I joked about my #newyearsresolution a few days ago, but jokes aside, I do have a real #resolution and I think it is worth sharing.
So here it is: my 2023 #newyearsresolution is to become a #renaissanceProf. What do I mean by that? The 1960s, 70s, and 80s were a slower time with objectively lower expectations for professors. Classes were smaller and so were budgets. The pace of publishing was more manageable and overall people seemed to engage in more deep though, synthesis, and reflection.
The hectic pace and toxic productivity of #academia has transformed the professoriate into manic information capitalists.
I was reading #PollutionIsColonialism by @maxliboiron and encountered the concept of extractive reading, which really resonated. I want to sit with texts, not mine them for valuable nuggets. I want to build good relations with my students, mentors and research partners. I want to lay deep, thoughtful academic roots. I want to spend more time lifting people up than climbing to the summit of some achievement mountain. I want to focus on the parts of the job that nourish me.
In the pre-tenure slog I grew my research program like a cancer, always afraid to say “no.” Convinced I had to seize every opportunity and constantly prove my worth. And now I have brought in millions in research money, graduated >20 grad students, published >60 papers, expanded my lab footprint, and been promoted. And you know what? It still doesn’t feel successful enough. It never will. Because there is no end to the academic rat race (except burnout or retirement if that arrives first)
I’ve long sought a way to ramp down my research program to something more sustainable. But the only path seemed to be curmudgeonhood and bad Dept relations. You know this model; your department has one. The prof who avoids all service except for prestige roles and is so aggressively terrible at teaching that their classes are tiny and made degree optional. They’re like the academic honey badger who just does what they want and collegiality be damned. I don’t want that. I want good relations.
I was reading Sarah Cooley’s blog about how #professor identity and #selfworth gets tangled up in the job, and how the issue is more profound than a lack of work-life balance. She described it as an #addiction: being on an #achievementbender. Just like a drug, the successes have to keep getting bigger to even register. The highs are brief and the hustle is all you really have. Check it out: https://sarah-cooley.com/blog/2023/1/2/academia-identity-and-self-worth-a-reflection-on-2022
But how can I - post tenure - practically ramp down and realign my research program with my values without becoming an academic honey badger OR quitting a life-long achievement addiction cold turkey? I can’t just decide not to try to do my best.
I must realign my goals and set new success criteria that I commit to #celebrate in meaningful ways.
I need to not apply for all the grants, say no to potentially excellent grad students and interesting side projects. Engage less, but more deeply
By working through your holidays you’re piling up work for staff and colleagues who return from their #holidays to a flood of emails, meeting requests, things to review! You’re contributing to norms that oblige early career researchers to work through their holidays! It never occurred to me before today the real depth of my complicity. I’m resolved to becoming a #RenaissanceProf to save my sanity and find more joy and meaning in my work. But I hope it makes it easier for others to #CalmDown too
@girls_can thanks for sharing this
Im still pre promotion, but feeling and struggling with similar things
And something has to change, or the burnout will get me
@RallidaeRule I definitely felt I had to stick it out and play along until tenure. But I guess the epiphany post-tenure was that it’s hard to slow down, even after tenure. The drive to keep growing runs deep. The imposter syndrome doesn’t go away. The addiction to success and acclaim is stronger than ever. And you have built up SO 👏MUCH 👏MOMENTUM👏 (like a run away train).
@girls_can @RallidaeRule
I’m sad because this made me think of my professor friend who died last year, months before overdue retirement.
He wanted to finish one last project. Important because bringing education to prisoners, and it died with him, but still ... 😢
@EricLawton @girls_can oh that is very sad, im so sorry Eric.
The work never ends, no matter how fast we do it or how much we take on
And the need is often so huge! Its so tough
@RallidaeRule @EricLawton such good point that a key motivation in our overwork is that our research is important. We are passionate about our subjects of study and believe our work can make a difference. Not to be grandiose, but we’re in twined biodiversity and climate crises during a generational pandemic with epic inflation, a cost of living crisis, an opioid crisis, and democracy is under threat! How can we slow down the face of so much urgent need?
@EricLawton @RallidaeRule I’m sorry Eric. It’s true the work never ends. We need to find the pleasure and purpose in the journey and take time to revel and reward ourselves. I feel like the tenure process made me lose sight of that and I want to change tracks and get back a sense of gratitude for what is honestly an amazing career.
@EricLawton @girls_can @RallidaeRule My dad, emeritus prof, just cleaned out his office a few weeks ago and is still working on his final paper. At 82. I love what I do but I’ve watched that play out and I don’t want to go that route. I hope I can find ways to continue to make positive change (environment, scholarship, mentoring…) until the day I can’t due to health or death. But I don’t think that necessarily involves an academic framework.
@dezene @EricLawton @RallidaeRule congratulations to your Dad on his retirement. It sounds like you have a strong sense of your own values and goals, which is crucial to happiness. I want to take time to reflect on mine.
@girls_can @girls_can let me just forward this study to our admins along with our perpetual request for the university to fund more graduate students and post docs
@VolkerRudolf yeah, haha. “Fund more students so I can better compete in the publishing market with a subsidized labour force like the Ivys” wasn’t my first thought but 1) it’s a compelling argument for admin and 2) we really DO need to pay PDFs and grad students much better https://www.supportourscience.ca/. Go for it!
@girls_can I have to admit that I didn’t think about the competition part lol. More University fellowships would actually take pressure off faculty & give them time to do the actual science & more time mentoring instead of constantly having to write proposals to find money to allow young scientists do their work. It would also increase scientific independence of students & posts docs & hopefully result in better pay …
@VolkerRudolf I think it’s a great line of reasoning. My first thought was “yes, of course we could all publish 10 or more papers a year if we had teaching relief and admin support and our grad students were free and adequately supported.” It has clearly never been a level playing field, but I think this paper cleared away the counter argument that “elite universities just attract the best and brightest”
Has everyone read this paper? https://www.science.org/doi/10.1126/sciadv.abq7056?utm_campaign=SciAdv&utm_source=Twitter&utm_medium=ownedSocial.
You should, in case you had any doubts. And if you think about it much you realize that if you keep playing along you’re complicit.
You know that glorious week between Boxing Day and New Years when you can get a bit caught up? Finally knock a couple things off your To Do list without your inbox exploding? So productive! Such relief!