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Teaching-like impact in alt-ac jobs?

In our newest "how can we help you?" thread, a reader asks:

This is an alt-ac query. I'm reading through some of the older threads here and I see a lot of people state their dislike for teaching as a reason to leave academy. I currently teach mostly at the gened/intro level with a heavy teaching load, though I do get some upper level stuff and have managed to form relationships with students in the major (I run a reading group, for example). Despite the much less than ideal teaching circumstances, I love teaching and love the tiny impacts that philosophy is able to have on people, especially the many students today who view college as job training and initially hate having to take my class. I'm a VAP who has helped organize several guest speakers and an undergraduate symposium – I say this to make clear that I give a shit about the students, a big one, as it were.

That said, I am thinking about leaving academia. The primary reason is that I don't the current state of academic institutions – in the humanities at least – serves to facilitate real education (perhaps I'm an idealist), let alone good research. Everything from teaching to research is hollowed out by the quantitative. Administrators are hostile towards humanities programs and, I'm sorry to say, academics in secure jobs are too scared to do anything about it. As much as I love what I do, I feel forced into a position where to continue, I have to sacrifice my future, financially, but potentially things like health and other material opportunities. I own nothing and a university lecturer position (seemingly my most realistic hope) will not alter my financial situation in any way.

So my question is – where outside academia might I find ways to impact people in this way? The transfer of ideas, the opening of a mind, even a little, I would like to continue doing this. But most industry jobs seem to lose that dimension and most people who leave for industry seem like they have a 'take it or leave it' relationship to teaching. I suspect I'll continue to 'research' and write regardless of what pays the bills (I do it now and it's technically not part of my job).

I empathize with the OP's plight, and suspect there are many academic philosophers who do. And their question is a good one.

Are there alt-ac jobs where one can make the type of impact we make with students? If so, how can one find of them? 

I am aware of places like Rethink Priorities and various think-tank type jobs which aim to make an impact in terms of transferring ideas, opening minds, and making a difference in the world. But I know very little about this stuff as a relative outsider who has spent my career in academic. So, I think it would be great to hear from people in the alt-ac world.

Do you have any helpful insights to share to the OP and others like them?

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7 responses to “Teaching-like impact in alt-ac jobs?”

  1. Greg Stoutenburg

    I still adjunct a few courses a year and volunteer in various ways that scratch the itch OP mentions. It’s possible to have impact in that way that is separate from one’s full-time job. But even in one’s full-time job, it’s possible to mentor others, etc.

    Reply
  2. Jacob Joseph Andrews

    K-12 teaching. I’m fortunate to teach at a private school that aligns with my values and prioritizes the humanities and the personal development of students, and resists a lot of the contrary trends in academia.
    Social work and adjacent. I also work/live at a transitional housing program for homeless youth. Lots of opportunities to open people’s minds, help them see new things about the world and themselves; and also to learn from someone who’s had very different life experiences than you.
    Neither of these are the most lucrative fields, of course. And you probably won’t be talking about philosophy, exactly. But the impact, in my best moments, reminds me of the best parts of my time teaching college.

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  3. stick with it

    If you love teaching, I would try to find a way to stay in academia. I understand how hard that can be, and the sacrifices involved can be huge, but if I were you, I would concentrate my efforts on securing a stable teaching position. You’re 100% right about the institutional situation. What do we do, as individuals/departments, when placed in that kind of institutional context? All of the things that you mentioned (form good relationships, teach well, have reading groups, etc.). In other words, as individuals/departments we do all of these (wonderful) things in spite of the junk institutional context in which we’re forced to operate. I get that, at a certain point, that might not be feasible. But there are options out there, esp when it comes to teaching heavy positions. You won’t get rich, but who ever thought that they would by pursuing this line of work?

