The Academic Career: Launching a Student-Centered Tenure Track Career

When PhD alum Ashley Campbell graduated in May 2020, the world was shutting down due to COVID. The University of Minnesota did not hold commencement ceremonies, so Campbell did not walk. The recent photo above represents “my first time wearing my PhD regalia,” says Campbell, now a tenure-track assistant professor of English at Georgia Highlands College, where all faculty attend graduation. “Many of our students work full-time in addition to going to school full-time and have kids and other commitments,” Campbell notes. “It's a pleasure to make these students feel seen and welcome.” The professor graciously answered questions via email. 

Please describe your career path after graduating from the U.

The job market was a bit bleak then due to the pandemic. For a while, I did gig work unrelated to academia. But then I started making my way back, first by becoming a tutor at Calhoun Community College, and then an adjunct at Georgia Highlands before securing my current tenure-track job there. I think having a breadth of experiences, including non-traditional ones, made me a good fit for Georgia Highlands, which is an access-oriented institution.

Working at an access-oriented institution has enabled me to center my job on one of my primary goals as an educator, which is to help students reach their goals and better their lives. 

What is most energizing about your work?

I find working with students fulfilling, especially when they see how what I can teach them can help them reach their own goals. I want my students to develop and believe in their own voice in my classes. 

While teaching a 5/5 can be overwhelming, it allows me to see quickly which of my approaches with students work well and which do not. I soon realized that maybe a poetry analysis wasn't the best option for my first-year composition course and so developed a composition course themed around persuasive letters, giving students the opportunity to read and analyze archival letters, and then connect that to their own persuasive writing.

What has surprised you most about your current work?

I'm most surprised at how much I had to pivot to teach in the age of AI. When I was still at Minnesota, ChatGPT 3 hadn't yet been released, and so I felt I was unprepared for how much the landscape of teaching college writing and literature would change. However, dealing with AI has been a challenge that has sharpened my teaching and my writing. 

What do you wish you had known while still a graduate student?

I wish I had known earlier that you are never stuck. You have choices, and you can make changes to make your career and life better. I changed my entire project/focus after my comprehensive exams, and I believe that change was what enabled me to finish my degree. Without my advisor Dr. Katherine Scheil's guidance, I'm not sure I would have finished the PhD program.

What advice would you give current graduate students preparing for the academic job market?

The job market is still tough, but I think staying diligent and treating every application as a real opportunity can help. I would also, if you can, diversify your academic experience by teaching different classes, and, if possible, getting some community college experience. Of course, there are many paths out there, and I know at least some of my friends now enjoy working in Alt-Ac jobs, so I wouldn't rule those out either.