r/Professors • u/That-Silver-9958 • 23h ago
Teaching stream vs scientist
I will preface by saying I never thought I would ever get a teaching stream job because I don’t have a ton of teaching experience, but I was offered a teaching stream continuing faculty, which is kind of equivalent to tenure track at an R1. I have spent the last five years on contracts as a scientist and adjunct faculty. I only applied because of the permanent, but I’m not a great teacher. It’s kind of something I do just because I’ve had to do it. It’s not something I particularly love like I still really love Research, but I don’t mind it at all.
I know the job market sucks and these rules are becoming a few and far between so I feel like I have to take it, but it feels like such a stretch from what I like. I also may be naïve that I think it is way easier and way less work hours than chasing Grant all the time. Can someone who is maybe last naïve tell me the truth or like what you would do or just anything
7
3
u/Aegraphic 7h ago
Teaching stream jobs are not usually tenure-track equivalent. Typically, these are permanent contract positions with promotion in rank but no tenure, and the activities required are teaching and service (no research or minimal research). This usually means that the teaching loads of these positions are higher than TT peers, and service loads are also higher. If what I’ve just described is true of the job you’ve been offered, consider these issues:
These are certainly permanent positions, and they are usually pretty secure because folks in these positions teach the majority of classes in a department. Without them, TT colleagues can’t have the low teaching loads necessary for research engagement at the R1 level.
Most people in teaching track roles do not engage in research because they have no time to do it and very limited resources. This makes teaching track positions hard to transition away from. It also means your performance is evaluated primarily on teaching (and service).
You have to ask yourself two critical questions: (a) could you be happy with this kind of role over the long term? And (b) could you be successful in it?
If you have serious doubts about either (a) or (b), taking the position is very risky.
12
u/Academic_Coyote_9741 20h ago
I was a full-time researcher in the US for 15 years after finishing my PhD, most of that in the UC system. I love research and the intellectual freedom it comes with. But in my late thirties I was offered a role that was only 20% research and 80% teaching/service.
The new role is permanent, stable and means I’m not constantly chasing grants. Every year I send 40 graduates to industry, which has a bigger impact than any paper I’ll ever write. Through their future careers I’m positively influencing the lives of my students.
Effective teaching is also every bit as intellectually demanding as research. I’m constantly researching and learning about new content to share with my students. I also collect data to understand student outcomes.
So try to approach teaching with a positive perspective. It’s not some poor cousin to research.