Tuesday, July 19, 2011

Know Your Value

Summer is “conference season” in higher education, a time when many professors, graduate students and administrators find themselves hastily packing the smallest possible suitcase in order to spend three or four days in some remote and/or obscure location.

Conferences can be a great academic opportunity and are presented to graduate students as such. You can meet others and share ideas, as well as giving and receiving feedback and discovering new possibilities for collaboration. But to be realistic, conferences are also an expensive (and therefore a somewhat exclusive) opportunity. Attendees must pay for travel, accommodation, and of course the ubiquitous registration fees. In the past I was able to do presentations in the U.K. and in Washington D.C., and at other conferences within Canada, only because I had a federal grant supporting my studies. These were incredibly rewarding experiences that I wouldn’t have been able to access otherwise.

The high cost of conferences is an example of the strangely skewed economy of the academy. For many graduate students, it’s an expense that is beyond their limited budgets. Yet there is little hope of finding an academic job without attending and presenting at conferences during the course of the Ph.D. Grad students aren’t paid for the time we spend writing conference presentations, or for the presentations themselves; nor are we reimbursed for the travel costs. It’s all considered part of the investment we make in our own careers.

In fact, budding academics do a lot of unpaid work, including peer reviewing, writing book reviews, and producing journal articles (we even hand over copyright to the journals, who then profit from our labour). It’s considered both a privilege and a necessity to have something published, since reviewed publications are another “must” in the process of building an academic career. While we are paid to teach, that’s the work that tends to lack prestige and is not considered as helpful for long-term career development.

What this means is that in graduate school we get used to working for nothing, even as we’re expected to invest heavily in expensive professional development activities. By attending conferences, we pay for the opportunity to present our work to our (future) peers, who are the primary “gatekeepers” to academe. This system helps to perpetuate privilege because only “those who have afforded to work for free will get jobs. The vicious circle is maddening” (Ernesto Priego, July 2, 2011, Twitter).

Thus in spite of increasing accessibility in terms of enrolments, graduate education still tends to be stratified by socioeconomic class (and plagued by high attrition rates). Who can afford to spend time on publication papers and conference proposals and travel, when they must earn money for tuition and rent?* For grad students, especially those from under-privileged circumstances, this can be a trap; and the assumed, eventual “payoff” is now less available than ever as tenure track hires decrease and low-paying contract teaching becomes the norm for an ever-greater proportion of new Ph.Ds.

While all this may seem “normal” to those working within academe, just try explaining the conference system, for example, to someone who’s completely unfamiliar with the way academic careers work. My mother has often asked “when are they going to start paying you to go to these things?”. Viewed from this angle, it’s no surprise that the “investment” in graduate education, specifically the Ph.D, can seem like an illogical one (in spite of all the non-material benefits)—or even a “raw deal”, as many other commentators have framed it already.

The “academic economy” I described may have made more sense in the now-distant past when tenure-track jobs were more readily available, and when publishing was something you could leave until after graduation. But permanent-track professors actually don’t really do these things (publishing, conferences, and so on) for “free”. They earn a stable salary and they receive institutional support for research-related activities, which are considered part of the job. On the other hand, graduate students and early-career academics—particularly those who find themselves doing a lot of contract teaching or other part-time work—are less likely to have the time and resources to fully develop their CVs; and as the academic job market has tightened, the bar has been raised in terms of the level of professionalisation required.

It matters how students “get ahead” in graduate school because the most successful Ph.D students go on to become faculty who help carry forward the university as an institution. If the academic profession becomes a “labour of love” for all but the most elite students and professors, what are we saying about the worth of our education system and our concern for diversity and accessibility within it? What example are we setting for future students (and potential professors)—who will they be?

The contemporary university appears to undervalue the skills, talents, and education of many grad students, rewarding only those committed to an extremely narrow track of professional development and willing and able to make the (material) investments necessary to pursue it. Meanwhile, in other contexts our Ph.D-related experience is much sought after. My recent experience in a career course** has been somewhat eye-opening in this respect. While all members of the group are Ph.D candidates or graduates, we each had a hard time coming up with lists of our “skills” because we’re so used to taking our own capacities for granted. Yet once “translated”, our collective experience and expertise was impressive, and applicable to many of the most interesting positions turning up in job searches.

