选择大学行政岗位的博士毕业生“被认为资历过高”

研究发现,员工欢迎更好的工作与生活平衡但仍面临障碍

三月 26, 2022
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一项新研究发现,博士毕业生正在填充高等教育界的行政岗位,因为这些职位提供了灵活性和更好的工作与生活平衡,但他们仍面临障碍,比如被认为资历过高。

在终身教职竞争日益激烈的情况下,亚利桑那大学(University of Arizona)的研究人员调查了那些完成博士学位后在美国高校中选择替代性职业道路者的经历。

该研究的作者阿利森·尤因-库珀(Allison Ewing-Cooper)和凯瑟琳·加利安(Kathryn Gallien)都拥有博士学位,而且本身也在担任行政职务。他们发现,尽管该研究所有12名受访者都对自己的决定持积极态度并重视行政岗位所提供的工作保障,但许多人仍面临障碍,比如他们被认为不会对职位感到满意,因此不会在此停留太久。

这篇研究发表于《视角:高等教育政策与实践》(Perspectives: Policy and Practice in Higher Education),建议高校采取措施解决这些博士毕业生面临的偏见,并考虑修改职业建议,从而不再假设所有博士生都希望成为学者。他们还呼吁引入将行政与教学和研究相结合的混合职位。

在亚利桑那大学社会与行为科学学院担任学术顾问的加利安博士告诉泰晤士高等教育,她和尤因-库珀博士“对像我们这样的人的职业轨迹感到好奇”。

加里安博士说,她无意中听到了两位没有博士学位的员工间的对话,他们对“这么多”拥有博士学位者申请新的研究生项目协调员职位感到惊讶。其中一位工作人员说,这是“非常可悲的”,因为拥有博士学位的人在继续申请教职前都不会长期留在普通职位上。

她补充说:“在那短暂的互动中,我觉得我听到了许多职工对拥有博士学位的行政人员的看法。”

“阿利森和我一直对我们的职业选择感到高兴,因此假设博士毕业生不应担任初级行政职位或认为这是可悲的想法,这是我俩都想探索的另一个方面。

tom.williams@timeshighereducation.com

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Reader's comments (2)

I think this applies to society more broadly. I am not convinced there is wide acceptance of the fact that some people value work-life balance more highly than salary and/or career progression. There is a default assumption that a competent, qualified employee should naturally want to "progress" to senior management roles. If not, they are deemed to have "unfulfilled potential" or to have "underachieved".
So let me tell you about myself. I had an accomplished academic career. I was an International Fulbright Scholar - a foreign student awarded Fulbright Scholarship to study in the United States universities for a doctoral degree. Those who have an understanding of fellowships, they know what it means to be a Fulbright Scholar. Due to some inevitable medical reasons, I had to request a waiver and work authorization to stay in the United States and find a job. Because I was on a J-1 visa, I was not allowed any graduate assistantship position. Once I graduated and started looking for a job, I stumbled. I was always looking for an administrative job, though an academic position was a priority. I got a community college academic position and started teaching. Interestingly, I found that community colleges pay far more than universities. Four years after teaching at the community college level, I was able to get an R-1 university lecturership position. For the last five years, May is a month of depression because the yearly contract ends and we are put in danger of losing a livelihood. It has been happening every year. My student reviews and passing rates have improved significantly. Nevertheless, employers ditch at the last moment and they do not feel any remorse about it. There is an inherently biased behavior in higher education institutions, particularly in the administration, considering a foreign-born graduate unfit to serve that side of higher education. So far, I have applied for more than 600 administrative jobs. Unfortunately, I have never received a single call for an interview. Those who come with an undergraduate degree rise to higher levels, are paid better, and enjoy job security. On the other, people like me, who work and prefer higher education are ruined. In this sense, acquiring higher education beyond an undergraduate degree is a curse. If someone is interested in looking at the record of 600 applications, I have saved every single thing.
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