| I don’t disbelieve your post, I’m sure you’re speaking from experience, but this is a YMMV kind of deal. 1) I did have a contract listing hours, and the vacation policy was the academic calendar: a week in the fall, 5 weeks in the winter, a week in the spring, 3 months in the summer. 2) I didn’t experience any work whatsoever during Christmas 3) Didn’t have a pension plan, but the University did offer reasonable health benefits, and the ACA covered the rest of my family at a low premium. 4) I definitely got paid regularly through the University payroll system. 5) I was given summer contracts to continue doing paid research over the summer. This was a choice, I could have taken internships or a vacation. 6) This is more of an issue with US visas, not really something academics can control 7) I was definitely well supported by my lab, peers, and advisors when I pursued my own research goals. They were very eager to see my results. I wouldn’t say that your bullet points really represent my institution, so “across the board” usually has a boundary at a specific department or school. I wouldn’t generalize your or my experience to all schools, as they can vary substantially. |