What is it like to be a college professor? | Inside a tenure track faculty job

I love teaching, but it's only one part of my job! So what does a tenure-track professor at an R1 university do all day? Research, teaching, and service! Just a day in the life of a college professor. Also meetings. Lots of meetings. If you're a PhD student hoping to go on the academic job market, you may want to watch this first. :)
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LINKS
Why I love academic service by Cliff Lampe: / why-i-love-academic-se...
The academic job market, it's not you it's them: / the-academic-job-searc...
Advice for applying to PhD programs: • Applying for PhD Programs
Advice for new grad students: • Advice for New PhD Stu...
I tweet a lot: / cfiesler

[@CaseyFieslerPhD]

Wonderful viewers! Someone told me that they interpreted this video to suggest I don't like or don't care about teaching. :( I hope that is not an impression I give off here at all! I love teaching, and if I didn't I would be an industry researcher and not a professor. If teaching is de-emphasized it's only to make the point that I'm *evaluated* more on research than teaching. But if a professor really does hate teaching, I hope they look for another job.

[@lsubandtrumpet2014]

What is an 'R1' university?

[@CaseyFieslerPhD]

basically a university that emphasizes research

[@kazemicode]

Didn’t get that impression at all. I also wanted to say that I love the collection of books featured in the background!

[@m-sa4335]

Those criticize you probably don’t know about academic works well. Many people see professors like teachers!

[@danimspaulino09]

I can tell you do care a lot about teaching :)) but I know how the system works lol

[@stargirl6839]

now I am 15 years old girl. I will be 16 in 5 months and I am in the 11th grade as a student in Iraq. I decided a year ago that I want to become a university professor in the future in English literature, and this is the only job I would never doubt about, and I am very excited to build this. I also hope to travel to another country if I can, but in any case, I am a hard worker and a dreamer, so I believe that I can bear anything for the sake of my dream. Also, I loved this woman very much. She speaks slowly so that everyone understands what she is saying. I hope she continues to create Videos and I will definitely support you

[@farhatmuhmmed604]

ماشاء الله❤❤

[@stargirl6839]

@@farhatmuhmmed604 💕

[@melaniejanecampbell370]

Thank you so much for this video Casey! This is exactly the kind of video that I have been searching for as I will shortly be starting my PhD in the UK hoping to one day become a college professor. Your video gives great insight into the work of a college professor especially for those who are hoping to start an academic career. Thank you once again for your infectious enthusiasm and insight!!

[@CaseyFieslerPhD]

Oh you're so welcome! Good luck on your PhD!!

[@amrdel2730]

I'm doing PhD in Algeria and I hope to get a job as a university professor too nice info

[@MyriamLewkowicz]

Thanks for this video!! Fascinating to see how my job is exactly like yours, even if I am based in a French University! Of course the system is very different, in particular the way we are hired and evaluated, but the job is 100% the same! I am thinking of sharing your videos with my students... And I also experience all the time people asking me about what do I teach :-(

[@CaseyFieslerPhD]

Ha indeed! And I bet you also have categories of tasks that add up to more than 100% of your time. :D

[@panagiotetsolis4017]

Hello Myriam, I’m currently an assistant professor in the USA while finish my PhD in the USA. I have Greek citizenship as well and would like to teach in Europe when I graduate. Would you be so kind to share with me how the system is different? I appreciate your time. Pete

[@amrdel2730]

Hello I am a PhD student in Algeria hoping to get a job as a university teacher, and I think we here have a system much closer to you in France then the USA one

[@TheNickmeister5]

Thank you for sharing this. I am a professor with academic and clinical responsibilities. Currently my workload is 70% clinical, 20% teaching, and 10% administrative (notice the lack of time dedicated to research). However, I am starting a new full-time academic position in July at a Medical School in upstate New York where my responsibilities will be 65% teaching, 25% research/administrative, and 10% service. I am really looking forward to this new position.

