I love what I do and am thankful for it. We are, even full-time people,
grossly underpaid and because of it tend to ignore the exploitation of
the part-time academic proletariat. I would not really choose to do
anything else but there is little hope for all but the very, very best
and we ought to say that. Of course, in institutions with large grad
programs or mediocre ones, the faculty has a personal stake in the
maintenance of this system. It is its own reward and of course there are
rewards in teaching, independent scholarship, etc., but I believe that
behind all of the stating of those opinions are rationalizations covering
some harsh and uncomfortable realities.
You do it because you love it and cannot do otherwise. You will have
little chance in the end to do what you want to afterward.
sean farrell moran
oakland univ.