GRADUATE STUDENT CORNER

We are lucky enough to have two columns in the Spring 2005 issue of the Graduate Student Corner. Thanks to everyone who helped to contribute to these columns.

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COLUMN ONE

Hello everyone! I hope that spring is bringing with it wonderful things for you all.

I am very pleased to carry on the tradition of the Graduate Student Corner and follow in the footsteps of some of the terrific women of the DWC who have held this post in the past. For future issues, I plan to get as much input from both graduate students and professors alike on a variety of topics. If there is anything you want to see in this column or if you want to be a volunteer to answer questions as a student or a faculty member, please E-mail me at khefley@ou.edu.

For this issue, I thought I would touch on some of the major (non-technical) issues that affect female graduate students as they begin teaching their own courses. There appears to be a unique set of concerns that plagues female graduate students as they begin teaching their own courses¹. One of the most important things to realize if you are now struggling with or do end up struggling with these issues is that you are not alone.

I would like to thank the following individuals for taking the time and effort to contribute to this column: Graduate students: Rachel Bandy, Amanda Burgess-Proctor, Kim Coffman, Lisa Fahres, Jennifer Gibbs, Rebecca Hayes, Lizzie Seal. Professors: Kathleen Cameron, Mona Danner, Christina DeJong, Kate Hellenga, Angie Moe.

Kristen Hefley
Associate Editor

MAJOR ISSUES IN TEACHING
FOR FEMALE GRADUATE STUDENTS

1. "The Students Aren't Taking Me Seriously."

Three graduate students asked questions for this issue pertaining to gender and/or graduate student status and being taken seriously by the students. Race may also come into play here for women of color. Do these factors matter? It's difficult to tell, but in one study by Arbuckle and Williams (2003), students in four groups given a gender-neutral (as determined by student ratings of the voice as male or female) audiotaped mini-lecture accompanied by a stick figure visual presentation were told that the lecturer was a young male, a young female, an older male, and an older female depending upon the group. The group who was told they were watching and listening to a young male rated the speaker more enthusiastic, relaxed and confident, interested, and conscientious and claimed he conveyed a more meaningful tone and that they felt accepted by him. That's a lot to overcome. If students have preconceived notions about you, what can be done about it?

Sometimes the not being taken seriously manifests itself in more serious ways, through threats and intimidation. Below, I offer the anecdotes and advice that I was sent by both graduate students and professors.

Graduate Student Anecdotes

"One of my biggest concerns when teaching for the first time was how to present myself in class. In my department, grad students act as full instructors in undergraduate courses; we are solely responsible for selecting the texts, creating and grading assignments and exams, compiling final grades, etc. As a result, I wanted the "tone" of my teaching to strike a balance between my status as a grad student (as opposed to a faculty member) and an instructor (as opposed to a TA). I knew that my youth (in the case of the senior-level class I taught, just a few years separated me from my students) could either work for me or against me. On the one hand, being close in age to students gives grad student instructors a certain amount of cachet with their students, I think...but on the other hand, it also can lead to a situation where students think that you'll be a pushover or be too "cool" to take the class -- or their poor performance in it -- very seriously. Of course, I also felt that being a woman in addition to being young made it even more challenging to properly establish my role in the classroom.

The first time I taught, I thought it best to err on the side of professionalism (notice I didn't say "authority") in order to distinguish myself from my students. For example, I have very firm policies about being respectful to one another in the classroom, so on the first day of class I made it clear that I would not hesitate to remove someone from the class if they were disrespectful to me or to their classmates. More subtly, I always dressed up in a pantsuit or a blouse and skirt, in part because I enjoy dressing up, but also in a conscious effort to demarcate myself as the instructor. (Had I worn jeans or khakis, I easily could have blended right in with my students.) However, that's not to say that I was unfailingly formal in every facet of my teaching. I also asked my students to call me by my first name, and I often sat on the desk or table in front of the room during class discussions to encourage a more relaxed, informal atmosphere.