[@amandanaseri]

Thank you for sharing all this info! It's great to hear from someone in academia who is living it! Really helpful to dispel myths about academia and helps those who are thinking about going into it to. Thank you again! Found this super helpful! I'm finishing my undergrad and am thinking about jumping into a Masters (I live in Canada, and would need to do an MA before a PhD for my field).

[@bo_broadwater]

Hi! Great video! I am currently a postdoc and first-gen college student, so I have a difficult time explaining what a faculty position looks like to my family. Now I can just share this with them. Thank you for the great resource!

[@CaseyFieslerPhD]

Oh you're welcome! It really can be so hard to get family to understand!

[@bananamangoes01]

Ok I just wanna say I was wandering around KZbin and I bumped into this beautiful channel. The happiest coincidence I experienced in a longggg time. Currently a Med student and I would love to have a job like this! Thank you soooo much for the valuable insight and info and hope joy always shines upon your days! Love youuu 🤍

[@kentigar]

Thank you so much for this wonderful, human, joyful video!

[@CaseyFieslerPhD]

oh that's such a nice compliment, thank you!

[@lsubandtrumpet2014]

Casey, I just received a job as a college instructor! I am super excited!

[@CaseyFieslerPhD]

Congratulations!!!

[@lsubandtrumpet2014]

@@CaseyFieslerPhD thank you!

[@VirtualTeachingPro]

Congrats on your new job and welcome to the college professor club :) Have a fantastic Fall semester!

[@lsubandtrumpet2014]

@@VirtualTeachingPro thank you!

[@vikitoriyaChihuahua]

Thank you, professor, for your videos!

[@visuallanguage]

Very insightful video. I can tell that you're an awesome teacher, and bonus you are teaching me about teaching right now. So grateful to have found you!! Powerhouse! p.s. Love the teeny tiny Loki in the background. 💚

[@bonniejeandominguez656]

How do I go from instructor to professor? All I have is a masters, but I love research! Everything about your job sounds perfect for me. I am doing research on my own and plan to present at a conference next year. This would be my second "non archival publication conference presentation."

[@CaseyFieslerPhD]

Tenure track professor positions typically require a terminal degree - I have a video on steps to becoming a professor!

[@hope2021-p5t]

are you still making videos, i found your show so informative

[@CaseyFieslerPhD]

This can be answered by looking at my channel and seeing what I’ve been posting. :)

[@hope2021-p5t]

@@CaseyFieslerPhD thanks Dr. Casey, i will be following you, i hope you can drop me your email.i wanna reach you out to get more information about assistant professor position in the US.

[@ProfessorMommy]

So glad to find your video!, Casey! What a great video for doctoral students or people like me in tenure track!

[@CaseyFieslerPhD]

Oh thanks! I'm glad it was helpful. :) I'd love to see the same kind of thing from someone farther along than me, too!

[@hassaantariq8031]

Loved watching the video. Its so much close to what I do. I work as a Lecturer and the only difference is that we are not expected to give a Research output! Hurrrayyyy! Sounds good but our employer balances that by making 50% service and 50% teaching! 😃

[@aveeno18]

Thank you. This was rather informative. I am currently an adjunct and I hope to gain a tenure track position once I finish my doctorate.

[@robbycharmed]

update? did you finish?

[@aveeno18]

@@robbycharmed thank you for asking!!! I did finish! Lol. I guess I need to update my name on youtube.

[@robbycharmed]

@@aveeno18 haha congratulations on all your hard work!!

[@aveeno18]

Thank you so much!!! I did decide to go another route for now. I am a school principal now and still and adjunct. Hoping to maybe open my own organization or find that perfect tenure track position in the future.

[@konstantinospapangelis5561]

Great video Casey!

[@AlMazingpittsburghmagician]

As a novice educator, thank you for sharing this.

[@KWHo-gg8ec]

Love your videos! Thanks for sharing your experiences. I always wonder how it is like to be a professor / academic but I feel intimidated to ask my professor.

