Is there a teaching professor job?

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PsychMajorUndergrad18

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Hello everyone,

Im just curious. Is there a tenure-track teaching professor job in academia? Or any way to be a full-time professor who teaches mainly? Is full-time teaching for adjuncts only? Also is there a good chance for a college administrator to teach in his/her field of education while also having his/her service to the college?

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There are different types of universities. There are research heavy ones (traditionally the ones you hear of like University of Ohio, University of North Carolina, Louisiana State University, etc.) and others that emphasize teaching only. These teaching only institutions generally have little or no graduate programs as those are tied more strongly to research records. For instance, look at the liberal arts colleges that made it to the NCAA Tourny this year as an example. There are whole ranges with different coursework loads for the professors. At traditional universities (Research1 universities), tenure is tied to research.

I've taken classes from Associate deans at two schools, one at a liberal arts UG and one at a R1. The R1 was a graduate seminar. It happens, but its not as common because administrators are more likely to have courseloads put off for their other university service.
 
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My program (Counseling Psych PhD) had clinical professors who mainly taught the practicum and internship classes and supervised in the department clinic. They did some research (through the clinic), but were primarily responsible for teaching and supervision. These positions weren't tenure-track, though.
 
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As Justanothergrad mentioned, there are different types and sizes of universities, and that can factor into whether they will primarily emphasize teaching vs. research. At an R1, it's unlikely you're going to find many, if any, professorships that don't primarily require significant research output (in addition to teach responsibilities). However, at smaller schools such as R2's and/or small liberal arts colleges, there can often times be a much greater emphasis on teaching. They may still require research productivity, but not to the same degree.
 
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Many smaller schools have faculty who primarily teach. Research is largely optional and nowhere near what the expectations will be at an R1.

Depending on what you mean by administrator, most higher-level administrators (e.g. deans, vice-chairs, etc.) were first on the faculty. Many still actively teach. At that level, its almost certainly something you can negotiate if you wanted to do so.
 
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These jobs are out there, and I'm sure there are a small number that pay well and a small number that have a tenure track. Problem is, many universities and institutions that hire teacher only positions tend to offer dismal pay with crappy benefits for a majority of the positions, as in the adjuncts. It's fine to seek this out, but I'd have some fall back plans in place in case you run up against this.
 
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If you are tenure track, you will never just teach, but you can mostly teach. For example, small liberal arts colleges will usually have you teach 3-4 courses per semester and will encourage you to involve undergraduates in carrying out your research. The latter requires a lot of hands-on teaching if you don't have graduate students or postdocs to help run your lab. You'll also have some service and scholarly obligations outside of those duties.

For the most part, it's only adjunct faculty who do nothing but teach courses, and you definitely don't want that to be your fate!
 
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I have pretty much had the same experience as others in that tenure-track faculty may vary in the degree to which they engage in research but they all had some type of involvement in it. The school I got my masters at had 2 full-time (1 MS level and 1 psyd)professors who only taught undergraduate courses. They are not tenure track and I am not sure how secure their positions are with regards to long-term but they are there for now.
 
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Thank you all. I'm just looking at possible options just in case I end up getting burnt out teaching after a few years.
 
Thank you all. I'm just looking at possible options just in case I end up getting burnt out teaching after a few years.

Get the best training you can get. Network early and often. Go ahead and get licensed if you ever think you might practice. Choose your chair and colleagues wisely. Get tenure as early as is feasible. You'll be ahead of 95% of the pack if you can do those things.
 
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