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Univ. of Chicago Clarifies Obama's Professor Status | 97 comments (97 topical)

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a little more demanding... (5.00 / 1) (#56)
by workingclass artist on Fri Mar 28, 2008 at 02:05:11 PM EST
I agree with you.It would have been more correct to make the distinction because there is a difference in pay, and academic load. I'm not that impressed as visiting lecturers, senior lecturers are not required to continue research or publishing as well as teach a rigorous load. The Obama equinalent in my academic field is the Visiting Artist, which as students we called the Art Stars, as these were people who either taught a class or had studio critiques usually for one semester. They attracted enrollment,and funding. At Obama's level of Senior Lecturer, in my field the equivalent would be the Artist In Residence, which usually included more duties and the research/publishing equivalent of a year end exhibition. At least in my field a visiting or resident artist wouldn't think of calling themselves a professor on a CV, unless they were a professor at another school and visiting on sabbatical. The school has come to his defense, but their standard is kinda unique. Wonder if Obama got sabbaticals, and other tenure goodies? It's a quibble of an argument, but then again that's what academics specialize in.

[ Parent ]
So I was an 'Art Star', eh? (none / 0) (#64)
by nycstray on Fri Mar 28, 2008 at 02:26:55 PM EST
Much more fun than Visiting Artist ;) I was asked to teach 1 class, 1 semester which evolved to more classes/semesters. I always just considered myself an instructor and honestly didn't remember what we were called until I read your comment.

Maybe I should update my info, lol!~ ;)

[ Parent ]

I always kind of liked my "Instructor on (none / 0) (#72)
by oculus on Fri Mar 28, 2008 at 02:59:59 PM EST
Piano" title, but "professor" has a bunch more cache.  

[ Parent ]
Nope, not much of a cache (none / 0) (#90)
by Cream City on Fri Mar 28, 2008 at 04:33:14 PM EST
by retirement, i.e., not much cash.  But yep, you bet it's good for cachet. :-)

Seriously, I'm cracking up at the mental picture that comes from seeing "Instructor on Piano."  I'm picturing one of those '40s female lounge singers draped across a piano, flashing her gams a la Garbo.

[ Parent ]

Good thing I was never hired to teach (5.00 / 1) (#94)
by oculus on Fri Mar 28, 2008 at 04:41:12 PM EST
French.

[ Parent ]
I love "Instructor on Piano."! :) (none / 0) (#121)
by nycstray on Fri Mar 28, 2008 at 10:48:01 PM EST


[ Parent ]
As long as you were called (none / 0) (#89)
by Cream City on Fri Mar 28, 2008 at 04:31:07 PM EST
back, that's what counts.:-)  You must have had good student evals and have been a good colleague, if parttime.  Not a pain-in-the-neck like some I know who complain that they teach as much as some faculty  . . . and entirely ignore that teaching is usually considered less than half (40 percent, often) of a fulltime faculty job, with all else that they do.

Re good student evals, they won't buy a cup of coffee, not even at knockoffs of Starbucks.  But they make it all worthwhile, Art Star!

[ Parent ]

Yeah, I was happy to be called back :) (5.00 / 1) (#123)
by nycstray on Fri Mar 28, 2008 at 11:06:11 PM EST
It was a smaller dept at the time. I actually helped map out some of the program requirements when I was a student there and the first Grad from it. After I moved to NYC, I would run into some of my students here and was lucky enough to hire a couple.

I'm usually pretty easy to get along with in colleague situations. And I enjoy teaching. and Starbucks wasn't 'born' yet! lol!~ The pat on the back was good enough for me :)

[ Parent ]

No. An instructor is not an Art Star. An (none / 0) (#111)
by derridog on Fri Mar 28, 2008 at 07:50:02 PM EST
instructor is generally an adjunct or part timer but could be a one year appointment.  In research universities, "famous"  people working in a particular field professionally are often brought in to teach under conditions that would make an adjunct think he or she died and went to heaven. It would also have that effect on the average professor, who usually does fourteen times the work for a fraction of the money.   I used to teach at a major research university and we brought in several "art stars."  Sometimes they'd just come for a semester and sometimes a year. We had an illustrator for several years who was quite well known and he flew in a couple of days a week from NYC and taught his classes and went home. Never lifted a finger otherwise and made a huge salary.

[ Parent ]
I was originally called in for (none / 0) (#122)
by nycstray on Fri Mar 28, 2008 at 10:56:19 PM EST
just a one semester deal (after a couple guest lectures). Ended up staying on growing to 4-5 classes and interns in my commercial studio. I never really thought much about my position, it was more about the teaching for me, and the fact I could take free  sculpture classes! :)

I seem to remember having one of those teachers that flew in when I was a student (oh, so long ago!) Now I have to go google him, lol!~

[ Parent ]

Univ. of Chicago Clarifies Obama's Professor Status | 97 comments (97 topical)

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