The Changing of the Professoriate Begins . . . Baby Boomers Retiring

This interesting article examines the potential impact of a professoriate that is "less liberal," but doesn't fully take into account changing mores - especially with regard to cultural changes that used to be considered liberal but are now mainstream. For example, is "work-life balance" liberal or conservative?

At a conference titled “Generational Shockwaves,” sponsored in November by the TIAA-CREF Institute, Joan Girgus, a special assistant to the dean of faculty at Princeton, underscored how these sorts of concerns were increasingly on the minds of younger faculty members. Universities need to focus more on the “life” side of the work-life balance “because faculties historically were almost entirely male and the wives took care of the family side,” Ms. Girgus said. “I don’t think we can do that anymore.” Ask Ms. Goldrick-Rab if she believes there is a gap between her generation and the boomers, and she immediately answers yes.