[Vision2020] Re: Subs and others

[Saundra Lund]

Ummm . . . just feeling the need to weigh in on this topic  ;-)

And I can only comment on what I personally know to be fact  :-)

My dh is a full professor in the Political Science department at the UI.
Yes, that means he has a PhD.

He teaches 100 level classes (in addition to higher level courses, of
course), he teaches all of his own classes, he grades all his own papers (no
TAs or GAs), he does virtually all his own "support stuff" including all his
typing/word processing (I do think the department's administrative support
professional does the photocopying), and his sole professional income is
from his position with the UI -- no grants or anything like that.  He writes
journal articles, of course, for publication, which is traditionally
expected, but there's no additional compensation for that.

And, I won't even get into all the prep time (no, he doesn't do canned
lectures), grading, advising, problem-solving, "make busy" & otherwise
committees and projects (anyone read the newspaper last week?) that seem to
be hitting the professors in floods, etc., etc., etc.  Nor will I do more
than mention the money spent keeping current in his profession, money for
journals & books & other publications the UI can no longer afford -- just
because the UI can't afford those things doesn't mean that my dh, as a
professional, doesn't have an obligation (and an obligation he takes very
seriously) to his students, to his employer (UI),  and to himself to stay
current in his field.

I think that's pretty much the case for all the professors in the political
science department (perhaps in the other humanities and social sciences as
well), although there may still be some who depend more heavily on
administrative support professionals than others.

Like Mr. Hayman, I *wish* life for my professor husband was as been
presented by some here, but it's just not.  This is the University of Idaho.


Saundra Lund
Moscow, ID

The only thing necessary for the triumph of evil is for good people to do
nothing.
Edmund Burke