Anonymous
09/01/2025 16:11
Subject: Help me break into academia
Anonymous wrote:Anonymous wrote:If you could somehow get a grant approved to take with you to a university then they would probably just create a tenured position for you on the spot.
Your ignorance is showing. Tenure lines cost at minimum $2.5M-3M, and they have to be approved from a departmental level, up to deans, the provost, and then a board of trustees before being established. By the time OP manages this, OP will probably be in her mid to late 50s.
OP, you should definitely try adjuncting first. Look through the course catalog for colleges you'd be interested in teaching and see what courses you could teach. You'll need to brush up your CV and come up with sample syllabi. I hope you're up to date on the most recent research because those texts should be included on your syllabus. Look up sample syllabus templates, too - you'l be shocked at how much legalese is required on them now. And for all this work, expect to get paid between $3-5K for a semester-long ucourse.
+1. Tenure is for as long as you live. It’s not like you can get a 100k grant and think they’ll create a tenured position for you.
But try adjunct teaching and see if you like it.
Anonymous
09/01/2025 16:01
Subject: Help me break into academia
Anonymous wrote:If you could somehow get a grant approved to take with you to a university then they would probably just create a tenured position for you on the spot.
Your ignorance is showing. Tenure lines cost at minimum $2.5M-3M, and they have to be approved from a departmental level, up to deans, the provost, and then a board of trustees before being established. By the time OP manages this, OP will probably be in her mid to late 50s.
OP, you should definitely try adjuncting first. Look through the course catalog for colleges you'd be interested in teaching and see what courses you could teach. You'll need to brush up your CV and come up with sample syllabi. I hope you're up to date on the most recent research because those texts should be included on your syllabus. Look up sample syllabus templates, too - you'l be shocked at how much legalese is required on them now. And for all this work, expect to get paid between $3-5K for a semester-long course.
Anonymous
08/31/2025 11:21
Subject: Help me break into academia
Academia is one of the most competitive markets in the country. Entry into tenure track at this point is unlikely unless you have been publishing regularly. However, you can certainly try teaching as an adjunct, possibly at a community college. I'm not sure it will lead to anything full time, but it will give you a chance to look around a bit, and maybe even to get back into the swing of academia.