In the end, I think it comes down to finding a presentation style that you are most comfortable with. I don't think that grad students should feel the need to come off as a "bad ass" in order to gain respect from their students (in fact, I think that that strategy only generates DIS-respect), but I think it's important to be aware that a totally laissez-faire approach to teaching may cause problems, too. I would encourage grad students who are teaching for the first time to consider some of these issues beforehand to decide how they want to present themselves in class. Talking with other students who have taught before and reading the responses to this column can help newcomers develop a teaching style that best suits them as both grad students and instructors."

"My male colleagues can go into their classrooms wearing jeans or shorts and a casual shirt, while I feel I must wear slacks and a nice sweater or blouse at the very least. When I have had a particular male colleague substitute in my classroom, the students automatically got their notebooks out, prepared to take notes, while I must make announcements that it is time to put everything else away. The female instructors in my department have discussed the frequency with which male students challenge or question the validity of information they present in class. We haven't really found a solution yet. I don't know that some of it will be resolved until I achieve enough professional distance from them myself."

"I've been asked out by my students (which is strange since I'm married and in my early 30s). How I've handled this is by finding the humor in it. Joking that, as a grad student, my husband and I would never turn down a free meal. This gets the point across without being obnoxious about it."

"I've… encountered students who do not take young, graduate student- teachers seriously. Again, as a grad student not fresh out of undergrad, I've not encountered this but several of my colleagues have. For instance, I heard an undergrad male yelling at one of my female colleagues (22 years old). He was upset that he couldn't take her class because it had met its enrollment cap. He had her backed against a wall and was demanding in a loud, inappropriate voice that she sign him into her class. I intervened on her behalf because it was obvious she was afraid of him. I asked HER if there was a problem. He told me that this conversation was between him and her. I told him that now it was between him and ME. He didn't respond. I waited there, not saying a word until my colleague regained her composure and he left. I'm not sure if she reported that incident to our dept chair. Unfortunately, disrespecting young, female teachers is NOT rare on the University of [removed for privacy]. In fact, town-hall meetings (organized by [university] administration) have recently been taking place with faculty and grad teachers to discuss the climate on campus re: women ([university] has a lousy history, as of late, with how women are treated)."

"I think one of the main issues I have encountered in my teaching experience is being able to achieve legitimacy. My observations in the academic setting fit with a lot of the organizational literature. I have found in order to receive legitimacy from students, young females often need to dress a step above their male colleagues. This means dressing very conservative as well as professional. I have noticed older female graduate students do not have to take some of the same steps to achieve the legitimacy that younger female graduate students need to."

Graduate Student Questions on the Topic

• How do I get the students to take me seriously given the combination of age, being a woman, and the fact that they will know that I am a graduate student?"

• How does one go about creating a balance between the feminine stereotypes students have of female professors, and instead be evaluated on their knowledge they bring to the course and command of the subject matter?

• How, as a younger individual, do you get students to take you seriously? As a TA they think you are a joke (well some students, mostly male).

Professor Responses

"I don't think I had a problem with this so much as I did with students assuming I was an easy professor because I dress casually. I am fairly androgynous in my mannerisms and appearance, and I always make an effort to appear confident and assertive in my interactions with students (including lectures/class discussions). I did end up dressing a bit more formally to emphasize the distinction between me and my students."

"This can be a tricky one and I think a lot of us believe it comes down to self-presentation, specifically dress and appearance. I've tried all sorts of things as far as this goes... I started teaching as a master's student, barely older than the students, and wore jeans, sweatshirts - very casual. In my doctoral program, when I was still not much older than the students, I wore "business casual" attire. I also wore a wedding band at this time and I think this may have given the impression that I was more mature. As a tenure track faculty member, I now dress up much more - often dress slacks or skirt, heels, nice sweaters and blouses. This is just my personal style now and I haven't seen much difference in the way students regard me (other than that they comment that I dress nicer than a lot of other profs - lol). So, basically it hasn't seemed to matter for me as far as dress, but what has mattered is my (1) professionalism and respect of the classroom/students; (2) knowledge of the material; and (3) organization. I find that if the students feel that they are valued by you, that you want to be fair, that you are approachable, but yet that you will not be pushed around, that you are the expert in that room, and that you know what you are talking about and can handle questions and discussion of the material, you will be much further ahead in terms of being taken seriously. This usually means over-preparation at the start of one's teaching career, because of the confidence boost this provides. I'm an advocate of this, so long as it works for you. It gets easier with time and the over-preparation turns to the opposite direction -- you know the material like the back of your hand and you exude this confidence."

