Learning the Tenure Waltz

1. Learning the Tenure Waltz James R. Peacock, Ph.D. Associate Professor Department of Sociology Appalachian State University An earlier version of this presentation was offered as a Pre-Conference Workshop (“The Tenure Waltz: Aligning Research, Service, and Teaching”); Gerontological Society of America, San Francisco, CA, November 16, 2007 by Helen Miltiades, PhD, California State University, Fresno, & James R. Peacock, PhD, Appalachian State University.

2. What is Tenure? • The basis of tenure is “Academic Freedom” • Appalachian State University (ASU) “supports and encourages freedom of inquiry for faculty members and students, to the end that they may responsibly pursue these goals through teaching, learning, research, discussion, and publication, free from internal or external restraints that would unreasonably restrict their academic endeavors.” (ASU Faculty Handbook, p. 31; www.facultyhandbook.appstate.edu) • Why is this necessary? • Tenure allows faculty members an environment of “freedom of teaching, research, and extramural activities … [in which] teachers and students must always remain free to inquire, to study and to evaluate, to gain a new maturity and understanding; otherwise our civilization will stagnate and die” [Sweezy v. New Hampshire, 354 U.S. 234 (1957), p. 250].

3. What is Tenure? • Tenure is more than just “job security.” • Tenure is an agreement negotiated between the University and the faculty member. • The University pledges to provide a place where teaching and scholarly work can be carried out, free from unreasonable internal or external restraints or interference. • The faculty member pledges to carry out teaching and scholarly activities to the best of his/her ability and fulfill other traditional institutional responsibilities.

4. The Goal of Your Tenure Process • To Develop a cohesive “product” which presents your career (i.e., your scholarship, teaching, and service efforts) as a unified package.

5. First Things First! • Familiarize yourself with the ASU Faculty Handbook (www.facultyhandbook.appstate.edu). • Some of the first things you need to determine about your Department include: • Scholarship & grant expectations and policy • Publication expectations and policy • NOTE: Depending on the field/department, “publication” expectations may include publications, exhibits, juried shows, performances, etc. • Teaching expectations and policy • Service expectations and policy • What your colleagues are researching/developing • The views on collaboration among your colleagues Bottom Line Get to know your colleagues and Departmental policies!

6. The Steps of the Tenure Waltz • Step 1: Scholarship • Step 2: Teaching • Step 3: Service

7. Scholarship • As much as possible, try to limit yourself to a specific scholarship agenda. • Try to build up a reputation in a specific area. • Most institutions value publications over grants, however, current economic circumstances may raise the institutional “value” of grant work. • Discuss this with your Chair! • Determine how many publications, exhibits, or performances, are expected by the time you come up for reappointment (usually in your 3rd year) and by the time you come up for tenure (usually in your 6th year). • Discuss this with your Chair!

8. Scholarship: Working with Others • It may be helpful to collaborate with others in your Department. • HELPFUL TIP: Work out scholarship responsibilities (i.e. division of labor) and authorship order right up front! • If your students are accessing your data, make sure you know everything they are doing/have done with your research.

9. Scholarship: Writing and Creative Activity • Schedule writing or creative activity into your day-to-day agenda. • Pick one time a day for working on scholarship. • No one is going to make sure you are writing. YOU have to do this. Bottom Line Superiors will complain if your teaching is slightly deficient or if you are not pulling your own “weight” in departmental service, but ultimately, you will be evaluated on your scholarship.

10. Scholarship: Dissemination • Dissemination—publishing, exhibiting or performing—helps set the foundation for future grants. • Dissemination promotes your Department and the University. • Know how your Department (and the University) weighs publications/exhibits/performances • local vs. regional vs. national presentations, exhibits or performances • peer-reviewed vs. invited vs. non-peer-reviewed (e.g. websites) • books vs. journal articles • top-tier journals vs. lower impact (and online) journals • The “value” of conference proceedings, abstracts, book reviews, book chapters, etc. • submitted grant proposals vs. only funded grants Bottom Line Your work does not exist unless it’s disseminated; unless it’s disseminated, it will not have meaning, and will not “count” when it comes time for tenure.

11. Scholarship: Dissemination Tips • Try to have: • One paper, exhibit, or performance in “review,” and • One paper, exhibit, or performance in “revision,” and • One paper, exhibit, or performance in “development.” • Note: This is more of a model or goal than reality may actually allow.. • The process of dissemination usually takes about three years from beginning to end. • Do your homework—review the outlets in your field for the best fit for your work. • Have a backup outlet. • Send your scholarship to the editor, reviewer or jury even if you don’t think it’s ready. • We waste a lot of time “fussing” with our scholarship; so let the editor decide what needs fixing. There are usually revisions anyway.

12. Scholarship: Barriers • These are some things (among others) that can distract from your scholarship/goals: • Summer teaching • Side jobs • Consulting and/or contracting (unless these are part of your Departmental expectations) • Vast service projects • Guest lecturing • Trying to write during office hours • Professional conferences • They take up a massive amount of time and energy. • Travel money will likely be tight for the next several years. • Only go to professional conferences that will have a direct, positive impact on your professional development.

13. Teaching: Strategies • If you’re teaching the same courses, don’t drastically change your syllabi from semester to semester. • Develop a variety of teaching methods (e.g., class presentations, group discussions, online exercises, etc.). • Unless asked directly by your Chair, avoid volunteering for new course—build on what you already have prepared. • Show how courses have developed over time. • Develop/Show teaching outcomes wherever possible. • The Hubbard Center may be able to help you with this (www.hubbard.appstate.edu). Bottom Line Excellent teaching will not guarantee tenure, but poor teaching may keep you from being reappointed.

