I am a retired academic. I spent over 60 yrs at this job; first as a University student, then as a University professor of ecology. The three components of a professor’s job are research, teaching and administration, although one of the Universities where I worked also emphasised community service. Teaching, in my experience, was always the least regarded by both the academic and administrative staff, but the aspect of my job that I most enjoyed. By the time that I retired, teaching (hastened by COVID) had largely moved online. Professors and students no longer interacted in lecturer theatres, and even tutorials were being Zoomed. Field teaching had been in decline for years, strangled by a combination of budget constraints and Health and Safety regulation. So, although I miss the pleasure that being a University professor once gave me, I wasn’t reluctant to leave what my University and most others had become. Now I offer courses on topics that interest me as a volunteer lecturer for seniors in a life long learning organisation (U3A). Eager intelligent learners, no assessment and no administrivia. What joy!
I am a retired academic. I spent over 60 yrs at this job; first as a University student, then as a University professor of ecology. The three components of a professor’s job are research, teaching and administration, although one of the Universities where I worked also emphasised community service. Teaching, in my experience, was always the least regarded by both the academic and administrative staff, but the aspect of my job that I most enjoyed. By the time that I retired, teaching (hastened by COVID) had largely moved online. Professors and students no longer interacted in lecturer theatres, and even tutorials were being Zoomed. Field teaching had been in decline for years, strangled by a combination of budget constraints and Health and Safety regulation. So, although I miss the pleasure that being a University professor once gave me, I wasn’t reluctant to leave what my University and most others had become. Now I offer courses on topics that interest me as a volunteer lecturer for seniors in a life long learning organisation (U3A). Eager intelligent learners, no assessment and no administrivia. What joy!