VOA慢速英语 2007 1213a

This is the VOA Special English Education Report.

Now, we continue our discussion from last week about the pay for professors in the United States. We looked at the averages. Today we narrow that to one example.

 
Andrew McMichael
Andrew McMichael is a young history professor in his sixth year at Western Kentucky University, a state school in Bowling¹ Green. He started as an assistant professor, teaching seven courses a year.

His starting pay was forty-three thousand dollars, plus benefits. These included health insurance for himself and his family, life insurance and a retirement² plan.

His position was on the tenure³ track. This meant the university would have to decide either to award him tenure, which provides job security, or ask him to leave.

He requested tenure after five years. He had to present evidence of his research, teaching and service on committees.

Teaching skills are measured through evaluations⁴ by students and observations by other professors. The research requirement includes publishing three articles or writing a book or translating a foreign work into English.

Professors may think they have met all the requirements for tenure, but there are no guarantees. The process can seem mysterious and unfair.

In recent years many schools have reduced their number of tenured positions. Doing that saves money and gives administrators⁵ more control. It also means greater competition for fewer jobs.

Earlier this year, Andrew McMichael received the decision about his future at Western Kentucky. It was good news: he earned tenure.

That meant a promotion⁶ to associate professor. It also meant a ten percent pay increase as well as a one-time payment for good work.

He now earns almost fifty-eight thousand dollars a year -- not a huge amount, he admits. And he knows that even a starting professor outside the liberal arts, in an area like accounting⁷, earns a lot more.

He also knows that his school could hire someone to teach the same number of classes he does for about fifteen thousand dollars, with no benefits. But being a professor means more than teaching classes.

Professor McMichael says tenure will mean the freedom to speak out and do research on whatever he wants. History is not his only interest. In the spring he will be team-teaching a class with a biologist on the history and science of beer and brewing⁸.

And that's the VOA Special English Education Report, written by Nancy Steinbach. Last week's report about pay for professors can be found at voaspecialenglish.com. I'm Steve Ember.

 

1 bowling   

n.保龄球运动

参考例句：

• Bowling is a popular sport with young and old.保龄球是老少都爱的运动。
• Which sport do you 1ike most,golf or bowling?你最喜欢什么运动，高尔夫还是保龄球？

2 retirement   

n.退休，退职

参考例句：

• She wanted to enjoy her retirement without being beset by financial worries.她想享受退休生活而不必为金钱担忧。
• I have to put everything away for my retirement.我必须把一切都积蓄起来以便退休后用。

3 tenure   

n.终身职位；任期；(土地)保有权，保有期

参考例句：

• He remained popular throughout his tenure of the office of mayor.他在担任市长的整个任期内都深得民心。
• Land tenure is a leading political issue in many parts of the world.土地的保有权在世界很多地区是主要的政治问题。

4 evaluations   

估价( evaluation的名词复数 )； 赋值； 估计价值； [医学]诊断

参考例句：

• In fact, our moral evaluations are merely expressions of our desires. 事实上，我们的道德评价只是我们欲望的表达形式。 来自哲学部分
• Properly speaking, however, these evaluations and insights are not within the concept of official notice. 但准确地讲，这些评估和深远见识并未包括在官方通知概念里。

5 administrators   

n.管理者( administrator的名词复数 )；有管理（或行政）才能的人；（由遗嘱检验法庭指定的）遗产管理人；奉派暂管主教教区的牧师

参考例句：

• He had administrators under him but took the crucial decisions himself. 他手下有管理人员，但重要的决策仍由他自己来做。 来自辞典例句
• Administrators have their own methods of social intercourse. 办行政的人有他们的社交方式。 来自汉英文学 - 围城

6 promotion   

n.提升，晋级；促销，宣传

参考例句：

• The teacher conferred with the principal about Dick's promotion.教师与校长商谈了迪克的升级问题。
• The clerk was given a promotion and an increase in salary.那个职员升了级，加了薪。

7 accounting   

n.会计，会计学，借贷对照表

参考例句：

• A job fell vacant in the accounting department.财会部出现了一个空缺。
• There's an accounting error in this entry.这笔账目里有差错。

8 brewing   

n. 酿造, 一次酿造的量 动词brew的现在分词形式

参考例句：

• It was obvious that a big storm was brewing up. 很显然，一场暴风雨正在酝酿中。
• She set about brewing some herb tea. 她动手泡一些药茶。