My point is not that we should do nothing for free, or that we should all leave the academic profession for higher-paying jobs in other areas. What I want to emphasise is that many graduate students have little sense of the worth of their contributions beyond the logic of the academic system (and this has psychological effects, too). While it may no longer lead to a full-time, permanent faculty job, the PhD is not a devalued degree; it’s only under-valued in the academic marketplace, because desirable jobs are scarce.

Because academe presents itself as a meritocracy, often those who “fail” tend to blame themselves for it. But “pure” meritocracy is a myth. This is why knowing your own value means understanding not just what you have to offer in multiple contexts, but also that you have real choices, that there are fruitful possibilities, and that given the kinds of sacrifices involved, “traditional” academic work may not be the best among them.

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*In Canada, there’s some assistance to be had: students may win non-repayable merit grants and fellowships through provincial and/or federal governments. The university where I’m studying also has some options for reimbursement, through our Graduate Students’ Association, the academic union, the Faculty of Graduate Studies, and sometimes through individual programs and departments. There’s increasing demand for all these different forms of funding, but at least some support is available.

**The course is called “Conscious Careers” and is run by Jo VanEvery and Julie Clarenbach.

11 comments:

  1. I cheered as I read this post. I spend most of my time explaining how much I actually do for free and, because I'm not on the tenure-track, how much I do that isn't officially a part of my job description.

    I am fortunate because my father worked for an airline so I flew essentially for free throughout grad school. I didn't realize how useful it was until it was gone. Now, I have to limit my conferences to within a 6 hour driving radius. Thank goodness for Hotwire.

    One of the other elements is the proliferation of open access journals and other technology expectations. We need to be experts in our sub-field as well as assessment, technology, editing, etc, etc, etc. It's frustrating, to say the least. The current wave of reforms that are targeted towards higher education also point to an increased "casualization" of the faculty for those students who are most vulnerable.

    I'm one of the privileged ones right now because my spouse has a TT job and I am at least full-time, if not on the TT. But if the reformers have their way, schools like the one I'm at would go almost 100% online taught by adjuncts, or shut down completely (we have dismal 6 year grad rates). Never mind where we, the faculty will go or what we will do, where will our students go and what will they do?

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  2. I liked this post very much and think it is part of a much broader debate that needs to be had about the use of grad student labour, teaching contracts and internships in general. I think you are a bit optimistic in your comment that 'But permanent-track professors actually don’t really do these things (publishing, conferences, and so on) for “free”. They earn a stable salary and they receive institutional support for research-related activities, which are considered part of the job.' This might be true for a small number of Faculty in a few research-intensive Universities in North America but is not a global picture. Support for conference attendance is very hard to come by as is support for other research activities. The problem of forced self-exploitation in order to do all the 'must do' things does not go away when you get a salary.

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  3. Yes, yes, yes!!!!

    The "failure" is individualized! Even when it's the outcome of a tanking academic economy and wholesale disappearance of work!

    The skewed economy of academia: Not just budding, but advanced academics do a lot of unpaid work too! There's an interesting column in the Chronicle you prob. know already about being sick of writing articles for free, to publish in journals that are raking in profits.

    People not knowing their value: especially true of women! I have tried so hard to intervene in this over the years, help women students and junior fac. feel ENTITLED to success and to their intellectual space and views. And to money. And to work. And to say no. And to recognize exploitation. And to stand up for themselves. It's been hard.

    Best of luck to you. I am so grateful for critical voices like yours speaking out across the academic landscape.

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  4. Wow--thanks for the great comments!

    So sad to hear that instead of overestimating the problem, I underestimated it (and usually "optimistic" is the last word people use to describe me-!). But it makes a lot of sense that the level of support is very uneven across geographic areas and different institutions, as Rosie mentioned. I would also assume that this kind of support would be on the chopping block in restrictive economic circumstances.

    In Canada I would say research support is generally limited to tenure-track and tenured professors and would differ by institution. Some universities have long-term teaching-intensive positions as well, and I'm not sure what research support is available for those faculty.

    And it's absolutely the case that this problem is gendered: female graduate students suffer more insecurity, often in the form of "Imposter Syndrome", than male students. We have a lot of cultural baggage around gender and assumptions about authority and expertise and intelligence, not to mention other issues that continue to have effects in the university (such as female faculty earning less than males for the same work).

    Thank you all for continuing the conversation!

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  5. I think you're identified what is actually a CORE issue at the heart of the current crisis in academia, which is people not knowing their worth, and thus not being able to defend it. It plays directly into their inability to persuade public agencies that scholarly work is in fact valuable. So well done, and please write more on this.

