What Motivates University Professors?

[Samson]

Agreed that you (and I) would assume that, "public school teachers and university professors are trying to accomplish their function." But, what motivates the average university instructor? Successful graduates? If so then every American would know their names. Instead, we know the names of the institutions: Harvard, Yale, Brown, Princeton, MIT,......just the names that roll from our tongues as easily as the names of our children about whom we dream of visting there during their graduations. Professors at these schools receive La Creme de la Creme: They could be babbling idiots (many are quite liberal) and they would still produce successful graduates. So the question remains: What motivates the average university instructor?


Poll!!!!!!

you can make multiple choices.

 

[blu]

Successful graduates? If so then every American would know their names.

inside of their domains many are well known. I don't think the average american cares at all about advanced research topics, especially in the sciences, so they wold be delusional to think they would get sports like fame.

I know a few who are academic researchers b/c of the freedom it brings vs private sector research. They also are free to publish wwhat they want and receive the benefits from it.