Universities today often think of themselves as businesses—running surpluses, admitting more students, cutting whole departments., and relying on part-time faculty. While it can be argued that having PhD students teach undergraduates prepares them for their future roles, it also decreases the number of full-time positions. The result? What many often refer to as the academic pyramid scheme. This comic below by PhD Comics, may not be entirely accurate but captures how many students and post-docs feel.