    Pardon me for being gauche, I know this is tacky, but I do want to share the post I did yesterday on my blog, because it was entirely about women not knowing their own worth and because of that falling apart when under attack. I didn't title or tag it like that and I'm afraid it's getting overlooked in this realm, but it's a video demonstration of how women routinely sabotage themselves in their verbal and non-verbal handling of scholarly challenges.

    It speaks directly to the politics at the conferences about which you write in your post here. So I hope you don't mind my sharing: http://theprofessorisin.com/?p=622

    I'd love to hear your comments on it. thanks.

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  6. Hi Melonie,

    Thank you for citing our conversation, and for saying what is often kept quiet. I obviously wouldn't deny most if not all problems in contemporary society are "gendered", but when you say

    "And it's absolutely the case that this problem is gendered: female graduate students suffer more insecurity, often in the form of "Imposter Syndrome", than male students."

    I often fear that this obscures the fact that not all male graduate students (or staff) are alpha males, completely confident of their skills and in total control of their careers. Seriously, being male does not de facto makes things easier in academia. Egalitarian, feminist males exist and we also pay the price of centuries of phallo/andro/centrism.

    This means that often being male counts points off you. I am aware this is not a popular idea and it is often confused with reverse sexism, but I hope that those who know me and know my work will be sure this is not what I am saying. In my academic career being male has not granted me any direct privileges.

    This week I read a study titled "Birds of a Feather Sit Together: Physical Similarity Predicts Seating Choice". If you're the type who happens to look and speak differently, it might be trickier to get a seat in the academic committee's board room, regardless of your gender.

    I have been painfully aware, in academic conferences and research workshops, how I am often the only one with a darker skin hue, or who is not a native English speaker. It might be because of my own consciousness of being a foreigner that I become more sensitive to the class-and-race homogeneity of some academic/literary/creative circles. Even if this might be used to one's advantage, it is an advantage based on the wrong premise. I was stand out for my knowledge, skills and experience, not because I look different.

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  7. Apologies for the typos above: small screen, small keyboard, typing too fast!

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  8. Thank you Ernesto--I see your point. I was making the broadest/gross generalisation of course (always exceptions to the rule!) based on what I've read. But then it's also possible we could extend "gendered" to what you describe, if there is an idea of how men "should" be, and somehow you don't match it. Race, class, linguistic profile, sexuality and gender all play a role. In other words if there's is an "ideal academic type", and that person generally speaks, looks, and demonstrates masculinity (or gender in general) in a particular way, then differences may be discomforting or less acceptable.

    A kind of parallel example: last year I discussed with tutorial students the idea of an "assumed student" in post-secondary policy. This means that there's a kind of invisible benchmark and if students are different from that, through various means the institution/system has ways of constructing them as "different" without this being explicit (I'm actually writing a whole post on this). It's similar to the idea of "whiteness" being "the blank canvass" against which everything else is compared.

    I think one result is that students don't seek help (through student services) because that's not "normal" or might be embarrassing. Whereas if they knew that only a very few students actually *don't* need help, then perhaps they would feel better about it and use those available services there's some research suggesting this is the case).

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  9. Hello.

    While I sympathise with this post, I believe that publications, teaching experience and the ability to express oneself well in an interview are vastly more important for getting a job than conference record. These are definitely the main criteria faculty look for in a candidate, I know from experience. Don't get too down about the conference thing. Focus on writing and teach as much as you can without derailing the degree would be my advice.

    BTW this is in the context of social science, I do not know if things are different in alternative spheres.

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  10. I was startled to read that graduate students where you are don't have their conference travel costs reimbursed. In Australia, most PhD students do get travel funding from their department or scholarship to attend one international conference plus probably one to three local (within-Australia) conferences during their degrees.

    They aren't paid for their time, but that's no different from any of the other activities that make up postgraduate study. (Though most full-time postgrads here do get a poverty-level scholarship to see them through).

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  11. would you be willing to tell me more about "In Canada, there’s some assistance to be had: students may win non-repayable merit grants and fellowships through provincial and/or federal governments. The university where I’m studying also has some options for reimbursement, through our Graduate Students’ Association, the academic union, the Faculty of Graduate Studies, and sometimes through individual programs and departments. There’s increasing demand for all these different forms of funding, but at least some support is available."

    I am an American citizen starting at Toronto in the fall, and I could use any foreknowledge I can get

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