AAR 2019 - Preparing Scholars of Religion for Non-Academic Careers: What’s a Faculty Member to Do?

In recent years as the job market for tenure-track academic positions has tightened and the use of contingent faculty has exploded, increasing numbers of graduate degree seekers are intending to pursue nonacademic careers. While some areas of study present obvious nonacademic options, for scholars in the humanities, nonacademic career opportunities and the best preparation for them may not be obvious and religious studies faculty are exploring how graduate programs can — and should — prepare all alumni for multiple employment outcomes. This panel brings together faculty members from a variety of institutions to discuss some of the problems confronting their students and their programs as more people turn — by necessity and by choice — to nonacademic career paths. Annette Stott, University of Denver, Presiding Panelists: - Sylvia Chan-Malik, Rutgers University - Gabriel Estrada, California State University, Long Beach - Caroline T. Schroeder, University of Oklahoma - Najeeba Syeed-Miller, Claremont School of Theology This session was recorded at the 2019 Annual Meeting of the American Academy of Religion in San Diego, California, on November 23.