A place for our plethora of underemployed PhDs to brainstorm (Master’s degrees and ABDs welcome, too!). C’mon people, we’re smart enough to figure this out, aren’t we?
Have an advanced degree, but don’t have a great job to go with it?
Want to join forces, and find ways to keep ourselves financially solvent while doing the work that we love? Help us find allies – please print and post fliers.
Let’s see what we can do when we put our big brains together.
What are you interested in working on? (take the poll)
“…To change something, build a new model that makes the existing model obsolete.” – R. Buckminster Fuller
I’ve added a post about one idea for creating a new college (see link at right).
Leave a comment to say “hello” and share your ideas.
Hello! Thanks, Judy. Here’s the info:
The Workforce Investment Board of Santa Cruz County and Cabrillo College are seeking a consultant to support the formation and operation of a Green Technology Careers Partnership.
The Partnership will bring together stakeholders engaged in developing the workforce for emerging occupations in the green/clean/solar industry sector and in assisting those working in other industries to acquire the skills and knowledge necessary to integrate these technologies and practices into their lines of work. The purpose of the Partnership is to track the need for education in this area and to facilitate a collaborative and comprehensive approach to meeting the need.
Details are available at cccwib.net/ctcp
We hope to contract with someone very quickly. Please forward this email to anyone you think might be interested and qualified.
Rock Pfotenhauer
Dean, Career Education and Economic Development
Cabrillo College
David Lundberg
Acting Director
Santa Cruz County Workforce Investment Board
Thank you! And I’m intrigued by your interestes — esp. ecoliteracy education. I hope to talk with you sometime.
I’m still trying to find ways to make ecoliteracy education the focus of what I do, and move beyond wishful thinking. Part of the inspiration for setting this up was that the courses I developed and taught or planned to teach at Cabrillo with ecoliteracy/sustainability themes are the ones being cut because they are not part of the core curriculum. Of course, it seems to me that at this point in time sustainability needs to BE the core curriculum.
I wanted to share this recent email conversation:
Hi Michelle,
In theory, I like your networking idea. One of the
historical problems around organizing adjuncts is their
scattered work schedules—but, of course, if you aren’t
working, that’s no longer quite the same obstacle! I do
wish, though, that you’d remove the PhD from your working
title: it reeks of elitism, despite your disclaimer. I
imagine the majority of adjuncts, both employed and
not,still have only MAs. Good luck!
Allan
Hi Allan,
It actually was intended to be (kind-of) elitist. Not to exclude, more to highlight just how ridiculous the situation is in the first place. The blog is not so much about “organizing adjuncts” (that’s what the union is for) as it is providing a space to explore alternatives for the over-educated.
This is an interesting conversation, though. Would you mind making it public on the blog?
Thanks,
Michelle
Allan OK’d that, so… any further thoughts or comments?
Interesting discussions about the status of adjuncts/part-timers/non-tenure-track academics can be found on http://equalpayforequalwork.blogspot.com/
I did grasp the intended irony stated above, how this economic time is so bad, even Phd’s are out of work. I think the name will attract the people who fit in this group — it’s a good name, easy to remember, catchy with a nerdy touch. If you change the name change it to emphasize the contrast, like ‘Unemployed PhD’s, “PhD’s Without a Job” or “PhD’s Without a Cause” , but keep the Phd part. I think the statement about accepting MA’s, MSc’s, ABD’s right below makes it clear the spirit is inclusive.
I think this is a great idea!
There is lots of talent out there, and lots of good causes, projects and possibilities in which to focus that talent.
I love the Bucky Fuller quote! And I’ve bookmarked this site. I hope to return after final grades are submitted, when I’ve reached full unemployed status for the summer and can begin to think about thinking about…