During the April faculty meeting, my college honored three of my colleagues who are retiring, from three different departments. To begin with, we had some tasty brownies and blondies curtesy of the Dean’s office. One by one, the home departments honored their retirees. Impressive careers were laid out, along with funny and heartwarming anecdotes. All received standing ovations and gifts. I consider one of the retirees to be a friend, and his contributions during his 32-years at the university was impressive.
A colleague mentioned that some of his peers who started at the university at the same time had already been retired, and how “they must know something I don’t.” It was said as an off handed joke, but I pondered. As with the rest of the U.S., most academics, no matter how ‘educated’ we are, are financially illiterate.
I recently received a ‘certificate of appreciation’ during our annual ‘recognition event’ for my 10-years of service by the university President. Back in 2018 while being recognized for 5-years, and seeing folks at their 30 or 35-years of service at the ceremony, I was impressed. I would one day get recognized for 30-years!
I wanted that. I longed for it. I had not earned tenure at that point.
But now, after learning about FIRE, and going through some MAJOR life changes (both personal and professional) in the past 3-years, I don’t want to work for another 25-years. It’s confusing because I am so conditioned to believe I must work until my 60s or 70s (academia or not).
I am currently reading A Pathless Path by Paul Millerd. He talks about being on a ‘path’ to be in the ‘Inner Circle’ since college and where that landed him in his mid-30s. He has an engineering and a business background and was deep in the world of consulting in his 20s. But he gave up on the Inner Circle and embarked on an unconventional path. Through this journey he learned much about himself and how to navigate life without a set path.
I ponder, is the ‘Inner Circle’ in academia the Tenure Track because it is so highly sought out, and almost impossible to gain?
More on the book later as I read it further.
