Blogs

In our 28- country comparative study of academic salaries (See "Faculty Pay Around the World" by Scott Jaschik), we attempted to convey the value of different salaries by converting salaries to PPP, a mechanism that allowed us to compare the "buying power" of salaries in local economic context. The use of PPP has caused a lot of confusion. In this essay a member of the research team, Gregory Androushchak, attempts to clarify the value of using PPP for a complex comparative study like this one.

At my institution, spring break is now a good three weeks behind us. As the academic year lets out its last gasp of life, the natural world is teeming. At least, it is here in southern Indiana, where we’ve been blessed—er, cursed, depending on your tolerance to tree pollen—with an extremely early spring. Lately, the liveliness, vibrancy, and productivity I see outside of the classroom sometimes contrasts pretty sharply with what’s going on inside. Many of my students are in a Spring Slump, and I’m desperate for them to snap of it because, well, the semester’s not over yet.

I have now completed the last actual class of my degree. I have one Special Studies course to complete this Spring (Jane Austen and Adaptation, woo!) and then I graduate. And while I’m not yet breathing a sigh of relief and soliciting congratulations, I feel that I’m now in a position to reflect back over the course of this program a little, particularly at how I’ve experienced the dual-role I currently straddle.

Salaries, inequity, transparency. And I work too hard.

What electronics do you travel with? Do you bring different digital devices to conferences vs. vacations? How has your device strategy changed as our screens have proliferated, and the era of constant connectivity has emerged?

Check out the newest episode over at podcast.gradhacker.org! Alex and Andrea interview Ethan Watrall and Amanda French to discuss THATCamp; what is it and why should grad students care? The hosts then discuss a number of Gradhacker stories.

Disney princesses got the boot from my seven-year-old last fall. It wasn’t long after she found she could read her giant pink Disney princess book all by herself that she declared it was stupid. “None of them wear pants,” she exclaimed. “Except Jasmine and Mulan. They’re OK.” Note to self: the princess phase only lasted a few years with no major repercussions, at least as far as I can tell. I’m glad I ignored every instinct to fight it and let her be. It was fun and no harm done (at least I hope not).

Last week I wrote about my day, as part of the larger #dayofhighered project of documenting what we academics do. When I left off, I still had about four hours of work to do, and I figured I’d be able to do it in the evening, after dinner.