Is This Living? A Survey on Life Before Tenure

[Thorpe@scf.usc.edu (Anne Thorpe)]

Is This Living?  A Survey on Life Before Tenure

* A first-year graduate student was counseled by the department's graduate
adviser that in order to survive a rigorous Ph.D. program she would need to
"be a nun for the next four years."

* A lecturer (married, with two young children) teaching composition on a
temporary but renewable appointment at a university in Los Angeles was
counseled by the chair of the department to buy a futon and live in his
office until he finished his dissertation.

* When a Ph.D. candidate informed one of her professors that she and her
husband were planning to have a second child in the coming year, the
professor responded derisively:  "You want to have another one?"

* One graduate student who took a leave of absence to travel around the
world was advised by a professor to claim that she was making the trip in
order to research at several libraries in Europe.

These statements and others I've collected from graduate students and
untenured faculty members in the Los Angeles area seem to suggest that
academics must become (or pose as) workaholics if they are to succeed
professionally.  Some of the people I surveyed wondered if perhaps they
weren't suited for academic life, or at least not if they must postpone
personal fulfillment until they've their finished their dissertations,
gotten jobs, and been awarded tenure (in all, often a ten-year process at
minimum). These reports indicate a prevailing climate of self-denial which
may or may not reflect the real or necessary demands of academia.

I'm hoping to broaden the scope of this survey for a presentation I'll be
making at the CCCC next month.  As I mentioned, the survey so far has been
limited to graduate students and untenured faculty members in Southern
California.  I'd like to find out if these statements are representative of
the experiences of graduate students, teachers and professors around the
country.  Have most of you also been told that such single-mindedness is
necessary in this profession?  In your experience, has this really been
necessary?  Have you found ways to balance a personal life with a
professional one?  If so, how?  I'm hoping that this survey will help
assess the quality of academic life today--and, if necessary, point out
ways to improve it.

The survey follows.  I would greatly appreciate your participation in this
study.  And, because I can't afford mass-mailing, I would appreciate your
passing this survey on to anyone who considers themselves to be part of the
"profession"--which I'm defining as those who teach English (composition or
literature), run writing programs or writing centers at the post-secondary
level.  I won't be using your name or e-mail address, but I would encourage
you to take whatever steps you feel are necessary to ensure anonymity.
Please return completed surveys to me at:

thorpe@scf.usc.edu          or

Anne Thorpe
Department of English, MC-0354
University of Southern California
University Park
Los Angeles, CA  90089-0354


SURVEY

1. Number of years in this profession (including graduate school):
2. Age:
3. Sex:
4. Current Position:
5. Please describe the position (e.g., is it full-time? tenured? staff or
faculty? are you a graduate student? what courses do you teach? how many do
you teach each year? how many years have you been employed in this
position?):


6. Name of college/university/organization and location:
Briefly describe the college/university/organization (e.g., large community
college in an urban setting, small liberal arts college, research
university in a mid-sized city) and the sort of student it generally
attracts:


7. Highest degree attained and year completed (or anticipated date of
completion):


8. Are you single/married/divorced/living with someone?  Number of years?


9. Do you have any children?  If so, how many?  What are their ages?  Did
you have them before, during or after graduate school?  If you don't have
children, do you plan to?  When?


10. Do you believe that a successful academic career requires excessive
sacrifice?  Please explain why or why not.  If yes, what kinds of
sacrifices must be made?


11. Would you say that most of your colleagues or superiors share this
belief?  Please explain why or why not.


12. Have you received any advice about the lifestyle this profession
requires?  If yes, please paraphrase the comment below.  Describe the
context in which this advice was given (was it solicited? who gave it to
you? when?)


13. What effect, if any, did this advice have on you?


14. Have you encountered any negative reactions from colleagues or
superiors to any personal decisions you've made?  Please detail both the
decision(s) and the reactions that you received.


15. Have you altered your career plans at all because of the sacrifices
some positions seem to demand?  Please explain.


16. Any additional comments?









Anne Thorpe
Department of English, MC-0354
University of Southern California
Los Angeles, CA  90089