[Should I Quit Academia Series] Should I Leave Academia Now That T***P Is President?

During this time of uncertainty, it may seem like quitting academia is more appealing than ever. I give you a series of questions to ask yourself to see if a career pivot is the right choice. My goal is to help you make a decision based on a belief in your value, not fear. The stability of academia is an illusion, and recognizing it will help you protect yourself and move forward with clarity and intention. 

Do I think higher ed is going anywhere? No. However, it is clear that significant changes are happening and will continue to happen during this presidential term. I encourage you to reflect on my questions in this episode and think about how you want to impact your field and get your voice out into the world.

Is Higher Ed Going Away?

With all the changes happening under the current U.S. president, it’s understandable to wonder if higher ed has a future.

Here’s my take: Higher education, as we know, might be evolving, but it’s not going away. The format of how we deliver education, how we interact with students, and the expectations from both sides are all shifting. Academics need to see education more as a marketplace, with students being consumers who demand value, flexibility, and relevant outcomes. The way we think about traditional degree programs, the role of faculty, and even the very structure of academia might look different, but the need for education, critical thinking, and research will always be there.

Operate With Intention, Not Fear

In the current political climate, it’s easy to make decisions based on fear, panic, or anxiety. But that’s not how you should approach your work in academia. Professors need to be strategic, think about their long-term vision, and make decisions that align with their academic mission and values. “Safety” in academia is no longer a guarantee, but that doesn’t mean it’s an unsafe choice—it just means that we need to rethink how we approach our careers. Scholarship can still be fulfilling and offer stability if you’re willing to operate with intention and flexibility. 

“Universities are part of marketplaces. One of the things the university does is, there will always be a market for parents to have educated children. Something to consider here is how universities fill a necessary need in the marketplace for parents to have educated children and also for industries to have prepared professionals.”

“Federal government and its funding is woven throughout all levels and all areas of life in the US. These cuts will be felt throughout all areas and the disruption of these cuts will be felt throughout all areas. If you are looking to quit academia because you think you will be safe somewhere else, I don’t think that is true. I think that what is happening now is a revealing of a sentiment in the US that you won’t be able to avoid by leaving academia.”

We’ve opened the waitlist for our next cohort of Navigate: Your Writing Roadmap®. Check out the program details and get on the waitlist here.

CONTINUE THE CONVERSATION:

1. Our 12-week Navigate: Your Writing Roadmap® program helps tenure-track womxn and nonbinary professors to publish their backlog of papers so that their voice can have the impact they know is possible. Get on the waitlist here!
2. Cathy’s book, Making Time to Write: How to Resist the Patriarchy and Take Control of Your Academic Career Through Writing is available in print! Learn how to build your career around your writing practice while shattering the myths of writing every day, accountability, and motivation, doing mindset work that’s going to reshape your writing,and changing academic culture one womxn and nonbinary professor at a time. Get your print copy today or order it for a friend here!
3. If you would like to hear more from Cathy for free, please subscribe to the weekly newsletter, In the Pipeline, at scholarsvoice.org. It’s a newsletter that she personally writes that goes out once a week with writing and publication tips, strategies, inspiration, book reviews and more.

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