[@CaseyFieslerPhD]

Oh I'm glad this was useful! A lot of professor jobs look really different than mine though. :)

[@VirtualTeachingPro]

In my field of musical theatre our terminal degree is an MFA so luckily we don't necessarily need a PhD for R1 university positions. So. many. meetings as a full time tenured professor though! I don't think anyone understands the amount of work we do that actually doesn't happen inside the classroom. It's one of those jobs that you don't understand the full extend of until you are in it. Best wishes in your classes this year!

[@CaseyFieslerPhD]

Thanks, same to you!

[@petluv214]

Thank you for clarifying the role of tenure track faculty. I am a teaching faculty and program director. Yes we wear many hats. Thank you for sharing.

[@zahraabdulla_]

Iam so happy to start my new career as a teacher 😍❤️! Thank you GOD 🙏🏻❤️ الحمدلله الحمدلله الحمدلله

[@larissacury7714]

The kind of video I was looking for!

[@Desialeece]

This is so fascinating. I stumbled across this video after searching how to get into teaching at the college level. 1000 recommended videos later and here I am. Great video!

[@CaseyFieslerPhD]

Ha thanks! Glad it was helpful!

[@VirtualTeachingPro]

Yes, she did such a fantastic job explaining this! I always suggest talking to a professor in your field to get an idea of their path and what it was like just to get an idea of what to expect. Most of the time it's navigating the application process that's the most challenging.

[@jackjoyce8070]

I have always had a fear of professors. Why? because I have seen videos and heard rumours about them having legal rights to intimidate/bully and verbally abuse their students if they are not meeting their expectations when it comes to school work. Yes, we all had bad teachers in our academic careers, but some of my teachers in high school told me that professors are 10 times more strict that regular school teachers, which caused me to be afraid of them. I know, they are people just like us, but the thing that makes be terrified of professors is their academic freedom and tenure positions. I fear that these stick in their mind and they think they can do anything they want to their students without losing their job. that's a huge reason why I am terrified to go to college. in cinema, television, literature, and other forms of media about college, they would sometimes portray the professor as a bully to the students, which is another reason why I'm very scared of them. other silly stereotypes that I believed in where the fact that professors get annoyed if you ask questions during class, I don't know if office hours are just to ask questions relating to the class or if you need help/tutoring with school assignments or if you need help to study for a test or exam like regular teachers do. I'm not saying your are scary just because you are a professor, it's just that I have been trying my hardest to figure out if professors can act like normal teachers, support wise. for example, caring about students needs and struggles, respecting and being kind to students, offering help with academic work, getting to know their students as individuals, of course, professors are just normal people, but I was always terrified of a person's job title or position because I deeply fear that the person with a very high position like a university professor has the freedom to do anything they want to the student. most college students are very stressed because of the intense and strict pressure their professors put on them based on their academic performence. now I have learned that these scary thoughts I had are not true at all. I hope one day I can go to college and just remind myself that professors are basically teachers with a higher position and has other duties besides teaching. and I will always remind myself that they want you to succeed in your academics, they want to help you learn new things, they want to get to know you, and best of all, they want to see you just being yourself. I know that's not always the case, but it would be very nice for students to have a positive college experience.

[@MissNarcissism]

Thank you for another interesting video! But what question about your job would you rather be sick of answering?

[@CaseyFieslerPhD]

Hmmm you mean what do I wish people would ask me instead? I'm not sure! But it's definitely more fun to talk to people about my research than about my classes. :)

[@isaiahbaggett5014]

9:10 "We're just going to wait for it to be over (puts head down in defeat)" - uttered by EVERY professor/teacher in the history of education :P

[@eddieibarra356]

Hi Casey I am currently working on my bachelor's, and later working on my master's in media studies so I could be a communication college professor, I love teaching It is my dream job to be a college professor and teach communication at a university or junior college. Hopefully I become a college professor but of course I need skills and experience in order to be a college professor I can't be a college professor fresh out of grad school, hopefully My dream job become true until then I will be happy.

[@phillipscrossstitchtherapy4068]

So, I was wondering, if I want to get experience after getting my Ph.D, is it possible to teach a few classes at a university and not get a full time job? I feel like getting my feet wet like that would be nice to see if I enjoy university teaching the same as k-12 teaching. I just wasn't sure what this would be or how to go about asking for this type of employment.

