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Teaching in a College or University
Description
Your duties will include; teaching between one and four classes
each semester, having office hours so that your students can meet
with you, being on several committees, and advising students. If
you're in a university, you must also write and do research which
must lead to publication in academic journals.
Typical career path
In a junior college or vocational college you will need a minimum
of a Bachelor's degree to begin teaching, but a Master's degree
might be necessary to be competitive.
At the university level, if you are in the right place at the
right time to start as a full-time instructor, a Master's degree
might be enough. More realistically, a Ph.D. will be necessary to
teach at the university level full-time.
Best advice for those who want to break into teaching would be
to get a course guide and identify courses that you would be
interested in teaching; There are probably more than you realize.
If you have the education and experience, contact the Department
Head of the Hospitality program to inquire if they use any
part-time (called adjunct) instructors.
Many colleges and universities need adjunct instructors to
supplement their full-time instructors. You will probably feel
fairly comfortable teaching several of the courses, especially
with some coaching from the department chair. One caution... Just
because you know it doesn't guarantee that you can teach it.
Lifestyle
There's a feeling of freedom and flexibility because there is
really no direct supervision like you are used to in management.
Classes can be day or evening, depending on the needs of the
students. Note that the lifestyle of an instructor is deceptive.
Even though your physical hours in the classroom appear to be few,
you will work much more than you think; even with few classes to
teach, you could be working 40-50 hours and more each week.
Best Parts
- No one is looking over your shoulder; there's no real
supervisor monitoring your every move.
- You can have a positive impact on students.
- You can stay connected to the foodservice industry, while
not being directly in it.
- Typical semester courses run 15 weeks.
Worst Parts
Students can be very apathetic which can lead to frustration.
(Remember, you can't fire them...) Also, you can forget about that
nice bonus that you're used to.
Pay, Perks and Benefits
At most colleges and universities, you will work 9 months per
year, but your pay will be spread over 12 months. You'll be free
to work or pursue other activities during the summer. Often you
and your children can take classes either free of charge or for
drastically reduced tuition. Being part of campus life is
stimulating and it is very rewarding to see your students
graduate. Finally, the campus environment is exciting, refreshing
and rewarding.
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