How Hard Do College Professors Work?

I was recently in our clubhouse, waiting for a movie to start, and overheard a conversation that several people were involved in.  One of the men, a very opinionated one, felt that college professors were overpaid.  After all, he said, "They have TA's to teach their classes and they only work a few hours a week."  I had to go home and see if this was true, and of course, it's not.

College professors put in long hours, especially if they are seeking tenure and work in a research oriented top tier university.  If they are teaching, say, accounting, to freshmen and sophomores  and that's all they're doing, well, they probably don't work more than a 30 hour week.  Other professors, in any field, that are working towards tenure, could put in more than 50 hours a week.  Why?  First, all professors have office hours, and must be present during those hours.  TA's are not a substitute for a full professor.  The professor must plan lectures, and in a changing field, may have to plan all the time.  TA's will teach sections, but the professor does the lecturing.  The professor is also responsible for writing.  He or she must publish papers in the field of study on a regular basis.  Professors are also involved in committee meetings and community service.  They need to attend conferences, and they need to be involved in research.  Yes, they may have TA's to grade papers, which sometimes takes many hours, but they need to supervise grad and PHD students, which could take a lot of time.

Depending on the institution, college professors are not highly paid.  They are, however, doing what they love, helping students, contributing to research in their field, and getting respect for their work.  I feel like telling the loud mouth who was spouting off about the "free ride" that college professors have, to get his facts before he makes such statements.  Professors are helping to create the next generation of great Americans who will contribute to our society in a positive way.