[@CaseyFieslerPhD]

The term you’re looking for is adjunct professor!

[@amrdel2730]

Hi thanks for sharing your experience I am doing PhD in Algeria and I'm hoping to get a job as a university professor and do career in it thanks for sharing

[@capablecareers]

Thank you! This video was fabulous. You might not be able to advise on this but is the grant writing as big of a deal for humanity faculty?

[@CaseyFieslerPhD]

My understanding is usually not, but that would be made clear in any particular department, so it's easy enough to find out!

[@capablecareers]

@@CaseyFieslerPhD Thank you!

[@clarysstoryboard3317]

If you take want to do the Day in the Life of a Professor (Zoom Edition) video you could do it in a "study with me" type format as long as you feel like it fits into the general content you do. Considering that your target demographic is students, people might like that.

[@Noneya-b7t]

This might sound bad but my goal would not be tenure b/c I might not necessary want to be glued there

[@CaseyFieslerPhD]

Tenure doesn't mean that you're stuck somewhere. Tenured professors change jobs all the time! But there are also lots of other types of jobs outside of the tenure track.

[@dr.johnpaul7374]

I received my first degree a doctor of divinity from a college that is associated with the church I go to but it's not accredited and then I got a PhD from the University from India but it's also its accredited but it's not going to be recognized by colleges in the United States, is a possible that I could get a teaching position in a College and be a professor. it's not good solid education more important than accreditation?

[@floBar51651]

It would have helped to know how many hours you work per week.

[@CaseyFieslerPhD]

I'm not sure why. :) It's also a very very difficult number to calculate.

[@DavidB75311]

#NominateCaseyFieslerForSupremeCourt

[@CaseyFieslerPhD]

I'm afraid they'll dig up my fanfiction during the confirmation hearing.

[@ObsidianWisdom]

Hi Casey, I just found this video and followed you on LinkedIn. I would love to get your perspective on how I might become a professor despite my issues with academia as an institution (i.e., publish or perish, inequitable power differentials, and the Black tax on Black professors). Still, I love research, mentoring, and serving.

[@CaseyFieslerPhD]

That's not really a question I can answer for you, unfortunately! It's very personal.

[@meklitgaredew245]

Nice achievement!

[@PrayThenHustle]

I am looking to begin masters in sociology is that a subject you are familiar with as well?

[@CaseyFieslerPhD]

I'm afraid I don't understand what you're asking about!

[@파란구름1414]

It sounds like you do way more work than you maybe get paid for...how do you not get burned out or if you are burnt out how do you ask for breaks from school? Curious as a part-time college instructor 🙂

[@CaseyFieslerPhD]

I do get burnt out but fortunately I enjoy most of my job.

[@joshuathomas1310]

My name is Joshua Thomas and I am a recent MBA and Sport Management graduate from North Greenville University in Tigerville, South Carolina. I am interested in a career in athletic academic advising/support. Do you believe it would be a good idea to get an EDD or PHD before going into that field?

[@CaseyFieslerPhD]

I'm afraid I don't know anything about this field!

[@Steve.Orland]

Hi Casey, thanks for the honest, informative video. If you don’t mind, I’d like your perspective on my situation: I’m finishing a BS in biochemistry next year and will apply for PhD programs in nutritional science this fall. I want to become a teaching professor and don’t really enjoy research, but I’m not interested in high school biology or chemistry teaching. Do you think a PhD in my field is still the right option? Or maybe an additional Master’s in Education? Just want to get your experienced opinion … Thanks 😊

[@CaseyFieslerPhD]

I'm afraid I can't really help you with this! I recommend asking someone in your field.