14. Teaching: Policies • Make sure your course policies are fair and that they are clearly described in your syllabi. • Some policy elements you should think about including: • Cell phones, laptops, & other electronics • Tardiness; late/missing assignments • Missed quizzes/exams • Adverse weather policy (see ASU web site) • Academic Integrity Code (see ASU website) • Disabilities accommodations (See Section 5.9 in ASU Faculty Handbook; www.facultyhandbook.appstate.edu.) • Develop course grading rubrics • The Hubbard Center is able to help you with this (www.hubbard.appstate.edu).

15. Service Tips • Do what's expected, but no more! • Pull what is considered to be your “weight” in your Department. • Serve on only the required number of departmental committees (usually one or two per year). • Run service opportunities by your superiors (Chair, Dean, mentor, etc.). • Try to avoid administrative positions and controversial committees. • HELPFUL TIP: Reviewing articles for professional journals helps polish how you write, helps you keep abreast of the most current work being done in your field, and helps you to get on the editor’s good side! Bottom Line Be aware of being asked to do excessive service. That is, learn to say, “No,” or “I’ll think about it.” If you agree to “help” right away, people will automatically start asking you to do everything.

16. Other Elements of the Dance: Mentors • It’s time to start weaning yourself from your PhD advisor and begin developing your own identity in the field. ASU offers a Mentoring Program to help you assimilate to the University. (See www.hubbard.appstate.edu.) • HELPFUL TIP: It's always good to have a mentor who is interested in the same scholarship. • Mentoring and Your Own Professional Development: • Get the opinion of your progress from more than one person (e.g. departmental colleagues). • Get regular opinions of your progress from your Chair (maybe even the Dean). • Your annual reports and annual reviews are a good source of this information. • The tenure process changes, so it's always good to have the advice of someone who has recently gone through it. • Start forming relationships with other professionals in your field early on. • Professional organizations are a good place to start.

17. Other Elements of the Dance: Departmental Collegiality • Refine your skills in professional courtesy and professional demeanor early on. • Be slow to anger. • Be happy. • Don’t complain about people (especially the Chair, senior faculty, or other superiors). • Don't contradict your Chair (especially in public). • If you are promised something, or if you are expected to complete a task as part of your job description, try to get it in writing. • This may require practicing your skills in political savvy.

18. Other Elements of the Dance: Graduate Assistants • Know that it will take time and energy to prepare for a graduate student to actually help you. • Developing instructions for work you need done • Assuring that the student understands the instructions • Familiarizing the student with your research and its data • Allowing time for the student’s “learning curve” • Try to balance the student’s needs with your needs. • Make use of the student’s strengths. • HELPFUL TIP: Wherever possible try to incorporate students into your on-going scholarship. Bottom Line A “bad” graduate assistant or poor communication between you and your graduate assistant can REALLY slow you down.

19. Building Your Tenure File: Your Dossier • Remember to always document EVERYTHING you do professionally. • Update your curriculum vitae regularly (at least once per semester). • HELPFUL TIP: For each academic year, keep a file of supporting emails and documents, reports, evaluations, accolades, certificates and awards— anything that supports your professional development • This information will then be available for your annual reports and for your tenure dossier. • Do not keep the only copies in your office, though!

20. Building Your Tenure File: Your Dossier • Take your Annual Reviews seriously! • Pay close attention to the recommendations of your Chair and/or your Departmental Personnel Committee (DPC). (See Section 4.1 in the ASU Faculty Handbook for information about DPCs; www.facultyhandbook.appstate.edu.) • Make sure you show how you have addressed recommendations over time and how you have built on consecutive year’s recommendations. • Be sure to regularly consult with your Departmental colleagues about your progress. • Your DPC is composed of your Departmental colleagues, so it’s good to get insight from your potential DPC members. • This also help build departmental collegiality. • Copies of many elements of your annual reports will be needed for your tenure dossier (e.g., publications, exhibits, performances, professional presentations, reports, evaluations, support documents, etc.). • HELPFUL TIP: It’s never too early to start building your tenure files—when you build an annual report, save a copy of everything for your tenure file.

21. Preparing Your Tenure Dossier • Find/Develop that connection – that link – between your scholarship, teaching, and service. • Show how your career is moving forward. • Lay out your future career based on the “foundation” you have already laid at ASU. • Be sure to show how you have integrated your scholarship, teaching, and service efforts. Bottom Line Toot your own horn (but don't be annoying).

22. Your Tenure Dossier • Know what’s in your dossier. • Make sure all that you've done is in your dossier. • Correct any inconsistencies! • Information appearing or being discussed in more than one section • Publication/performance dates • Presentation/exhibit dates and locations • Names of any charts or figures appearing in the text • Remember, you’re regularly updating your curriculum vitae!

23. Summary The Goal: In all your professional efforts, look toward developing a cohesive “product” which presents your career at ASU—your scholarship, your teaching, and your service—as a unified package. • Scholarship • Plan your scholarship toward building a reputation in a specific area. • Determine early on what “counts” regarding publications (or exhibits, juried shows, performances, etc.). • Determine early on the expected number of publications (exhibits, juried shows, performances, etc.) by the time you come up for reappointment (usually in your 3rd year) and by the time you come up for tenure (usually in your 6th year). • Teaching • ASU expects quality teaching. • Excellent teaching will not guarantee tenure, but poor teaching may keep you from being reappointed. • Service • Pull what is considered to be your fair share in your Department. • Develop an identity in the field (e.g., through professional conferences, exhibits, board memberships, etc.), but … DO NOT OVERDO THE SERVICE!