The initial reaction to my new book, How to Get Tenure: Strategies for Successfully Navigating the Process, has been enthusiastic and I am excited for its publication. Several people have asked me about the purpose of the book and what all I discuss in it. The tenure process can be such a mysterious black box that there was a great deal of ground to cover with the book. For today’s post, I thought it would be helpful to share an excerpt from the Preface that gives some more details about the book and what I discuss in the various chapters.
The tenure process can vary dramatically based on the type of institution (i.e. a teaching or research university), the nature of the discipline, the culture of the academic department, and personal circumstances. I have written this book to be broadly applicable to faculty pursuing tenure in any college or university. Where differences may occur based on particular circumstances, I note these and provide some ideas for the reader to determine what is most appropriate in a particular case. The examples used throughout this book are drawn from research conducted in many different contexts, as well as from my own experiences. As the reader, you will be best able to apply the ideas in this book when considering your local context and the peculiarities of your own path to tenure.
This book also comes from the perspective of someone offering advice to pre-tenure faculty going through the tenure process. Thus, while the strategies and advice within these pages are directed toward them, the research and lessons throughout may also prove beneficial to department chairs, deans, faculty developers, and others who mentor assistant professors. For these readers, the ideas and concepts here can provide additional information or recommendations to aid in formal and informal mentorship. Even better, pre-tenure faculty and senior colleagues can read the book together to spark a productive dialogue about how to successfully navigate the tenure process in specific circumstances unique to individual disciplines and institutions.
I have designed How to Get Tenure to be read from beginning to end or used as a reference manual. For graduate students and new tenure track professors, I recommend working through the book in order to gain a full appreciation of the process that you are about to undergo. For experienced pre-tenure faculty or mentors, you may find that referencing particular chapters will be helpful in answering specific questions. I have identified areas in the book that warrant additional thought and reflection. The “Pause and Reflect” prompts will encourage you to think more deeply and question your own practices. Moreover, I included a number of worksheets throughout the book to assist with applying the strategies and ideas presented. In addition to their inclusion here, the worksheets are also available for download from the book’s site on Routledge’s webpage at www.routledge.com/9780815380931. This book is broken into three parts to guide you through the aspects of the tenure process. Part I provides a background for understanding the work and productivity necessary for faculty to succeed on the tenure track. Chapter 1 considers the current environment for tenure and sets the stage for understanding the tenure process. Through a discussion of the history of tenure and the current state of tenure in higher education, the chapter provides a foundation for understanding the subsequent chapters. In Chapter 2, I examine faculty work in the context of knowledge work, technology, and competing priorities. The chapter begins by providing a strategic orientation considering deep work, goal setting, and focus for pre-tenure faculty. Next, the chapter offers specific tactical approaches such as managing email, setting a weekly schedule, and budgeting goals. The chapter’s goal is to reorient faculty to consider academic work through the tenure lens and provide specific approaches to accomplish all types of faculty work effectively and efficiently.
Part II explores the three primary aspects of faculty work considered as part of tenure at most institutions (scholarship and academic publishing, teaching, andservice). Chapter 3 discusses scholarship and academic publishing, critical elements in nearly every tenure case. I begin by discussing the importance of academic publishing and developing a research agenda to establish an academic career timeline. After this discussion, I turn to consider specific aspects of research activities that can cause challenges for pre-tenure faculty, including grants and contracts, collaborating with colleagues and students, and finding time to write each day.
Chapter 4 provides an approach to teaching that maximizes student learning while emphasizing efficiency during the years on the tenure clock. Specifically, I introduce readers to the benefits of active learning for both students and faculty. The chapter discusses key teaching issues such as class policies, creating inclusive classrooms, grading, and student evaluations to provide preparation for teaching that will benefit students and improve a candidate’s case for tenure.
In Chapter 5, I discuss the complicated nature of service. Many pre-tenure faculty struggle with service as an aspect of faculty work that takes up a great deal of time yet receives little consideration in the tenure decision. I outline types of service and how they are evaluated during tenure review. The chapter also helps pre- tenure faculty decide when to say “yes” to service, as well as how to say “no” well.
To conclude the book, Part III discusses the process of being considered for tenure, preparing the tenure dossier, and what happens afterwards. Chapter 6 discusses how the process works and the key decision points along the way. Specifically, the chapter examines tenure criteria, managing professional image, and the important constituencies for every tenure candidate. The chapter describes in detail how to prepare the tenure dossier and personal statement, as well as how to consider potential external reviewers in creating the important documents for tenure committees to review.
After receiving tenure, newly minted associate professors should celebrate and think about the next stage of their academic careers. In Chapter 7, I encourage tenured faculty to think about new research projects and how to now take chances with their careers while looking ahead to promotion to full professor. I also encourage tenured faculty to pay their success forward by supporting pre-tenure faculty and acknowledging the support they received along the path to tenure. By describing life after tenure, this chapter hopefully provides a goal to strive toward and a plan for faculty to leverage tenure to serve others.
My approach throughout this book builds on my basic belief that everyone who has the ability to land a tenure track assistant professorship has the ability to achieve tenure, although this outcome is not guaranteed. How to Get Tenure provides information, strategies, and tactics for pre-tenure faculty to know exactly how to get tenure. I hope you, the pre-tenure reader, will apply these lessons and work to learn about the tenure process just as you work on other aspects of academic work such as scholarship, teaching, and service. Ultimately, becoming a scholar of the tenure process is one of the best ways to clarify ambiguity, manage expectations, and establish a career that meets, or exceeds, the tenure requirements at your institution.
