quote=Anonymous]Profs in many academic areas are living the life! Pre-tenure is pressure packed but you have academic freedom, schedule flexibility, and summers that are focused on research (hopefully with a little relaxation).
Depending on your area, there are opportunities to consult or speak for a fee too.[/quote]

I'm a tenured professor, doing what I decided I wanted to do when I was a teenager.  I still think it's the best job in the world, but I have to admit that right now many of us are very, very stressed and tired.  The real challenges come from the constantly shifting responsibility sets and the total lack of boundaries.  Even though we definitely do have schedule flexibility in terms of where and when we work, the quantity of things that need attention means that like some other professions we work evenings, weekends, early mornings, breaks, and, as PP correctly notes, summers, always trying to fit the non-salaried activity ( = research, for those of us who are not in grant-funded disciplines) in around the edges of the needs of our students and of our own families.  Add to that the fact that many tenured faculty now have responsibilities that would years ago have been fulfilled by professional staff colleagues, and that we are often the front line for student problems in an era when the students are genuinely in need of increased help and support, and you have an extremely diverse cycle of responsibilities that kind of never ends.  The things that others have said on here about higher ed are also very true: the field itself is changing rapidly, and the problems and pressures that folks hear about in the media or from friends are real.

I don't make a 6-figure salary myself and don't stand a chance of getting near that point for many years to come.  I could make a lot more money doing something else.  But this is still a pretty great way to make a living, and I dedicated most of my youth to qualifying for it and earning a position (I finished my PhD after 30, as others have noted here, even though I never took time out from school - I'm in a 'slow' field).  It was worth it to me.

I deal with the worst of the problems by asking myself in any difficult situation what is best for the _students_, not the faculty or the institution.  After all, we are paid to be there.  The students, on the other hand, want us to help them build a future, and we owe them the best we can summon even when we are exhausted.[/quote]

OP here.  As a parent of high school students, one a junior, I am grateful for this and all the other thoughtful responses.  Your dedication to students is deeply appreciated.  I share your sense that all students really need extra support now.  I'm trying my best to guide my kids to college readiness as a parent, but sometimes I also feel the general sense of malaise and overwhelm that is making us all feel tired and stressed.

The application process is daunting but we earnestly are trying our best to find strong fit schools.  It was so much simpler when I applied.  I visited a few schools, applied to one school, was accepted ED, and loved my time there.

The business side of colleges seems to be taking a stronger role now.  Intense marketing , rankings chasing/yield management, adding facilities, wellness offerings etc seem to be high institutional priorities.

Reframing my initial question:  do you have suggested ways for families to get a sense of effective leadership/balancing institutional priorities well? As PP asked, how to go about identifying schools with low faculty turnover?

Also, is there a recommended way to observe student attitudes/motivation and identify high class/community engagement?  Are professors open to prospective kids sitting in a class (with permission by email) for example?  Thanks!

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