"I'm so glad you asked this question! I taught as a graduate student in a doctoral program for about 8 years. I had these same concerns. First, let me address the easy question: the fact that you are a graduate student is in your favor. Students relate better to someone who is closer to being a "peer" than a faculty, so I never found this to be a liability. From the first day of class, be forthright about this and they'll love you for it.

As for age, I was a non-traditional student when I entered college, but I didn't feel like it was ever an issue for me or for my students. Age doesn't matter if you can speak their language and understand their locus of power.

The most significant question relates to being a woman in academe. In my experience, this was an issue to some degree as a graduate student teacher, but not so noticeable that I had concerns about it. There were adolescent comments from time to time from a few male students, and the other grad students would joke about how my "attractiveness" distracted the male students in the class. Of course, these were disturbing, but not overwhelming and certainly not defining for me. By and large, you'll find that students respect you as a grad student teacher.

That said, the fact that you're a woman will become increasingly more threatening to colleagues and administrators alike when you enter academe as a professor. Also, students tend to make initial assumptions that you "don't know what you're talking about." Get used to dealing with it and keep dealing with it. Even though there are more female professors in academe than there used to be, it's still a male-dominate profession. Even as I write this, I am preparing a grievance against unfair treatment by a male department chair and a male colleague. The brighter you shine, the more you will encounter attempts to take away your power. Keep shining."

"First, let me say that this question reflects concerns that confront many women for many years into their careers, especially for women who fit any of the feminine stereotypes such as being young, petite, attractive, dressing in feminine clothes (which can simply mean a skirt), and, most importantly, using language in a so-called feminine manner (i.e., words and speech patterns that indicate hesitancy, insecurity or doubt). This does not mean that anyone should necessarily make dramatic changes in any of these areas, but do be aware that you can and should manage the impression you make. "Impression management" is not a bad thing and is not manipulative; it is recognizing that certain ways of being are more or less appropriate and effective, depending on the situation. With respect to language, listen to yourself and determine if you sound like you know what you're talking about, are confident, sure and unafraid. Remember the "self-fulfilling prophecy" and act like you know who you are and what you're doing and remember that you are the course instructor and are the responsible party, whether you are a TA or full professor. You will only be evaluated on your knowledge and command of the subject matter if you convey that you are, in fact, knowledgeable and in command of the subject. Don't speak in a passive or hesitant manner.

As a TA this is the perfect time to ask for lots of help including asking other students and faculty mentors to watch you do a mock class of 15 minutes, and have the "class" taped. Hearing your own voice is jarring but also instructive as you might hear hesitancy or insecurity and realize they make you sound weak or lacking basic knowledge. Of course, you'll be embarrassed and afraid to do this. Do it anyway. The payoff can be tremendous.

Part of this question speaks to the manner in which women are socialized to value pleasing others and being "liked" above nearly all else. Accept this truth now: all students will not like you and whatever you do will not please everyone. In fact, if everyone likes you, you may not be doing a good job in the classroom. Also realize that the more you bend your own or the department's or university's rules, the more students will want you to bend them, the more you'll be seen as easy to manipulate and the less respect you'll be given. Know and follow all the policies. Be clear and direct, kind and generous, and always be professional. Smile, laugh, have fun in the class and when working with students, but also remember that you are the instructor and you do have responsibilities to the students, yourself, the institution and the material you are teaching.

If something terrible happens or some students begin to intimidate you, ask for help immediately from your faculty mentor or chair or the institution's student affairs office. Don't be quiet thinking that you can handle it or that asking for help will show how terrible a teacher you are. We've all experienced difficult students who've crossed some line and most of us are totally sympathetic. Don't suffer but seek help immediately. You really don't have the experience to deal with truly intimidating or bullying students, and as women you're more likely to get them than your male colleagues."

