T. G. I. F.

There is something about Friday arriving that completely changes the work week around from being miserable to somewhat acceptable.  Just one more day of working for the man...  that is to say, unless you are the man.

While college and university professors don't make that much money, they really have the best jobs for what they are being asked to do and how much actual time they are working.

Most colleges and universities want you to teach 12 hours a week or 4 three-hour courses.  At most small college or universities that results in Monday through Thursday with only a half day on Friday especially if you are in the Business Department.

So, in addition to teaching, you must put in about 2 hours per day as office hours in case the student(s) want to come talk with you.  So, now we are looking at 22 hours of work.  You can use those office hours to grade papers or prepare for your classes.

Most colleges and universities then require you to serve on 2 committees that meet each week or each month for 2 hours...  so, if it is weekly then that is another 4 hours or 26 hours of work.  Sometimes these meeting last 3 hours so typically if you count all of it up, college and university professors work 30 hours a week or less.

If you are a department head, then you teach less, but you are pretty much guaranteed you will be working 40-50 hours each week.

Now, if you are a professor, you don't work when the students are not there.  So, you have several days at Thanksgiving, a couple of weeks at Christmas.  And, during the summer, you don't work at all unless you volunteer for summer classes.

Now, the students have a fall and spring break for a week and during those breaks you are required to work 40 hours each of those weeks.

But, there is a catch.

If you want tenure, then you must publish and that requires you to spend those weekly hours from 30-40 researching to become published.  Once you have tenure, you cannot be fired...  but, you have to continue publishing.  Tenured faculty are also required to teach less hours in the classroom as an incentive...  maybe only 9 hours each week and lots of those classes can be taught by grad students.

The last 5 years of my 45 year career was teaching business classes at a small college that became a university.  It was a great way to end one's career.  Plus, I only lived 2 miles from the campus.