5 ms·

I wonder what conditions need to be improved in order to make faculty positions more attractive? 0% or negative overhead? No teaching? Longer Sabbaticals? F

by j7ake 5y ago

I wonder what conditions need to be improved in order to make faculty positions more attractive? 0% or negative overhead? No teaching? Longer Sabbaticals? Fewer admin duties? Be left alone to do research?

s1artibartfast 5y ago
Faculty positions are already some of the most coveted and competitive jobs on the planet
- j7ake 5y ago
  Universities still fight for top talent. So there is still incentive to improve conditions in order to attract and retain talent. Eg how to lure a candidate with multiple offers in hand.
Fomite 5y ago
It's not clear that "more attractive" is actually necessary - as mentioned, they're already hugely competed for. But to address your comments: 0% or negative overhead? - While indirect cost return, which is where I get some of my overhead back, is awesome when you can negotiate it, indirects are not the boogeyman HN likes to make them out to be. For government grants, these are known factors. For private industry, lower overhead rates can often be negotiated. Same for foundations, etc. No teaching? - This depends entirely on the person, but generally, reduced teaching obligations help if you're interested in research. There are people who are passionate about teaching and don't want to give that up. There are people who are in purely research positions (like me) and maybe voluntarily teach a single graduate seminar once every other year. Many of both groups love their jobs. Longer Sabbaticals? - There is some research showing that faculty who don't take sabbaticals are more likely to leave. I'd suggest instead of "longer" more frequent. An opportunity to "clear the deck" so to speak. Fewer admin duties? - wistful, longing expression Be left alone to do research? - This is probably our #1 request, but how to actually make that happen is something of an open problem.

by j7ake 5y ago

s1artibartfast 5y ago

Faculty positions are already some of the most coveted and competitive jobs on the planet

j7ake 5y ago
Universities still fight for top talent. So there is still incentive to improve conditions in order to attract and retain talent. Eg how to lure a candidate with multiple offers in hand.

Fomite 5y ago

It's not clear that "more attractive" is actually necessary - as mentioned, they're already hugely competed for. But to address your comments: 0% or negative overhead? - While indirect cost return, which is where I get some of my overhead back, is awesome when you can negotiate it, indirects are not the boogeyman HN likes to make them out to be. For government grants, these are known factors. For private industry, lower overhead rates can often be negotiated. Same for foundations, etc. No teaching? - This depends entirely on the person, but generally, reduced teaching obligations help if you're interested in research. There are people who are passionate about teaching and don't want to give that up. There are people who are in purely research positions (like me) and maybe voluntarily teach a single graduate seminar once every other year. Many of both groups love their jobs. Longer Sabbaticals? - There is some research showing that faculty who don't take sabbaticals are more likely to leave. I'd suggest instead of "longer" more frequent. An opportunity to "clear the deck" so to speak. Fewer admin duties? - wistful, longing expression Be left alone to do research? - This is probably our #1 request, but how to actually make that happen is something of an open problem.