"You have to set the tone on the first day of class. Project a strong, confident presence and make sure that you stick to your guns (and your syllabus!) throughout the semester. Personally, I haven't had many problems from undergraduate students during my graduate or faculty experiences, but teaching graduate students as a new faculty member was particularly difficult at times. Since I obtained my first tenure-track position at age 26, many of my graduate students were older than I was and had significantly more expertise in the field. I found it helpful to remember that we all had something to contribute to class--practitioners have valuable real-world experiences that I could help relate to examples of theory and policy."

2. "The Students Think I'm Inherently Biased."

I understand this issue is not limited to graduate students and is something that plagues female faculty members, as well as people of color of both genders, at all stages of their careers. In sociology, criminology, and criminal justice courses, we present information that is controversial and sometimes threatening to the worldviews of some individuals. One way for those who think the material is offensive to avoid having to entertain its legitimacy is to consider the characteristics of the messenger: you. If you're talking about female offenders and you're a woman, you must be giving them biased information. If you're talking about African-Americans and the criminal justice system and you're African-American, well, you must be giving them biased information.

Schwalbe (2004) claims that when a student is resistant to material it can be used as a teaching moment. First, students have to be asked to think about what beliefs that they value are being questioned and what benefits they give up by questioning them. Second, students have to be told that they are not to blame for the current inequalities, and that these inequalities are inheritances from the past and the social structures that keep them intact shape everyone without our consent or knowledge. So how does a beginning teacher-a graduate student-learn to do this?

Graduate Student Question on the Topic

• I have had trouble with my students thinking that I am automatically biased about the material because I'm a woman. What is the best way to handle that?

Professor Responses

"I don't know if there's a best way. I have colleagues who do the direct route of challenging these students back through all sorts of strategies, mostly aimed at getting them to question their own assumptions. Certainly a question for them might be "What is bias?" "Aren't we all biased?" (Recall epistemological debates, mostly arising out of your qualitative research classes.) There might be a humorous direct approach also..."oh, you're just thinking that way because you're a guy!" I take a bit more of an indirect route. I talk about feminism and gender but not in a way that really gives the students any indication of what my opinion is...at least not until we are well into the semester and they know me a bit more. I play devil's advocate a lot and constantly explain both sides of a debate so that they never really know for certain what I believe. This seems to allow everyone a space to formulate their own opinions without fear of judgment (and without so much concern over figuring me out) and then when we're more comfortable with each other, I might assert my opinion. I can't think of a time that I was challenged just based on my gender, using this approach. They may have thought it but they didn't say it -- I think because I had shown them that I could think through both sides of an issue."

"If there were one question that we (women in academe) have asked ourselves and our colleagues more than any other, this is it. We deal with this problem every semester in every class. In particular, the courses I teach deal with justice issues, so teaching about discrimination, feminism, and social justice is vulnerable to student perceptions and assumptions from the start (particularly on a small, rural campus).

When I was a grad student teacher, I wasn't concerned about minimizing my feminism in the classroom, but the longer I teach (over fifteen years now), I notice I am becoming more aware of student resistance and less tolerant of it.

In my experience, it is most effective to address this issue directly with students in the classroom. I begin with examining assumptions about feminism, for instance, so students have the opportunity to openly discuss their perceptions of feminists. When I present information, I try to do so in such a way that they know I am presenting research or studies on a given topic.

Of course, all of our attempts to deal with student resistance are not always successful. To that end, I am constantly reading about ways to improve my relationship with students and my pedagogy. I am currently reading an excellent book that addresses the way in which students cling to their old habits of thinking even when the evidence in front of them contradicts their assumptions. I highly recommend it --- What The Best College Teachers Do by Ken Bain, Harvard University Press, 2004.

Student resistance is a problem for female professors, to be certain. It is easier for some students to "shoot the messenger" than confront new ideas, and feminist pedagogies are still not popular in this patriarchy we live in."

3. "What is my role-- am I a student or a teacher (and in some cases a wife or mother)?"

Obviously, graduate student teachers are both students and teachers, but this can sometimes lead to feelings of inadequacy. Add to that for some women the extra duties of family life, and the result may be severe role conflict or feelings of inadequacy, doubt and insecurity. Finding role balance is something everyone struggles with, but how is it experienced and resolved for female graduate students and academics?

