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Right. But I'm not sure how abolishing tenure would help with this. Sure, you could throw professors out onto the street once they reach fifty and make 'em find
by hugh3 16y ago
Right. But I'm not sure how abolishing tenure would help with this. Sure, you could throw professors out onto the street once they reach fifty and make 'em find new jobs as Walmart greeters, but that's not a great solution.
What really needs to be addressed is the vast pyramiding of talent between the PhD and the tenure-track level (I'm talking about sciences, not humanities, which have other problems). The current system of postdocs sitting in a long-term holding pattern until they either get picked for a permanent position or give up doesn't actually reward talent, it mostly just rewards patience, being independently wealthy, or having nothing better to do. A young scientist's level of talent should be apparent by the time you finish your PhD -- let the universities snap 'em up for tenure-track positions then, instead of six years later.
(Why yes, I am a fifth-year postdoc, thanks for asking.)
- api 16y agoHere's a better idea: let new Ph.D graduates go into industry, and treat their time solving real world problems in industry as their postdoc. Then, when/if they go into academic tenure-track positions, they'll have more experience to draw upon to do more fruitful and valuable research.
- tptacek 16y agoBy creating a more uniform, easily-accessible, and equitable marketplace for academic talent, where access to scholarly positions didn't require a lifetime committment. Consider: I could conceivably become an MD at this point in my life, but stand zero chance of becoming a professor of English. This seems warped.