Comments on: Mandatory retirement in academia http://savageminds.org/2006/02/07/mandatory-retirement-in-academia/ Notes and Queries in Anthropology — A Group Blog Thu, 09 Feb 2012 19:06:13 +0000 hourly 1 http://wordpress.org/?v=3.3.1 By: AlanB. http://savageminds.org/2006/02/07/mandatory-retirement-in-academia/comment-page-1/#comment-3557 AlanB. Fri, 10 Feb 2006 02:08:30 +0000 http://savageminds.org/?p=384#comment-3557 I'm in the U.S., so no mandatory retirement. In our system however by around age 65 your pension is about matching your salary, so in effect if you stay you are actually paying to work. Part of this is a generous pension plan (based on the one the state legislature gave themselves) but I think that to a considerable extent anyone who stays after 65 is less likely to be deadwood and likely to be generally good faculty members you would like to keep around. I’m in the U.S., so no mandatory retirement. In our system however by around age 65 your pension is about matching your salary, so in effect if you stay you are actually paying to work. Part of this is a generous pension plan (based on the one the state legislature gave themselves) but I think that to a considerable extent anyone who stays after 65 is less likely to be deadwood and likely to be generally good faculty members you would like to keep around.

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]]> By: Soylent Green http://savageminds.org/2006/02/07/mandatory-retirement-in-academia/comment-page-1/#comment-3544 Soylent Green Wed, 08 Feb 2006 20:39:40 +0000 http://savageminds.org/?p=384#comment-3544 I think that forced retirements will add to the greater good of the academic community as jobs would be made available to younger scholars and these older scholars can be converted into more beneficial uses for the society at large. I think that forced retirements will add to the greater good of the academic community as jobs would be made available to younger scholars and these older scholars can be converted into more beneficial uses for the society at large.

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]]> By: Justus http://savageminds.org/2006/02/07/mandatory-retirement-in-academia/comment-page-1/#comment-3539 Justus Wed, 08 Feb 2006 14:27:39 +0000 http://savageminds.org/?p=384#comment-3539 Most research I'm aware of shows that the vast majority of academics produce their best work by the time they are in their 40s. Of course, mandatory retirement is discriminatory although it is in everyone's best interest but the aged professors themselves. But the same pattern exists in every other career on the planet right now. Mid- and upper-level positions are filled by people who won't retire (often because they can't afford private health insurance or have insufficient savings to live for 20-30+ years post-retirement) leaving no room for the younger generation to move up. This is particularly a problem, I understand, in Japan with its worlds-oldest-population. Then again, I have little sympathy for those going into academia who weren't aware of this nature of the field. My friends who have gone that route have all entered the game thinking they have something close to a right to find gainful employment in academia simply because they love their field. Most research I’m aware of shows that the vast majority of academics produce their best work by the time they are in their 40s.

Of course, mandatory retirement is discriminatory although it is in everyone’s best interest but the aged professors themselves. But the same pattern exists in every other career on the planet right now. Mid- and upper-level positions are filled by people who won’t retire (often because they can’t afford private health insurance or have insufficient savings to live for 20-30+ years post-retirement) leaving no room for the younger generation to move up. This is particularly a problem, I understand, in Japan with its worlds-oldest-population.

Then again, I have little sympathy for those going into academia who weren’t aware of this nature of the field. My friends who have gone that route have all entered the game thinking they have something close to a right to find gainful employment in academia simply because they love their field.

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]]> By: Akikonomu http://savageminds.org/2006/02/07/mandatory-retirement-in-academia/comment-page-1/#comment-3537 Akikonomu Wed, 08 Feb 2006 05:13:02 +0000 http://savageminds.org/?p=384#comment-3537 I've always thought that academics don't start producing their best work until way past middle age. Forcing academics to retire at 65 would be cutting them down in the prime of their (research) life. I’ve always thought that academics don’t start producing their best work until way past middle age. Forcing academics to retire at 65 would be cutting them down in the prime of their (research) life.

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