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  4. Derek Bowman

    In terms of potentially well-paying jobs that directly involve the sort of impact you’re seeking, Jacob is right about K-12 teaching. I’ll make another comment later with some more specific (second hand) advice on that front.
    You can also find a lot of ideas of alternative forms of philosophical teaching and engagement in the various interviews I did a few years back at https://freerangephilosophers.com/ (philosophy for kids, philosophy in prisons, educational assessment, design, popular writing). But many of these will fit better into Greg’s category of side-gigs and volunteering than a suitable career path.
    You might also look toward teaching local adult education courses on philosophical topics that interest you. And some areas have ethics centers or other public philosophy initiatives. See, e.g. https://www.a2ethics.org/ and https://www.publicphilosophyweek.org/
    In terms of side gigs: I’ve continued to be involved with organizing my state’s high school ethics bowl, which can be very rewarding. I also tutor a student who is engaged in a distance learning philosophy degree program. I only have the one student, but my sense is that others provide more regular commercial philosophy tutoring (typically over the internet).
    But I’ve also tried to broaden my horizon with respect to what kind of contributions I find satisfying. As Les Green reflects here (in a different context), there are lots of ways we can use our abilities to make a positive impact on the world. https://ljmgreen.com/2020/03/31/jurisprudence-in-a-pandemic/
    On the question of whether you should stick with it, I would recommend this productive back and forth between Marcus and I on a version of this question in the comments here: https://philosopherscocoon.typepad.com/blog/2014/11/why-you-should-still-maybe-be-a-professor.html

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  5. SLAC Prof

    I second suggestions about k-12 teaching. Pay and benefits, depending on the state, are good, especially pension plans. Independent school teaching, though often lower paying at the start, open up possibilities for leadership roles like Dean of Student Life, etc.
    Well-resourced colleges will often also have active first-year programs and full-time positions dedicated to student mentoring. These positions, though not tenure track, have their rewards, and the compensation and job security will be greater than what is possible in a VAP role. Though this isn’t an alt-ac suggestion, it sounds like OP enjoys working with college students. A good friend of mine left a tenured position at an under-resourced SLAC for an advising position at a well-resourced R1, and is very happy in the role.

    Reply
  6. Derek Bowman

    On the K-12 option:
    I know a few philosophy PhDs who have gone into Middle School and High School teaching at independent schools (meaning private schools). Unlike public schools, these jobs typically do not require a teaching certification of the sort one usually gets through an education degree. What I report here is all knowledge/advice I was given by those teachers – I have no experience of my own here.
    Depending on the region and the school, these jobs can pay quite well, at least compared to the baseline of non-tenure-track academic positions. They can involve some direct philosophy education, but your primary teaching will almost certainly be in more traditional pre-college subjects, such as history, social studies, classics, literature, writing, math, or science. You don’t need a degree in those fields, but you’ll need to be able to provide some evidence of your ability to teach at least one of those subjects well.
    My sense is that some of the better paying jobs will be at boarding schools. They may or may not want you to live on campus (which can mean that your housing and even meals are paid for), but you’ll be expected to lead extracurriculars, share in ‘dorm duty,’ and engage in other forms of residential guidance and mentoring.
    When I first considered this option the standard recommendation was to try to find a recruiter from Carney Sandoe who can help you prepare your application and find suitable placement. I still hear that recommendation, but I’ve heard from others that the company has grown too big and is no longer as effective at guiding and vetting candidates. https://www.carneysandoe.com/
    I have heard that Educator’s Ally has a good reputation, but again I have no experience of my own to offer. You can find a list of independent school placement agencies here: https://www.nais.org/careers/teacher-placement-services/

    Reply
  7. Higher Ed is Burning

    Here’s what I have done. Look first at philosophical counseling (see appa.edu & https://npcassoc.org/) and, since one cannot hope to make a living doing this, quickly move next to consider getting an MA in mental health counseling or, if you’re young enough and determined enough, a PsyD in mental health counseling. You can very much use your philosophical academic training to make a transformative difference in clients’ lives as a therapist, most of whom are ill equipped to help clients think through in profound ways meaning of life crises and ethical problems. But philosophers with mental health training are. And philosophers are naturals at offering CBT and are likely to be quite good at it. There is also existential therapy. CBT is rather like Stoicism. Positive psychology is really Nicomachean Ethics, but with less substance. An awful lot of therapy modalities are derived from philosophical positions, even if this is often unacknowledged. Of course, non-PsyD therapists are not known for making tons of money. But it’s an option to consider. I’m in an MA program, now. And I absolutely plan to incorporate philosophical insights into therapy once in private practice.

    Reply

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