Graduate Student Anecdote

"A pressing issue that several of my friends and I experienced as older returning students that is particularly salient for female graduate students who are preparing and teaching courses for the first time is the difficulty in balancing the time required outside of the classroom for preparation, mentoring, and grading with other family, research, and scholarly priorities. This issue is especially troublesome for female students who have significant others or spouses and children who require time and personal commitment as did I. The initial construction and preparation of a course during the first and second semester can take a great deal of time and effort and can continue throughout the entire course. While course construction continues, you must still be teaching, preparing, administering and grading exams, and mentoring students when warranted. In general, graduate students will also have their own work and research interests ongoing during this time. These time constraints are multiplied for female graduate students with families or significant others. Managing these multiple priorities is always a challenge. However, with negotiated assistance from family members and friends, strong organizational skills in your work, and early course planning, you can attempt to streamline as many of the activities you must engage in during the first semester as you prepare the course as possible. Additionally, it is advisable to only prepare one course at a time even if you are required to teach additional courses during the semester. Finally, give yourself a break - sometimes, something will fall short or you will miss something important - and that 's ok."

Graduate Student Questions on the Topic:

• · How do you negotiate your teaching time (and mentoring, etc.) to allow for ample research and writing time?

• How do I balance all of my responsibilities with my family and being a student and soon being a teacher, too? Also, how will I feel like a teacher if I still have to be a student?

Professor Responses

"I haven't managed this yet, but I'm also working in the public sector, not in academia. I don't know if this question is about negotiation in the sense of "coming to mutual agreement with one's employer" or "using one's time wisely." In the latter case, I am learning to be a lot more structured with my time, and to let good enough be good enough. If my lecture notes are adequate but not "perfect," and I've reached the time limit I set for working on them, I leave them as-is. Also, I make appointments with myself for research and writing time, so they are scheduled into my calendars and an alarm goes off when it's time to make that transition. I try to incorporate mentoring into lunch and coffee breaks :)"

"When I was a graduate student teaching, I was also a single mom with two young sons living on a shoestring and trying to do well in my classes. It's an overwhelming time for you and, in hindsight, I don't know how I did it. There have been so many days when I have wished for the chance to do it all over again so that I could devote more time, energy, and attention to my sons. It is a difficult balancing act, but it can be done if you make your family the first priority, being a student the second, and teaching third.

In response to the second part of your question, you don't need to feel like a teacher. you just need to be one. It will all fall into place, as everything does in time, so worry less and move forward. The universe is on your side."

"Because teaching is so immediate, it can quickly take on a much bigger proportion of your time than your dissertation or other research. And let's be frank, the dissertation can be isolating, alienating and lacking in the kind of immediate (or at least quick) gratification that teaching can provide. So, be very aware of the time you give to teaching (class preparation, grading, office hours, mentoring etc). New teachers tend to over-prepare because they fear what they don't know. Remember that your students are undergrads and know nothing or nearly nothing about the topic. You need to be prepared for class but not super-overly prepared. You need to give assignments but be aware of how long things take to grade and don't overdo either the assignments or the grading of them. Ask your fellow students and professors for copies of their syllabi, videos, class activities, class notes etc, so that you don't re-invent the wheel. And know that there will be good and bad days in the classroom and that it's often not personal, it's just teaching.

So, how do you negotiate your time? Keep a detailed diary of what you're doing and the time it takes. If you're spending 30 hours for one class of 30 students you're spending way too much time. One way to make sure you get your research and writing time in is to do it first each day, or put it into your daily schedule and protect it no matter what is going on in your teaching. If you teach at 1 p.m., get yourself up early and write from 8-10:30 before you even shower. Or, if you're a night writer, then schedule two and one-half hours every night to write and do it even if you've still got papers to grade. Privilege the writing since without the PhD, your teaching days are numbered."

FOR A FUTURE ISSUE:
Talk on teaching continues. The questions get more general: designing courses, evaluating learning, lecturing, managing "bad" classes and unprepared students, providing notes to students-or not, and more. Plus professors share their insights on HOW TO ESCAPE A DEAD-END TEACHING JOB and FINISHING YOUR DISSERTATION.

References

Arbuckle, Julianne and Benne D. Williams. 2003. "Students' Perceptions of
          Expressiveness: Age and Gender Effects on Teacher Evaluations." Sex Roles 49:
          507-516.

