Demystifying Visiting Scholar Positions
Periodically, academics seek and are given the title of visiting scholar. The designation sounds formal and flattering, and for many people it carries a great deal of symbolic weight.
But there is considerable variation and confusion surrounding these types of arrangements.
In general, visiting scholar positions are courtesy appointments. Sometimes, a visiting scholar position is given to a professor who is on sabbatical. In other cases, the title is accorded to individuals who are between academic jobs. And sometimes the title is given to someone who also holds a full-time position elsewhere at research think tanks, governmental offices, or in private industry.
In most cases, the position is unpaid. The host institution may provide non-pecuniary benefits such as an office, a university ID, business cards, internet access, and library privileges. Occasionally, there is a modest research stipend or an expectation that the visiting scholar will contribute to work associated with a grant held by a faculty member or research center.
These material realities rarely align with the expectations many academics bring to the role. Some prospective visiting scholars imagine sustained engagement with eminent faculty, serious attention to their work, and a sense that their scholarship will finally receive “the recognition it so rightfully deserves.” Sometimes there is also the belief that the appointment might lead to a more permanent job, or at least confer an advantage should a position open at a later point in time.
Others focus on the symbolic value of the title itself. They anticipate the cachet it will carry on their CV and the status it will confer when they return to their home institution. In practice, this benefit is usually far more modest than expected.
Years ago, during one of my visiting scholar appointments, I met a younger colleague who held the same designation. They were frustrated because none of the faculty members had taken an active interest in him or his work, and he felt largely ignored.
We were both visiting scholars in the same department. While the department organized activities like brown-bag seminars, neither of us felt particularly integrated into the intellectual life of the faculty. My colleague expressed frustration that none of the faculty members had taken an active interest in him or his work.
I told him that what he was experiencing was not unusual. Many faculty members do not spend much time on campus. When they are present, it is often to teach a class or meet briefly with a student before leaving. Since the COVID pandemic, this pattern has become more common, with teaching and research increasingly conducted remotely. Chairs and faculty alike rarely have the time, or institutional incentives, to actively integrate visiting scholars into departmental life.
This pattern is not accidental. Some departments appear to accumulate visiting scholars almost by default, treating them as an unpaid academic reserve. There is a belief that a roster of visiting scholars enhances a department’s reputation, particularly when those scholars are international. Some institutions even mention these programs on their websites, including application procedures and points of contact. I have also heard of universities charging scholars for the designation. In other words, some departments treat visiting scholars as a revenue stream while providing minimal support in return.
This is why my colleague’s situation can be interpreted differently. What initially feels like neglect can also be understood as a form of freedom. Visiting scholars are largely released from the performative obligations that structure everyday academic life. There was no need to be chaperoned by a disinterested junior faculty member or by someone who had been sidelined within the department. They are free to conduct research and write, or simply play tourist. This lack of interaction was, in many ways, a blessing in disguise.
This reframing, however, only works if the visiting scholar adjusts their expectations and behavior accordingly. Waiting to be invited into the intellectual or social life of the department is usually a mistake.
The more productive approach is to be proactive. Make a list of people whose work genuinely interests you (either at that university, at nearby research institutes, or at other universities in the area) and reach out to them directly. Invite them for coffee or a drink. Some will respond, and others won’t. In my experience, the most meaningful interactions and connections often take place outside the formal departmental ecosystem.
If a visiting scholar waits for invitations to lunch, dinner, or informal gatherings, disappointment is almost guaranteed. But that’s not a personal failure, nor is it evidence that something has gone wrong. Visiting Scholar positions function exactly as designed. They are opportunities you should properly use to enhance your career and life. Adjust expectations accordingly, and they can actually be worthwhile.
Artist: William Hogarth
Title: Scholars at a Lecture (1736)
