College Professoring · Or, Through Academia With Gun and Camera

In this serious look at the world of higher education—from a nonserious point of view—Kolstoe goes through academia “with gun and camera,” stalking the wild absurdity.

Not since The Saber-Tooth Curriculum —with which it doubtless will be com­pared—has such a wryly amusing, self-examining book about the teaching pro­fession been written. Among other things, Professor Kolstoe guides the novitiate (and those who aspire to be professors) through the intricacies of survival and gives much tongue-in-cheek advice on how to be good at professoring.

Kolstoe explains the mechanics of the hiring process, unique to academia, in which supply greatly exceeds demand and nobody seems to pay much attention to the matter of salary. He also explains the perennial debate between the importance-of-teaching faction and the importance-of-research faction, and suggests ways of striking a balance without too much blood­shed. A chapter on how to cope with day-to-day problems deals with assigning grades, advising students, handling ro­mantic involvements, and avoiding com­mittee assignments.

Drawings by Don Paul Benjamin de­pict the poor professor in every possible—even if improbable—predicament, before which the text itself seems to shrink.