Schwalbe, Michael. 2005. The Sociologically Examined Life: Pieces of the
          Conversation, 3rd Edition. Boston: McGraw Hill.

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COLUMN TWO

As the end of the academic year looms, and as many grads anticipate defending theses and dissertations, thoughts of graduation and career decisions may become the central focus of many a conversation.

Recently, I was given an opportunity to communicate with graduate students who have chosen to pursue jobs outside of academia. What follows are some of the thoughts, feedback and anecdotes shared by this group during informal discussions on career goals after graduating. My thanks go out to those of you who shared in these conversations-and your patience and humor-as the discussions frequently progressed into "therapeutic venting sessions" on the trials and tribulations of career aspirations and goals after graduating with advanced degrees.

If you have any questions or feedback, I invite you to contact me via E-mail, Melinda Nagai, nagaim@colorado.edu. Thanks again to everyone who contributed to the development of this piece!

Cheers,
Melinda Nagai
Associate Editor

"What do you want to be when you grow up?"

This question started a firestorm of responses from those students I spoke with. As can be expected, people had a very strong reaction to this sometimes jovial, yet often sarcastic question. Many students had even appropriated the question of "growing up" in order to rearticulate some of the frustrations they had experienced while trying to explain to others, and oftentimes to themselves, what their plans for the future were.

"Yeah, I still wonder what I'm gonna be when I grow up. (Sighs, then chuckles to self). Usually, I assume I'm gonna go out there and hunt down a tenure-track gig. But I'm still not sure whether it's gonna be at a research-oriented school or a liberal arts college. I might even just hang out for a while."

"Oh, yes. I have no intention of ever "growing up!" Whatever that means. And if it means what I think it might mean, well then, no. I guess I refuse to! There have been times when people have said 'oh, yeah, when you finally stop being this career student and enter the "Real World," you'll get it.' Umm, what?!? I wonder whether they even know how condescending they are being when they pose things that way! I like the idea of having more autonomy and choices granted to me because of my educational pursuits. Ha! How Real is that for ya!?"

Additionally, many of the people I spoke with had this question, or a similarly framed question, directed at them by family, friends and other acquaintances over the years as they struggled to complete their degree requirements. And, not surprisingly, all had some visceral response to the question in one way or another. Although students were asked about their future plans by people who seemed honestly curious and/or concerned about what graduating would bring (e.g., family, friends, fellow students, advisors, etc.), having to face the inevitable brought to light some sensation of angst in many. In other words, the students who I spoke with indicated that there were moments when having to discuss potential career plans was just as nerve-wracking as having to complete the many requirements of graduation.

"Okay, so my family seems to be really proud of the fact [that] I'm in grad school and working on my degree and stuff. But when it comes down to it, they still have like no idea what I'm doing, what the degree means, what I can do with it, what it takes to get one, ya know? I mean, I'm still trying to figure that out! So they're always asking me what I'm gonna do when I get out of here. I can't seem to get them to understand that I have to do a defense and stuff. Oh yeah, -and- I'm teaching too! They think it's like getting the B.A. You take your courses, take some tests, write some papers, pass your class, and then walk at the end."

Other discussants stated that they appreciated that their decision to be in graduate school permitted them to avoid "growing up" altogether. One person admitted that she felt grateful that she could strive to do exactly what she wanted to do. Although she recognized that there were many hoops she had to jump through, and vastly more political games to negotiate than she had expected when she first entered graduate school, she had little to no regrets about her decision. In fact, this student stated that it was precisely her inability to figure out what she wanted to do with herself after receiving her B.S. that inspired her to apply to graduate schools. ". . . If anything, grad school has become my postmodern Neverland, and it amazes me how many options grad school seems to open up for me."

The "Real" world:

One point of contention that was discussed among some of the other grads involved being forewarned about what to expect upon completion of graduate school. Essentially, from what was discussed, some students encountered others in their immediate lives who tried to provide some counsel on what to expect when they went on the job market. This did not necessarily mean that the people offering advice knew anything about the process of finding a job within academia (i.e., professors or other graduate students).

