Ep. 2.18: Your Breakup Letter With Academia

Part 3 of our Leaving Your Toxic Relationship With the Academy series. Karen and Kel talk about writing a breakup letter with the academy: what would you say? The goal is to move from blame (“you suck!”) to how you feel (“I feel really sad about leaving”). Karen is very bad at this. We draw from Joanna Macy’s transformative work on environmental grief that charts a path from despair to empowerment and interconnectedness. You have resilience you may have forgotten in the infantilizing university structure. [Become a subscribing member for just $3.99 a month and get access to our subscriber only goodies like free webinar recordings, AMAs, the chance to suggest topics, access to the podcast video from our house in Oregon, and — new from this week – live videos with Karen and Kel on Friday mornings, all on our dedicated podcast member page on Mighty Networks!]

Om Podcasten

The Professor Is In answers all your questions about the academic career. Dr. Karen Kelsky and productivity coach Kel Weinhold, with their trademark combination of candor, humor, and compassion (and a healthy dose of critique), tell you the truth about how the academy works, with strategies for reaching your goals while prioritizing your emotional well being. We go where others don't, breaking down the unspoken rules of academic culture, including all the ways it centers white folks and marginalizes everyone else. Our mission: whether you're in grad school, on the job market, on the tenure track, adjuncting, or deciding to leave the academy and do something else, we are here to support you with insights, advice, and real talk.