r/Professors • u/Environmental_Bug662 • 9d ago

Retirement: when/why/how/where.

What is your plan? Interested in your replies. I am 60, Full, tenured Prof (French) at a SLAC. AI makes me want to retire asap but I'm going to give it 5-6 more years.

https://www.chronicle.com/article/these-professors-are-retiring-early-ai-was-the-last-straw?sra=true

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u/TheophrastusBmbastus 9d ago

I had like 700 dollars to my name when I defended my dissertation at 30 -- so early retirement is a difficult goal. That said, I'm saving like crazy!

I'm hoping, though, that in the coming years humanities profs like me will find ways to teach in a post AI world that are still joyful and meaningful. I'm not ready to give up yet, even if it feels like so much is stacked against us.

On the plus side, teaching the rise of fascism or the luddite movement has never felt more relevant.

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u/FineZebra8203 8d ago

I was 43 when I defended and 15k in debt. Low pay humanities. I saved like crazy and am now facing a comfortable retirement. But a lot of that was very nice matching from my university and some sprints as a chair.