Women in the Academy & Professions: Dear Mentor: Is it possible to have a family and an academic career?

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I have also know many academic couples who have chosen to share parenting and take a slower career track. While there may be some loss in speed here, the possibility of having both parents engaged in the daily work of caring for kids and home as well as making an income in a vital professional role is a great gift and model for children.

posted on Tuesday, Nov 27, 2007 by Nancy Pedulla

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My story: I did not choose a stellar academic career, but I did choose one that worked with my family. So I did not write a book, obtain tenure, or become a full professor, but I did teach in high ed for years. Once my children were in school, an academic career blended well with family life. Our summer and winter breaks coincided, so my kids and I lots of time together. When younger, my kids would come by my office after school and play on my computer until we'd all go home together. I could not have had those benefits with a traditional 40 hours a week job. My family came before my career. My family life was great and academia was satisfactory.

posted on Thursday, Dec 6, 2007 by Jill

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I was hoping to find out a more realistic solution than an extreme example of letting one of the spouses quit his/her career. We're an academic couple, and as much as I love to do research and write papers, my husband also has his passion for what he is doing. So, if he were forced to quit, he would raise the same question with only reversed gender role. I think this question is a fundamental one and should be addressed from the perspective of social structure, although I admit that each family should find their own solution in the transition period until a more family-friendly job environment can be established in every corner of the society.

posted on Tuesday, Jan 1, 2008 by ES

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As a married academic couple, I plan to stay home (or at least work minimal hours) while my husband pursues tenure. However, it seems difficult to get back into the academic community after an absence of 5-10 years. Publications, an active research program, and contacts are all very important in the hiring process, which are all difficult or impossible to procure while away. I would appreciate hearing from people who have taken this time off then come back to the university or professional work. What steps did they take when reentering? What was most challenging? What advice do you give to those following this time pattern? We all know children take time and can lower lifetime job performance. If I'm willing to sacrifice this, can I still enjoy, participate in, and make an impact in the academic community?

posted on Monday, Mar 31, 2008 by Jane

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It is very encouraging to read these comments concerning family life and academic life. However, as Jane mentioned in her comment it would be very helpful to hear from people that have stayed at home with kids for a few years and then re-entered the academic scene.

posted on Monday, Mar 31, 2008 by Linda

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When I've asked this question to female academics, I usually am told how good it was for her husband to take care of kids or how wonderful the child care was she found. It seems like there truly isn't much balance to be found in the current system. You either go hard or stay away, and I hope that academics/professionals look at how their structure is difficult for people with lives that don't revolve around research. This is particularly true in the sense that we are instructing undergrads and grads for the future and it doesn't show a very healthy or family concerned side of lifestyle. They learn that if you want to get ahead, you have to give it all and leave the rest, who have not sacrificed family needs, behind.

posted on Wednesday, Apr 2, 2008 by Jane

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I have known many successful academic couples who have had successful careers and raised happy, well-balanced children. Extreme options, like quitting one's job, not having children or opting for a less demanding career path, are not the only options available.

posted on Tuesday, Apr 8, 2008 by JM

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I teach in a program that is only undergrad at a school that does have research expectations, but not as high as at a research institution. My school was willing to let me work 1/2 time while my kids were infants and toddlers. I was able to work toward tenure during that time, with the clock ticking at half the rate. Now I teach at 3/4 time (supposedly 30 hours per week). This is a bit more than is ideal, but it allows me to nearly fully participate in my job, as well as be home with my kids after school.

I've found that I tend to mentally work on my research at odd times of the day, such as when folding laundry, watching my kids play at the park, etc. It often actually helped to be forced to drop the work at the end of my work day. Often the breather would give me time to think about things differently...

posted on Tuesday, Jun 24, 2008 by Melani Plett

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In my opinion, an academic career is an ideal choice for women who want to be serious, engaged mothers but who also want or feel called to a career. There is time off and flexibility not found in most other careers (as my husband, a lawyer, would attest). I have made trade-offs such as climbing the career ladder more slowly when my kids were little, but that doesn't last forever (really--it doesn't!). I also have a supportive husband who took the slow track in his career, too, so that we could both be active parents.

I am now a tenured (soon-to-be full) professor at a UC campus. I just celebrated 25 years of marriage and my two teenage daughters are doing well and following Christ. I had my first child during my Ph.D. program and my second the year before I came up for tenure at my previous job. It was not easy, but God has been good to us.

posted on Monday, Aug 11, 2008 by Dana Ferris

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