Rather, the feedback and insight that was given was interpreted as either condescending or unenlightened, or both. Personally, this topic was one that hit close to home, having personal experience with people who insinuate that academia is not "the Real World" and that I have somehow insulated myself from the "Real" world by being in graduate school.

"Oh, do you get that too!? Yeah, I hate being told that 'Real' world shit. Some of my family and friends, especially the ones who never went to graduate school (or undergraduate, for that matter) love to tell me stuff like 'just wait until you're in the 'Real' world. . .' I get so annoyed! It's very patronizing, and I think they're secretly jealous that I'm doing what I set out to do. Like I'm not -in- the real world because I'm 27-years-old and never had what they consider to be a 'real' job, despite the fact that I've had to hold down many, many jobs just to get myself through school. Or that somehow this [grad school] isn't real work. I have been working my ass off in school all this time! They don't have a clue!"

Going government:

Although many graduate students have plans centered on more traditional academic-type careers, a number of others have given thought to entering fields unrelated to university or college settings.

Some of the students discussed their plans to pursue careers outside of academia and in the government sector. Among other valid reasons, one of the primary factors that motivated decisions to move towards government positions (e.g., local, state and federal government careers) was salary. For example, one student stated that she hoped her graduate degree in criminal justice would make her more competitive when she applied for positions with the Federal Bureau of Investigation (FBI). She explained that the starting salary for a special agent, for example, was $42,548 and FBI Intelligence Analysts (a position that she was the most interested in) received a $10,000 signing bonus upon entry. She also mentioned that a Program Analyst with the Office of Justice Programs (OJP) typically starts at around $88,000-and this salary is negotiable! For a recent graduate, salary figures like these may look very tempting.

Question: How did you come to decide on government rather than working at, say, a university?

"I was all about being a tenured professor-doing research, teaching, writing, consulting, the whole nine yards, right? But then I was hearing all these stories from the A.B.D.s ["all but dissertation" doctoral candidates] about being on the job market, the competition and the earning scales. Also, after a while I realized I wasn't too hot about teaching, even though that's what I thought I would love. I ran into someone who is now working at NIJ [National Institute of Justice] and wow! I am thinking I'm heading in that kind of a direction now, too."

"Wow, you know it was a no-brainer. Service work commitments. Publishing expectations. Huge teaching loads. Expectations to get grants. Advising students. All that work and the pay doesn't seem to really reflect what you have to put in. I decided pretty early on . . . no, thanks.

"You know, the kind of training I am receiving from my department is really traditional. Even though a lot of my work is in Criminal Justice and it's really multi-disciplinary, I'm in Sociology. Enough said, I think. I have taught undergrad courses and I have been able to work as a research assistant, and that's all find and good. But I had this existential dilemma about a year and a half ago where I really could not see myself happy at a Research I institution, publishing like mad and trying to get on the good side of the Regents. I still want my Ph.D. That's not even arguable. But what I plan on doing with my doctorate has changed entirely. Not sure if this would happen right after I defend, since my department really doesn't help you get ready for a job in government administration, but I could really see myself in OJJDP [Office of Juvenile Justice and Delinquency Prevention] and I'm working on securing, at the very least, an internship there."

Another factor that was instrumental in helping grads decide upon careers in the government sector was perceived social impact. In other words, some individuals mentioned that they felt they could make more of a social impact if they were working directly for a government agency rather than from an academic institution. It was explained that professors and researchers working for colleges and universities make significant social changes and contribute to awareness and critical thinking. However, they may not necessarily be able to implement change as quickly or be as visible and as influential as someone who holds a position within a government agency. It seemed that holding a position in government could be more far-reaching, impacting more people and creating meaningful policy changes.

"I'll admit the money is so much more attractive. But you know how we were talking about all that "real" world crap? (Laughing.) Well, I figure I can do more damage to the "real" world by working in the government and helping to run the show! (Chuckles.) Seriously, I admire and respect that profs can help to inspire students to think critically and to expose them to issues they have been largely naïve and protected from. Don't get me wrong, I love that. But when I really stop to deconstruct it, I get so frustrated that you can spend a lifetime doing that and only touch a small part of the general population, you know, the "lucky" ones who even get to go to a college. If I can work as "Ms. Government-Somebody," I can intercede, develop policies and help to change things more directly. I know I'm being quasi-romantic about changing the world and stuff, but I think I can make more of a difference that way. …And did I happen to mention the money seems to be better?"

