Lisa Whitten, PhD
Associate Professor, SUNY/College at Old Westbury
Linda Anderson, PhD
Associate Professor, Hostos Community College, City University of New York
Getting through the tenure gate
is the ultimate challenge in academia. In our experience, faculty members
rarely discuss their own career pathways in undergraduate or graduate
courses.On some campuses, details
about the tenure process are elusive.
Junior faculty don’t always have the information and resources they need
to successfully achieve this goal. This
can be especially problematic for faculty from underrepresented groups and for
first generation professionals. Like
graduate school, getting past the tenure barrier requires strategic planning,
tenacity, and political savvy. This
article addresses the nuts and bolts of earning tenure.
In
general, a career as a “tenure-track” faculty member in higher education is
made up of four components: teaching,
service to the institution, service to the community, and
professional/scholarly development, which includes publishing, research and
grants. The degree of emphasis placed
upon on each of these areas varies. It
is essential that every new faculty member obtain a copy of the guidelines for
evaluation during the hiring process.
At most colleges and universities, these are published. Whether published or not, the new faculty
member must obtain guidance from experienced colleagues and through careful
study of departmental procedures.
The moment you walk through
the door it is crucial to begin to compile your professional file. This portfolio includes documentation of
your ongoing professional activities in the areas of: service to the college and the community, presentations on campus
and at conferences, research and publications in preparation and under
review. If there is no concrete
evidence that an activity actually took place, your contribution will not be
recognized.
New
faculty should determine their schedule of reappointment and tenure at the
onset of becoming a full-time professor.
The schedule for evaluation varies.
When you are hired, you will sign a contract that specifies a specific
length of service, which is generally one to three years. Before the end of each contract, you must be
evaluated for reappointment. After
determining your reappointment and tenure schedule, your demonstrated record of
competence and excellence will be evaluated by selected senior faculty and
administrators. The composition of your
evaluation committee(s) will vary depending on your campus guidelines.
Faculty are generally evaluated for tenure during
their fifth or sixth year. Faculty who
enter with many publications, and who have strong teaching evaluations, and
excellent college service may decide to request an early evaluation for tenure.
There are some disadvantages to this strategy, so one should consult a mentor
before proceeding.
Again,
the evaluation process varies greatly from campus to campus. Typically, faculty are evaluated by the
department, a college-wide committee, the dean, the provost or vice president
for academic affairs, and the president of the institution. The departmental evaluation can take place
before a committee or in a private meeting with the chair of the
department. On most campuses, the
entire department, with the exception of untenured faculty, generally votes on
the reappointment, promotion, and tenure of fellow faculty members. Depending on the weight given to teaching,
which tends to be heavily emphasized at four year “teaching” colleges and
community colleges, student evaluations will have more or less value in the
evaluation process. At research
institutions, far more emphasis is placed on grants, publications and
research.
Some
campuses include self-evaluation as part of the review process. This allows candidates to assess their own
progress, to explain and elaborate upon their teaching philosophies, to comment
on student evaluations, and to present an organized account of their scholarly
activity. In this way, a more balanced
presentation of the faculty members' experience is possible.
On
most campuses, if a tenure review is unfavorable, the faculty member is
terminated at the end of the current contract.
As faculty members can only “come up for tenure” once in most cases, it
is advisable to start preparing for the review process well in advance and to
strategize carefully in an effort to avoid an unfavorable evaluation. Of course, this is not always possible,
given the fact that faculty members are sometimes misled or deceived regarding
their performance and standing in the department. Flores-Niemann (1999) offers a personal account of her experience
as an untenured faculty member, and
provides insight into the complexity of negotiating situations of this
type. Depending on the setting, it can
be useful to have all evaluations and statements about expected progress in
writing to avoid confusion and/or backtracking later. Again, meticulous documentation and record
keeping are as essential in academia, as in other professional fields.
In
some instances, the reappointment and tenure process can appear to be
arbitrary, irrational and capricious. Such decisions are often the result of
the complexity of the political life of the department and/or the campus. The requirements outlined in tenure manuals
and by colleagues are sometimes interpreted subjectively. Productivity and dedication are not always
rewarded equitably. The candidate must
realize that a tenure decision for another faculty member may have no bearing
on his or her case. One should avoid
unrealistic expectations such as: "because someone else received tenure
without fully meeting the stated requirements, I will, too."
In
unusual circumstances, the tenure “clock” can be stopped. For example, extenuating circumstances such
as extended illness, overwhelming family responsibilities or other issues can
result in a decision to provide the candidate with more than the usual amount of
time.
On
some campuses, classroom observation is a part of the review process. A tenured colleague visits the candidate’s
class, generally at a previously designated time, to observe his or her work in
the classroom. The observer takes notes
and provides the candidate with feedback.
In some instances, a written report may also be submitted to the review
committee.
Evaluation
for promotion and tenure can occur simultaneously, and in such instances it
usually involves promotion from assistant professor to associate
professor. At some institutions,
however, these processes are separate, and in unusual cicumstances one can
"come up for promotion" before being evaluated for tenure. Because the latter course of action can be
controversial, it should be considered carefully, perhaps in consultation with
on-and off-campus mentors.
After
earning tenure, it is possible to negotiate a tenured position in another
setting, especially when one has a national reputation and/or an outstanding
record of scholarly achievements.
If,
however, one is denied tenure, there are usually several options available to
the candidate to attempt to reverse the decision. The first resort should be to request an appeal. This might involve an oral presentation by
the candidate or a representative of the candidate before the tenure committee,
and/or the submission of a written justification. In some cases, a candidate is warned of a "potentially"
negative decision. Some faculty who
believe they have been unfairly denied tenure have taken legal action. Another recourse for members of
underrepresented groups is to file a civil rights suit. If your faculty are unionized, protection
and/or avenues for appeal could be provided in your contract. It is important for candidates to know their
rights and the various actions they can take in the event of a negative tenure
decision.
One
article cannot fully capture the complexity of achieving tenure. Therefore, anyone embarking on a career as a
faculty member should immediately begin to gather information about the
institution from well-informed sources, and continue this process throughout
his or her period of employment. It is
generally advisable for new faculty members to steer clear of political
controversy until they fully understand the issues involved as well the
positive or negative implications of taking a stand. At the same time, sometimes being outspoken about relevant issues
is regarded as evidence of leadership potential.
Nevertheless,
one should bear in mind that the key role of a faculty member is to be a
productive member of the college community, regardless of the overt or covert
political life of the college. As one
adjusts to the multifaceted aspects of a career in higher education, a faculty
member is expected to play an increasingly more active college-wide role, in
addition to her or his departmental obligations such as serving on college wide
committees, being in charge of conferences and/or research projects, obtaining
grants or being appointed by the President of your institution to play a
special role in representing the college and or community.
Building your portfolio will
involve describing the range of your unique talents and skill sets. Today’s rapidly evolving academic
marketplace, where increased competition for coveted tenure track positions
exists, will mean increased mobility and the need to be more flexible. For
example, it is crucial that new faculty understand the debate concerning the
relationship between tenure and academic freedom. Learning how to manage one’s career in academia is becoming an
essential skill given the market driven educational economy that is challenging
the notion of life long tenure.
Reference Available upon request. APAGS
