Simon Abramowitsch

Simon Abramowitsch

UC Davis, 2018

PhD English, DE African American Studies

Current Title

Instructor, Chabot College

Previous Title

None, straight from graduate school

Salary

Above $100K, It’s union-negotiated and public info 🙂

 

 

 

What is your job/position, in one sentence?

I teach writing and literature at a California community college. which means supporting and nurturing students during their educational journeys.

Tell us something about your position that people do not ask about in an informational interview.

Graduate school did very little to prepare me for the quantity of administrative work: both in terms of the “administration” of my own classes and also in terms of participation in the administrative work of the department and college (submitting course outlines for curriculum approval, planning and budgeting, observing and evaluating faculty, marketing courses and programs, organizing awards ceremonies, etc., etc.)

Why are you in this position/what is interesting about your work/what do you value about what you’re doing?

I will riff on and modify something Toni Cade Bambara once said: As a culture worker at a California community college my job is to make reading, writing, and deep, careful thinking irresistible. This is not easy, but it is stimulating and purposeful. At best, the work comes back around: the students teach me.

Do you have any advice for your pre-PhD self?

Prioritize establishing your community of scholars and writers in your own field of interest while in graduate school; it is unlikely that you will find this very specific community in the institution that employs you. It may also be difficult to secure funding and time to attend conferences. And work and family demands will make it difficult to create this community “on the side” once you start a full-time job.

What’s the most valuable skill you learned from your PhD experience/training?

Easy: reading, writing, critical thinking. It’s a cliche but whether in the classroom or in meetings, the ability to read quickly and carefully, to ask thoughtful questions, and express ideas articulately cannot be overstated. These qualities in action are always in demand, and can lead you into some interesting and valuable opportunities.

Questions of/for other alumni?

How can we be more inclusive of community college life and work in our quest to support the humanities? That’s where the people are.

Did you negotiate for your salary?

No; faculty union-negotiated. 

Student loan debt?

Just paid it off, it was 10K. UC Davis English does good FA packages