Student protesters have it right + invites and updates

Dear Reader,

I hope you are safe and well these days.

Are you following the student protests on US, Canadian, and other campuses around the world the past few weeks?

A lot of faculty members are shocked by the reactions of senior administrators to what’s happening on their campus greens.

They see themselves in some ways as caregivers for the (mostly) young folks whom they are charged with educating.

They take at face value institutional missions, even if they know these are aspirational and not always reflective of their everyday reality.

So it’s jarring to witness peaceful student protesters be brutalized by militarized police, arrested and jailed, kicked out of school, and barred from campus.

The student demands are entirely reasonable ones: They want their universities to disclose their investments; divest from war, genocide, and Israeli apartheid; and implement a full academic boycott of Israeli institutions.

I too want that.

I’m glad these brave students are using their education for good.

I’m grateful to the faculty members and staff who are standing with them in a variety of ways.

Now, I’m not a student and I don’t work at a university or college. But these folks — professors, postdocs, and other PhDs — are my clients and I’m proud of them. Whether they remain in higher ed or their careers take them elsewhere, they believe it’s worth advocating for a better world, even if it’s uncomfortable and disruptive.

Here’s to an end to genocide, a free Palestine, and our institutions of higher learning acting like they exist to educate students instead of serving the interests of the ruling class.

What’s been happening on your campus, or in your city or region?

You know that I work with PhDs, including professors, who want to leave academia and change careers.

Recognizing that you work for people whose goals and values are completely at odds with human decency can spur you to seek work elsewhere.

Discovering that the shared mission you thought you were all striving toward is but a facade for labor exploitation and transferring capital into corporate coffers can be a wake-up call for educators and researchers.

Realizing that institutions of higher education and advanced research act to oppress more than they do to uplift can radically shift how you feel about your place in the world of work.

Times like these are clarifying.

Clarity is good.

Clarity can inspire reassessment of how much energy you put into your work.

Remember how a few years ago everyone was talking about “quiet quitting”?

It’s this stuff: Doing the job you’re paid to do, need to do to stay employed and earning, but not donating any more of your time or energy to your employer.

That can free up your energy to pursue work (or hobbies, family, life) that does align with your values, priorities, and goals; reflect on what you want and seek out roles and workplaces that align with your newly affirmed needs and desires; or, at minimum, identify which employers won’t demand all of you — body and soul — while giving almost nothing in return.

(It’s the pretense of worthiness that’s more hurtful, eh? That’s the betrayal.)

Ask yourself: What are you clear on now? What will you do next?

(Requisite reminder about my PhD Career Clarity Program! It’s a 6-month self-paced program with live support for folks ready to leave academia and seek meaningful work elsewhere.)

What’s Happening

Summer co-working sessions are now scheduled! These are free and happen Wednesdays at 10am EDT. Sign up: Co-Working Sessions. Join us.
My website is getting a new look! Visit FromPhDtoLife.com. Many thanks to Jennifer van Alstyne for her work on this. She’s amazing to work with! Reach out to her if you’re an academic who wants to improve your online presence.
If you work at a university or related organization, know that I provide professional development workshops. Let me know if you want to discuss bringing me to your campus or office, virtually or on-site: Services for Organizations.
Reminder that you can watch my interactive webinar any time. Share this with your colleagues! Free training for professors, postdocs, and other overworked, underappreciated PhDs ready to change careers.