October 31, 2008

I Fled a Humorless University Job for a Sanctuary of the Liberal Arts

By CHAD M. HANSON

COMMENTARY

When I became a community-college teacher, it meant resigning from a position as a research associate in the University of Texas system. Before I left, colleagues approached me one by one, well meaning and earnest, warning me that if I went down the ladder, I wouldn't be able to climb back up again.

That dire pronouncement made the transition feel risky and even a little bit irresponsible. I lay awake in the wee hours, fretting about whether my impulse to teach at a

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