The Call to Teach: New, and Slightly Tarnished Reflections on an Old Idea

Faculty with two to 35 years as professors were interviewed regarding their experience of being called to their work. I used phenomenology to discover their experiences in the wake of substantial changes to higher education in recent years. Results show that the experience of being called, while still present, is mediated by the increasing administrative demands on faculty, often referred to as managerialism, marketization, and massification. These demands have tarnished academics’ experience when compared to the historically rich path of academic life. Implications of these results suggest a changing experience for participants and the need to compartmentalize and preserve that work, which is meaningful amidst the increasing administrative requirements of the work.