Nearing retirement doesn’t have to mean you’re ‘out of the game’

Very interesting. There is one caveat: there is no guarantee that your post will be retained if you retire. Having said that, the motivation to allow others onto the ladder is laudable and the fact that you may not be replaced is also a 'game'.

As someone who plans to retire in a few years, I can only say that it cannot come fast enough. The increase in the number of metric-driven game players amongst younger staff does not make academic life a place in which I am happy to remain. The success of such individuals comes at the detriment of students and their colleagues since they often excel in research by neglecting other duties with no penalty if large grants roll in. Personally, I wish there was a compulsory retirement age because it would stop the most egocentric and controlling staff from sticking around longer than they should. We are all mortal and there is so much more to life than academia so it makes sense to embrace other things in a long and fulfilled retirement.

I still write and publish articles in philosophy. Being retired means I have more time for such activities, but it is fairly plain that nobody misses me in my old institution.

This is an interesting article which resonates with me. As a former Professor of entrepreneurship I retired early to recover from a major illness. I still contribute to academia by writing and publishing and doing doctoral supervision. I had so much work in the pipeline that I continued to stay in the game to complete my portfolio. I classify myself as an independent scholar and have little interest in becoming a consultant which comes with its own set of legitimacy issues and problems. Without a dot.edu address, or an affiliation, research access becomes that bit more difficult. Not everyone qualifies to become an emeritus professor and most universities cut off email access on the day you leave their institution which can be problematic on an addiction basis. There is definitely scope for initiating an alternative model or association for independent scholars who still have the wish to play the game.