I think teaching as a "noble position" goes back years when the work
involved much self-sacrifice -- mainly financial.

Nowadays there may be far too many professors who subordinate their teaching
responsibilities to the pursuits of research, writing, consulting and even
sideline businesses.  They are relatively well paid in many institutions for
teaching loads that have declined to just two or maybe three courses per
semester.  (In a great many others, that decline has not occurred and salary
scales are still unacceptably low.)  The pressure to show academic
productivity (research, publishing, etc.) is well known -- the "publish or
perish" syndrome of the last few decades.

Sideline consulting businesses are quite lucrative, and build upon the
professor's expertise.  One friend in academia, however, opened up a shop to
sell comic books, baseball cards, and other such collectibles.  It was
closed only when he was expected to be in the classroom or at a committee
meeting on campus.  The fact is that universities cannot frown on these
sideline businesses; a faculty member is under contract to perform certain
services and is evaluated periodically on how up to date he or she is in the
relevant academic disciplines.

There is nothing "wrong" with all this, from my perspective, but rather than
being regarded as "noble," professors are regarded in many cases as
entrepreneurs whose work, in part, involves lecturing.  Graduate assistants
in many cases do the teaching and reading of papers, exams, etc.
Ross Weeks Jr.



----- Original Message -----
From: Aaron Marcavitch <[log in to unmask]>

> I do want to ask, why are professors considered so
> lowly?  I thought teaching was a noble position.  I
> know I for one enjoy teaching because I enjoy sharing
> my knowledge with others.  This is sort of why I am in
> this problem.  On the one hand is the PHD on the other
> is a degree that I can add a teaching certificate with
> great ease.
>

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