[@finesse5485]

Wish she made more videos

[@understandtheuniverse2199]

Please answer me .. please . I am a student who want to pursue physics . I want to research freely without any burden to produce papers of certain quantity. I want to find truth of universe.i want to research a lot on my own will. I should get paid plenty to support myself and did not want to spend my time other than research for a long time ( in others except research). Is the professor job suitable for me . I am indian and chances of becoming a research professor is less for me. If professor is the job that suits my interest (mentioned above) i will go for it with all my might. Since you are experienced tell me can i really expect my expectation of researching a lot get fulfilled by professorship . Please tell me as soon as you see this comment . Thank you

[@CaseyFieslerPhD]

If you only want to spend your time researching and not teaching, you might not enjoy being a professor. Particularly since professor jobs that don't come with the burden to publish tend to be more teaching focused. But of course I can't say anything about what jobs you may or may not be fulfilled by!

[@understandtheuniverse2199]

Thank you for your time and effort

[@shannons3216]

I am working on my master's degree and would like to become an adjunct. However, because I am attending graduate school via an online university I am not going to have the teaching opportunities a more traditional master's degree would offer. Do you have any advice on how I might get that teaching experience? Thank you so much!

[@CaseyFieslerPhD]

I'm afraid I don't know the answer to this! I have no idea if online programs have teaching opportunities for students.

[@danieldelacruz7305]

Give us your yearly schedule. Is it true you only work a few months a year? And you get paid a great salary for it?

[@CaseyFieslerPhD]

Er… did you watch the video? No that is absolutely not true.

[@jonathanvilchez7045]

Hello, Dr. Fiesler why did you choose to work as a teacher and a researcher?

[@CaseyFieslerPhD]

I actually talked a lot about that in this video! kzbin.info/www/bejne/gpa6nZyPgtKLl5Y

[@r.williams8349]

Thank you!

[@umprofessorparticular]

This was my dream job

[@Becomingmybestme]

Very helpful Casey. I'm on the verge of applying to a program, pondering my exit from Corporate America Leadership.

[@stostorama]

You go girl

[@Jay-ef2ii]

Professor Fiesler, I sent you an email. I hope to speak to you. Have a sunny day.

[@747maran]

you should make a video titled, "..What it is like to worry about being unemployed in 5-7 years because of AI.."

[@CaseyFieslerPhD]

That video would be completely irrelevant to a conversation about college professors.

[@pikusarker1359]

Mam how much do you earn as a professor? Nice video.

[@CaseyFieslerPhD]

Professor salaries vary GREATLY by discipline. But salaries are public at many public universities in the U.S. so if you search around you can find salary listings and get an idea for the field that interests you.

[@NotThisShipSister1]

“So you MIGHT not get tenure if your teaching is REAL bad” Oh well thank God for that. We pay our University for just ‘kinda’ bad professors to teach our kids. Wow I almost got worried there. Well, as long as you don’t teach math- not your strong suit…

[@CaseyFieslerPhD]

There are a lot of universities that are more teaching focused and also a lot of really good teachers everywhere! But I think it’s important to acknowledge that there are a ok research focused faculty who aren’t great at teaching, and it is true that (only at research focused universities) we don’t get tenure based on our teaching. Not sure what this has to do with math though!

[@timarrington2245]

We need to get rid of tenure in schools....it has to go. No more or no more taxes. Many of the idiots on campus teach nothing.

[@CaseyFieslerPhD]

Well done, that last sentence is one of the most wrong things anyone has said here in a while, and there have been some doozies!

[@worawatsr9803]

Research track professors don’t focus on teaching. Their main job is doing research.

[@CaseyFieslerPhD]

Well, I think there is a difference between "don't focus on" and "don't care about." I spend a lot more time and energy on teaching than perhaps my job description warrants because I think it's important and I care about it.

[@VladyslavKL]

🕊

[@Saouhsc]

committees committees committees... 🤣

[@finaltheorygames1781]

The joy of academic service.......... nah....... it just makes you feel like you did a service. Okay how much will we charge for lunch for the students? $5... agreed. committee closed.

[@jordanfoltz-k1r]

Long winded bs answer when I all you had to say was CIS or computer / software engineering. Another long winded Professor who can’t find an answer or their ass with both hands and a map.

[@CaseyFieslerPhD]

Hi! Sorry this wasn’t what you needed. I hope you find it elsewhere!