Ghosts in a Wilderness: Problems and Priorities of Faculty at Mid-Career and Mid-Life

This article explores the experiences of mid-career, older faculty members in higher education through a qualitative study of 20 associate professors (15 men and 5 women) between the ages of 41 and 59 at a Canadian university. The study was undertaken to explore how university faculty experience the mid-career and mid-life period in their academic and community work, their personal and family relationships, and their sense of self. The findings focus on a variety of issues revealed in this sample group: the undervalue of teaching as a vocation, noncaring university administrators, rejection in career progression, external personal relationships, impediments to research, failing health, adapting to change, and the question of self-knowledge. While acknowledging several limitations of the study, the perspective of adult development theory points to the potential for greater integration of personality on the part of faculty members, and for its recognition on the part of administrators in fostering a more humanizing, responsive, and caring environment for the conduct of teaching and research. The recognition of significant differences between younger and older faculty, and how the genuine problems facing the latter group may be addressed, will contribute to enhancing the quality of university life generally.Cet article présente les résultats d'une étude qualitative menée dans une université canadienne auprès de vingt professeurs agrégés (15 hommes et 5 femmes) dont l'âge se situe entre 41 et 59 ans. Cette recherche portait sur ce que vivent les professeurs d'université parvenus au milieu de leur vie et de leur carrière, en ce qui concerne leur travail universitaire et leur engagement communautaire, leurs relations personnelles et familiales et la perception qu'ils on d'eux-mêmes. Les réponses des participants ont permis de dégager diverses préoccupations, dont le peu de valeur accordée à la vocation de l'enseignement, le manque de sensibilité des administrateurs à leurs difficultés, les rejets qui freinent l'avancement professionnel, les relations personnelles à l'extérieur du travail, les obstacles à la recherche, les problèmes de santé, l'adaptation au changement et la question de la connaissance de soi. Bien que cette recherche comporte de nombreuses limites, la perspective de la théorie du développement à l'âge adulte laisse entrevoir la possibilité qu'une meilleure intégration de la personnalité chez les professeurs d'université et la reconnaissance de cette intégration part les administrateurs pourraient contribuer à créer un milieu de vie plus humain et axé sur la personne et ses besoins et, par conséquent, plus propice à l'enseignement et à la recherche. Le fait de reconnaître qu'il existe des différences significatives entre les jeunes professeurs d'université et leurs collègues plus âgés et de savoir comment tenir compte des préoccupations réelles de ces derniers permettront d'améliorer la vie de l'ensemble de la communauté universitaire

S-adenosylmethionine (SAM-e) for the treatment of depression in people living with HIV/AIDS

BACKGROUND: This study reports on clinical data from an 8-week open-label study of 20 HIV-seropositive individuals, diagnosed with Major Depressive Disorder (DSM-IV), who were treated with SAM-e (S-Adenosylmethionine). SAM-e may be a treatment alternative for the management of depression in a population reluctant to add another "pill" or another set of related side effects to an already complex highly active antiretroviral therapy (HAART) regimen. METHODS: The Hamilton Rating Scale for Depression (HAM-D) and the Beck Depression Inventory (BDI) were used to assess depressive symptomatology from 1,2,4,6 and 8 weeks after initiation of treatment with SAM-e. RESULTS: Data show a significant acute reduction in depressive symptomatology, as measured by both the HAM-D and the BDI instruments. CONCLUSIONS: SAM-e has a rapid effect evident as soon as week 1 (p < .001), with progressive decreases in depression symptom rating scores throughout the 8 week study

University Professors at Mid-life: Being a Part of ... But Feeling Apart

This article explores the experiences of mid-career and older faculty members in higher education through a qualitative study of 20 associate professors (15 men and 5 women) between the ages of 41 and 59 at a Canadian university. In non-directive interviews, graying professors discussed their satisfactions and struggles, not only in relation to their students and their academic work, but also in relation to the whole university and its administration. An emergent schema is presented that identifies four attitudes characteristic of this group of professors: Meaning, Malaise, Marginality, and Mattering

The Ethnographic, the Reflective, and the Uncanny: Three “Tellings” of Autobiography

Adult learners who write their life story embark on a process of personal self-reflection and meaning making. Some of their narratives center and remain on the detailing of life events. Other writing goes further, associating feelings and emotions that lead to additional exploration and reflection. Other writing goes still further, uncovering experiences and emotional states, previously unspoken, perhaps even incomprehensible. Each has its benefit for the writer and for the reader, but it appears that when writers move into the reflective mode, and even further into exploring the “uncanny” aspects of their life, the major benefits of autobiographical writing surface as a profound, even transformative, learning experience. In this article, the author examines selected autobiographies written by adult learners in adult and higher education studies and considers the significance of each of these “tellings” in promoting student growth and development.Yeshttps://us.sagepub.com/en-us/nam/manuscript-submission-guideline