What school has the laziest professors? Forum

[Cole S. Law]

If you honestly believe that professors work 8-10 hours/hour of class time, I don't know what to say to you.

[sperry]

So professors commanding huge salaries for incredibly lenient work schedules (most of which are nowhere close to big law hours) are going to leverage large pay raises to compensate them for having to get their grades in by the start of the spring semester? Somehow I don't think so. It may be slightly inconvenient to them, but they would still have 3-4 weeks to get it done. It's not like they'd have to skip Christmas with their families to grade them.



Basically, law professor's have incredibly cushy jobs, and that's why the best and brightest take them instead of going into Big Law where they could make way more money.



Also, my 4 profs had a pretty even split between lazy/ not lazy.

[caoyun]

So professors commanding huge salaries for incredibly lenient work schedules (most of which are nowhere close to big law hours) are going to leverage large pay raises to compensate them for having to get their grades in by the start of the spring semester? Somehow I don't think so. It may be slightly inconvenient to them, but they would still have 3-4 weeks to get it done. It's not like they'd have to skip Christmas with their families to grade them.



Basically, law professor's have incredibly cushy jobs, and that's why the best and brightest take them instead of going into Big Law where they could make way more money.



Also, my 4 profs had a pretty even split between lazy/ not lazy.

You find me one normal person who will happily work over their vacation for free. Right, after that, realize that part of the compensation any employee gets is in their vacation time. So when you make them work over vacation, they give up part of their compensation. Let's try it this way. Would YOU want to give up a substantial part of your vacation to work without any additional compensation? I can think of very few people that would be okay with that. I know I wouldn't. It doesn't really matter how much money you make. If your boss is going to take away your vacation, or diminish it, you're going to want to be compensated.

Like I said, it sucks. But this is the way things work in America. When you're obligated to do more, you're going to demand greater compensation, in one fashion or another.

[sperry]

So professors commanding huge salaries for incredibly lenient work schedules (most of which are nowhere close to big law hours) are going to leverage large pay raises to compensate them for having to get their grades in by the start of the spring semester? Somehow I don't think so. It may be slightly inconvenient to them, but they would still have 3-4 weeks to get it done. It's not like they'd have to skip Christmas with their families to grade them.



Basically, law professor's have incredibly cushy jobs, and that's why the best and brightest take them instead of going into Big Law where they could make way more money.



Also, my 4 profs had a pretty even split between lazy/ not lazy.

You find me one normal person who will happily work over their vacation for free. Right, after that, realize that part of the compensation any employee gets is in their vacation time. So when you make them work over vacation, they give up part of their compensation. Let's try it this way. Would YOU want to give up a substantial part of your vacation to work without any additional compensation? I can think of very few people that would be okay with that. I know I wouldn't. It doesn't really matter how much money you make. If your boss is going to take away your vacation, or diminish it, you're going to want to be compensated.

Like I said, it sucks. But this is the way things work in America. When you're obligated to do more, you're going to demand greater compensation, in one fashion or another.

Unless you're overpaid for the amount of work you do and know it...

[caoyun]

So professors commanding huge salaries for incredibly lenient work schedules (most of which are nowhere close to big law hours) are going to leverage large pay raises to compensate them for having to get their grades in by the start of the spring semester? Somehow I don't think so. It may be slightly inconvenient to them, but they would still have 3-4 weeks to get it done. It's not like they'd have to skip Christmas with their families to grade them.



Basically, law professor's have incredibly cushy jobs, and that's why the best and brightest take them instead of going into Big Law where they could make way more money.



Also, my 4 profs had a pretty even split between lazy/ not lazy.

You find me one normal person who will happily work over their vacation for free. Right, after that, realize that part of the compensation any employee gets is in their vacation time. So when you make them work over vacation, they give up part of their compensation. Let's try it this way. Would YOU want to give up a substantial part of your vacation to work without any additional compensation? I can think of very few people that would be okay with that. I know I wouldn't. It doesn't really matter how much money you make. If your boss is going to take away your vacation, or diminish it, you're going to want to be compensated.

Like I said, it sucks. But this is the way things work in America. When you're obligated to do more, you're going to demand greater compensation, in one fashion or another.

Unless you're overpaid for the amount of work you do and know it...

I doubt that would stop the vast majority of people.

[ToTransferOrNot]

So professors commanding huge salaries for incredibly lenient work schedules (most of which are nowhere close to big law hours) are going to leverage large pay raises to compensate them for having to get their grades in by the start of the spring semester? Somehow I don't think so. It may be slightly inconvenient to them, but they would still have 3-4 weeks to get it done. It's not like they'd have to skip Christmas with their families to grade them.



Basically, law professor's have incredibly cushy jobs, and that's why the best and brightest take them instead of going into Big Law where they could make way more money.



Also, my 4 profs had a pretty even split between lazy/ not lazy.

You find me one normal person who will happily work over their vacation for free. Right, after that, realize that part of the compensation any employee gets is in their vacation time. So when you make them work over vacation, they give up part of their compensation. Let's try it this way. Would YOU want to give up a substantial part of your vacation to work without any additional compensation? I can think of very few people that would be okay with that. I know I wouldn't. It doesn't really matter how much money you make. If your boss is going to take away your vacation, or diminish it, you're going to want to be compensated.

Like I said, it sucks. But this is the way things work in America. When you're obligated to do more, you're going to demand greater compensation, in one fashion or another.

Unless you're overpaid for the amount of work you do and know it...

I doubt that would stop the vast majority of people.

ITT: Someone claims that law profs would start quitting in droves, and no one else would ever be a law prof, if they were told that grades were due within 2-3 weeks after exams were given

(I realize that isn't actually what you are saying, but you barely avoid it.

[Kohinoor]

And you think professors still wouldn't require more money to do work over vacation?

Take a manufacturer. They have to meet certain government standards and regulations, which naturally increase cost. Do they just swallow that cost because its required by some governing body? No, they pass the cost on to consumers. Likewise, if the ABA mandates that grades must be in by a certain time, professors will STILL demand more pay. Most of them, after all, could probably be making much more money elsewhere. They'll get what they want. But law schools won't swallow that cost. Instead they'll pass it on to the students. That's how employment works. The company pays for everything the employee has to do, one way or another. That is, either through salary, benefits, vacation, whatever. If you eliminate or lessen one perk (winter break), they'll have to compensate the professor somehow.

in biglaw you routinely work 60+ hours a week, weekends, and vacations without expecting or demanding extra pay. The tradeoff for a prof is less rigor/boredom for lower pay. There's no assumption that you get to spend the entire vacation doing nothing. On the contrary, a big part of a professor's job is extracurriculars such as writing recommendations that will necessarily be done during vacation period due to timing.

[crysmissmichelle]

If you honestly believe that professors work 8-10 hours/hour of class time, I don't know what to say to you.

Ditto.

Before I actually became a teacher, I thought a lot like you guys do, but now I know that if the winter break was not there or if the summer break was not there, there would be a lot more teachers going absolutely crazy. . . .and it's pissy ass whining like this that would cause it.

They have six weeks to get the grades in. . . end of story.

I defend them, but my 150 students got their 100 question + essay Spanish midterm scores within two days of completing the exams. They were completely posted online by the first Saturday of our winter break. . .and we only get two weeks off. . .lol.

[Snooker]

Six weeks is really excessive, especially given how much this will impact employment. Two or three weeks really should be enough. Tenured law profs get paid $200,000 to pursue their own intellectual interests in a way that is meaningless to the legal profession.

[gollymolly]

.

[Oban]

Hell, most professors don't even want to teach. It's just another in convenience while they write the occasional post tenure article or treatise.