Objectives of the Survival Guide

This guide was written and reviewed by psychologists who have experienced or have close personal knowledge of the opportunities and special challenges posed by academia to women and ethnic minorities. It has been developed for women and ethnic minority psychologists considering academic careers to address two important career milestones and a possible negative career shift if tenure is denied. The first milestone is making the decision about the type of job one should pursue and, if one chooses academia, the type of academic setting, the match between potential job and skills with career goals, and negotiation for resources that will enhance a productive career. The information provided by the guide will enable the academic job candidate to consider more fully questions such as: What types of academic careers are available to me? How can I tell if this department really values diversity? What roles am I expected to fill in this department as a faculty member? Which of these roles stem from my being an ethnic minority and/or a woman? Which of these roles are of personal and professional interest to me? Which of these roles will jeopardize my tenure attainment? What are the potential areas in which I could get "bogged down" and thus impair my ability to move ahead in my academic career? How can I optimize my academic experiences so as to increase the likelihood of survival (e.g., promotion and tenure)?

Part I of this guide, "Deciding on Academia: What Are Your Options?" will address these and other issues affecting women and ethnic minorities in academic psychology departments. This part will focus primarily on the recruitment process. It is important to keep in mind that activities related to retention are clearly begun during the recruitment process and if they are handled well by both the candidate and the department, many potential retention problems can be avoided. Therefore, all of the issues discussed throughout this part will directly affect the successful retention of women and ethnic minorities as faculty.

Part II of this guide addresses "Strategies for Maximizing Your Chances for Promotion and Tenure." By making the rules of the system that govern tenure more explicit, we hope to assist women and ethnic minorities in examining their own personal standards in the context of the external demands of the tenure and promotion processes. Although knowledge is a source of power, academic situations in which sexism, racism, heterosexism, and ableism are entrenched create strong barriers to success regardless of the effort the individual exerts. In such situations, it may be wise for an individual to consider moving to another institution where discrimination is less of an obstacle to success. The rules discussed here do not encompass all possible situations, but we hope to enable individuals to develop personalized strategies for enhancing success.

Part III focuses on strategies for coping with the emotional trauma of an adverse decision regarding promotion and tenure to help the new academician avert a negative career shift. Any job termination is traumatic. The strategies that are discussed here take into account the characteristics of academic positions. Many of these strategies apply to all individuals and are intended as suggestions, not as prescriptions. Ultimately, each individual is the best "judge" of what makes sense in a particular situation.

The guide has been created as a reference and resource. It provides an overview of key issues and a compilation of references that cover these issues in greater depth. A number of excellent books and articles have been published on different aspects of this subject (see references and resource list). We hope that this guide will be helpful to individuals who feel that they are alone in facing these academic challenges; who are unaware of the resources available to them; and/or who need a little guidance to begin, survive, and excel in this process.