G. Increase Your Awareness of the Negative Impact on Your Productivity and Feelings of Success

Challenging a negative tenure decision or taking steps toward securing another position requires substantial attention and effort. Therefore, the amount of time you can devote to your work will diminish to some extent. You cannot expect to be able to go on doing "business as usual" under such circumstances. The challenge is to adjust your expectations to be more realistic.

When turned down for tenure, most individuals have a difficult time concentrating on their work, and their productivity decreases. This often engenders concern about being unproductive and fears about lack of success that add to the already-heavy emotional burden. If the negative tenure decision was made at the department level, just coming into the office can be a marathon accomplishment. Many individuals find it very difficult to focus on their work while in the department office because encountering other faculty reignites feelings of betrayal and outrage. If you find yourself experiencing this, you should probably consider working more at home.

Some faculty have taken a leave of absence to teach at another university in a visiting capacity while their case is being reviewed. The greater isolation you might have to tolerate on a leave of absence may be more than compensated for by your being in an environment where it is possible to focus on your work. It is most important to recognize that, although you may not be as productive as you would like to be or usually are, this is understandable and represents a transient phenomenon.