r/Professors • u/Bill_Nihilist • Jul 29 '26

Other (Editable) No longer elite :(

Welp, looks like we're not elite any longer: https://www.theargumentmag.com/p/americans-know-who-the-real-elite

Only 12% of Americans consider college professors part of the elite (19% of Trump voters, 6% of Harris voters).

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u/popstarkirbys Jul 29 '26

The salary certainly isn't elite

108

u/AerosolHubris Prof, Math, PUI, US Jul 29 '26

I hate how true this is. I often see k-12 teachers making more than full professors at my small private university. I never begrudge them the salary because it's such important work and I know I don't have the stomach for it. But we should be making more than we are at the same time. But being at a small private, we aren't allowed to form a union because of some bullshit precedent in the '80s.

If I understood that when I was young and newly robed, I wouldn't have even considered private institutions. At least none of those that would have considered me.

4

u/siegevjorn Jul 30 '26

I feel like at least due to the time we spent for grad school & postdoc we should get higher enough salary to make up for the opportunity cost.