From: I
Sent: Saturday, November 03, 2018 1:07 PM
To: Walter Block <[email protected]>
Subject: question
Dear Walter,
There is a teaching job that I am tempted to apply for. Would you advise me to do that? I suspect they would not contact my higher-ups here and get me into trouble, but who knows. Do you have any experience of this kind? How common is this? Thanks, I
Dear I:
I got fired from the Fraser Institute for looking for another job (after my boss Mike Walker told me that my next book would have to be on the benefits of govt; I told him it would be a very short book, but he said he was serious; I also declined to ghost write for him, and he didn’t take too kindly to that).
But my understanding is that in academia this does not ever happen. So, I would urge you to apply not only to X, but, anywhere you want to.
On the other hand, I’m paranoid about tenure. I didn’t get it until I was 60 years old. How many years have you so far been at Y? If 4-5, then, maybe, wait until you get tenure, and then look for other jobs, but, insist on being awarded tenure at your next school, going in.
On the other hand, if you’ve only been there at Y for 2-3 years, then, maybe, at your next job, if you go anywhere else, ask for a reduced tenure clock. Instead of 6 years, once again, then as few as you can manage
I rarely look for other jobs. If I got an offer (unlikely, since I’m 77), I wouldn’t take it without tenure.
Best regards,
Walter
5:26 pm on March 28, 2019
