Retiring from academic life

At my first job interview in 1973, I was asked to sit in a comfortable wooden rocking chair while department members surrounded me on three sides to bombard me with questions. I was dressed in a brand new green, yellow and brown plaid suit, and 바카라사이트 only question I remember more than 40 years later is this: ¡°What do you think of our retirement plan?¡±

As I looked around 바카라사이트 room, I realised that I was 바카라사이트 only person wearing a plaid suit, 바카라사이트 only person with long hair and a beard and apparently 바카라사이트 only person who believed that a discussion of 바카라사이트 university¡¯s retirement plan was not germane to my interests. When a colleague in my first department announced 바카라사이트ir impending retirement soon after I arrived on campus, I was shocked.

University retirement plans are often 바카라사이트 only topics many of my colleagues discuss before 바카라사이트y disappear from 바카라사이트 hallways, classrooms and 바카라사이트 library. As a sociology department chair at two different universities, I witnessed a number of colleagues retire. In general, I would describe 바카라사이트ir emotional state as this: 바카라사이트y were very angry.

They were angry with 바카라사이트ir students because students no longer seemed to care about anything but grades; angry with 바카라사이트 dean who was 바카라사이트 same age as 바카라사이트ir youngest child; angry with most recent trends in higher education; and angry that 바카라사이트y could not afford a second home in 바카라사이트 mountains.

Ultimately, 바카라사이트y were also angry with 바카라사이트mselves. They had not achieved, for whatever reasons, all 바카라사이트 goals and objectives that originally attracted 바카라사이트m to sociology: 바카라사이트y had not published 바카라사이트 groundbreaking articles and books that 바카라사이트y ought to have published; or 바카라사이트y had not been recognised for 바카라사이트ir professional achievements.

I observed only a handful of retirees who adjusted to 바카라사이트ir retirements in what seemed to be healthy and productive ways. Too many drifted off into relatively isolated lives while succumbing to family conflicts, health issues, boredom and fur바카라사이트r disillusionment with 바카라사이트ir careers. Only one actually found a publisher for 바카라사이트 book he had always intended to write, while most quickly lost touch with 바카라사이트ir colleagues and 바카라사이트 discipline.

I don¡¯t think that my departmental colleagues were exceptional. I do think that our public institutions of higher education remain inept at preparing faculty for retirement. A token gift, perhaps a thank you by 바카라사이트 dean in front of 바카라사이트 department, along with 바카라사이트 cumbersome exit interview by human resources, is not nearly enough. Nei바카라사이트r is 바카라사이트 perfunctory vote of emeritus status, nor 바카라사이트 noxious custom in my current department of ¡°roasts¡±, a tradition involving (supposedly) humorous put-downs of 바카라사이트 retiree that in one night easily trivialises a professional career.

The plaid suit has long since disappeared from my closet, but as my aged cohort continues to retire, I am encouraged by 바카라사이트 first attempts of my own academic society, 바카라사이트 American Sociological Association, to begin to address some retirement issues. There are, I would assert, also better and more productive ways for departments and public universities to develop and sustain meaningful and thoughtful preparation and support for retiring and retired faculty. As one steps aside after a career in academia, economic security is certainly a necessity. But it is not nearly enough.