Social change: Working for non-profit, activist, grassroots organizations:

Other discussants relished the idea of receiving their degrees and working directly with communities through non-profits and grassroots organizations. Some grad students emphasized their goals of developing and organizing their own grassroots or non-profit programs. For those who sought to work in the non-profit arena, social change and awareness building motivated their decisions to seek alternate careers.

Many were activists even while working on their graduate degrees. One such person volunteered her time at a homeless youth and runaway program while completing her M.A. The volunteer work that she was involved in while working on her degree helped her to decide where she wanted to go with her career after graduating, as well as served as inspiration for her thesis.

"Many of the people in my cohort were making plans to go on and earn their Ph.D.s in something or other. I had those same thoughts too, and I am thinking I will go back soon, but I just felt like I could do so much more. Also, it didn't hurt that my volunteering led me to make some vital contacts in the community. The networking you do during graduate school, like when you attend conferences, is so important, but the networking you do within the community can be outstanding to your career too. I never really knew how connected various non-profits and social services agencies are. I mean, they know each other and each other's programs to a certain extent, and I had so many people tell me that they could help me communicate with so-and-so at this program, or so-and-so from that organization. It became very collaborative and I was seeing the impact that these programs were making on people's lives while grappling with extant social issues. That was important for me. Knowing that I was directly involved with social change and awareness building."

Think-tanking:

Grads who talked about developing careers in research institutions, or think tanks, gave reasons along the same lines as those who were interested in working for grass-roots and non-profit organizations.

Many wanted to contribute to social change and awareness building, but wanted to do so within a more research-oriented environment. These individuals explained that they received more opportunities and training in research than they had in teaching. They felt that they could thrive as researchers but did not necessarily want to be occupying traditional professor roles.

"Okay, I'll admit it. I love doing research. I like it a lot more than teaching. Teaching gives me hives! I love working with statistics and having all these opportunities to work with someone on his or her research design. It's exciting to see how some of this research is conceptualized and what we can do with the data and analyses once the project comes to fruition. I am pretty sure that I would be happiest in a think tank. Even if it's a small role in NIJ or NCJRS [National Criminal Justice Reference Service] in the beginning, I would love to build my career off of doing that than developing my C.V. for university positions."

Going corporate:

Only a handful of graduate students I spoke with were gravitating towards using their degrees for private sector, or corporate careers. For example, one or two discussed thinking about applying for law school after graduating. They explained that having law degrees would complement the training and academic development they acquired while working on their Master's and doctorate degrees and vice versa.

"I would like to get my J.D. after I do this. Perhaps practice law and use the skills I've developed in graduate school and really be able to provide more concrete efforts to help the community. Also, I think that I could be more effective as an attorney with my background in public policy and crim."

Still others thought about working as consultants for established companies or starting up their own consulting businesses. Rather than following a more traditional route with their degrees, these individuals were developing strategies to use their graduate education as a tool to create and to develop their own businesses consulting and providing research for various public and private agencies. One of the students had interned with a private research company that was started up by a professor emeritus. After working for this research firm, he explained that he felt more motivated to try consulting upon graduating.

". . . To be my own boss. After I worked for "B___ & H______," I saw the potential that we have to work as private research consultants. I think that this would be a great opportunity for recent graduates to work towards as they start up careers. It can even be something that I can do on the side until I establish my name and attract clients. My advisor was working for his former chair who is now spending all his time on this research firm he created while he was on still at ______. He put a lot of energy into it when he was on sabbatical or when he bought out classes, so he was really able to make time to put himself into his private consulting. It seems like he has so much more autonomy and can give his career whatever direction he wants. It seems like you have to have quite a bit of ambition and not be too afraid of taking some calculated risks, but I think what I plan on doing when I'm done is teach at a liberal arts college or a community college and work on my ideas to develop my own consulting/research company."

¹ Because of the overwhelming response, I have decided to extend the topic of teaching into the next issue. If you sent a comment about teaching, or asked or responded to a question about teaching that doesn't appear here, look for it in the Summer 2005 issue.