Ask a Tenured Professor

Thanks to the dozens of you (yes, dozens) who indicated a willingness to respond to questions submitted for the "Ask A Tenured Professor" Column. This column deals with some "heavy-hitting" issues: being turned down for tenure or reappointment, feminist identity, and maternity leave. I was moved by the tenor of the replies, marked as they were by frankness and warmth and stressing the importance of resolve and perspective.

During the course of pulling the column together, I realized that I needed to weigh competing desires to a) acknowledge people's contributions; b) respect the confidentiality of the several people who requested that I do so; and c) avoid stigmatizing people who are/are not comfortable with having their name associated with a given subject. After some thought (lots and lots of thought, it's stickier than I've presented it here!), I have decided to list contributors' names alphabetically at the beginning of the column rather than associating names with specific questions or answers. This is not intended to detract from individuals' contributions. Instead, I hope to create a "safe" setting in which people can comfortably ask the hard/sensitive questions or give the hard/sensitive answers. I welcome others' opinions/suggestions regarding this matter and am willing to modify my approach for future columns which deal with less sensitive issues.

In the meantime, however, I'd like to extend my heartfelt appreciation to the following individuals for contributing their insights to one or more of the three questions raised in this issue: Patti Adler, Fran Bernat, William Blount, John Conley, Lin Huff-Corzine, Mona Danner, Kim Davies, Tara Gray, Barbara Koons, Sheila Royo Maxwell, Jerome McKean, Eleanor Miller, Angie Moe, Ros Muraskin, Barbara Raffell Price, Nicky Rafter, Christine Sellers, and Susan Sharp. Please join me in thanking them for their insight and generosity (clap, clap, clap, clap, clap).

Jeanne Flavin, Column Editor
Please submit questions or comments to: jflavin@fordham.edu

WHAT HAPPENS IF I DON'T GET TENURE/REAPPOINTED?

The Sleepless Night Questions: What happens if I don't get tenure/don't get reappointed? What options do I have? Should I file an appeal? Should I sue? Should I leave academe? Should I move far, far away? Should I kill myself? How will I face these people for another year? Will I feel like damaged goods? How will I regroup? Will I land on my feet? What do I tell people? Am I ever going to go back to sleep... ?

The Responses:

It is the emotional fallout that is hard to handle. In my case, I was told in my fifth year review that I needed to publish another article. I did so, and was denied tenure anyway, despite the unanimous support of the members of my department. I filed an appeal and won another year and another tenure review, but was ultimately denied tenure again. After 16 years, it still upsets me to think about it. It took several years for me to come to terms with my own contributions to my downfall, which were considerable. To make a long story short, I was guilty of terminal cluelessness. I believe it is a common disorder among the tenure challenged. How did I get over it? For quite awhile, I didn't. I spent the year after my appeal was denied in limbo. I didn't look for another position or make any concrete plans. Eventually, I wound up doing some consulting, and after a few years, I was ready for another go at academe. Losing tenure wasn't the only problem I had and for that reason, it took me longer to recover from the blow than it does most persons. The important point is that I did recover. There is life after tenure is denied. I am now a tenured associate professor at another institution and have even served as chair of the P & T Committee. I would advise anyone who is denied tenure to do the following: First of all, grieve. It IS a blow and it would be strange if you didn't suffer. Second, realistically assess what happened. Meet with the decision-makers, and ask them why they voted as they did (follow the relevant policies and procedures). If six people tell you that you haven't published enough, it may be that you were denied tenure because you haven't published enough, and not because you are the victim of unjust discrimination. Another question you should ask yourself is whether you want to work at a place where you are not wanted, regardless of the reasons you are denied. Third, simultaneously explore all the options for appeals and legal actions AND look for a job. Don't assume that your appeal will be granted or that it will lead to tenure if it is. As George Herbert said, "Living well is the best revenge." A good job at a place where you are happy is better than tenure at a place where you are miserable. The final step is the hardest, but the most important. Regardless of what happens, forgive. You will not know peace until you do.

If you are denied tenure, read the book Congratulations! You've Been Fired. It's a wonderful book and really helped me. It talks about how personnel people (who do a lot of firing) are taught that something like 75% of all people who get fired report that they much prefer their next job to the one they were fired from. I certainly do. I was furious when I was denied tenure, but I decided I wanted to be angry, not bitter. I think that attitude is what helped me land on my feet.
The simplest and most direct answer is to apply for another job at another institution. There are many jobs and you will find the right departmental fit. Do not kill yourself, don't be embarrassed, and don't give up.

I have found that all the people I know who were turned down for tenure ended up quite happy at another job within the year. (Many of them may well be happier in their real-world jobs than they would have been in the academic world, though that is not really for me to say.) There are two factors at play here: one is that people with PhDs have lots of skills and so can find other challenging jobs. The other is that middle-class people tend to land on their feet no matter what. (Maybe those two factors are almost one.) Life doesn't owe anyone a permanent job; most of the rest of the world knows that, but we in the academic world tend to forget it. And we get tied up in knots, trying to please people who are not necessarily worth the trouble.

As someone who has been denied tenure, here's what I would say: keep it in perspective. It is terrible, but not the end of the world. Try to tell yourself before, during and afterwards that the best job insurance you can ever have is to be marketable and always able to get another job. This power, the ability to leave bad jobs and situations behind you, are the only true power of the worker. Therefore, focus on doing things that make you marketable anywhere - rather than just where you work now.

If you don't get tenure, don't go "crazy" -- find out what it is they are looking for, usually you will be told. I serve on the Promotion and Tenure Committee and we do inform the faculty member(s) what they need to make it next time around/ or if we don't think they will ever make it, we give suggestions on what to do as well. Always have a positive attitude, so that you do know how to proceed during the coming academic year for the next time around. You might also want to turn to outsiders (those outside your College/University) for advice allowing them to see what is required and what you handed in. An outsider can be objective and sometimes can come to your aid better than those on the inside. The best advice is to keep plugging away-- particularly if you know what it takes. As for lawsuits, etc., only if you truly believe you have been harassed or overlooked purposely. As for what to tell others, tell them what you want, or simply the truth that you need to get more publications, papers presented, etc., in order for you to get there. Sometimes that helps and others can help you.

I am in my second year of tenure and my process was mostly good. I teach at a university with a 4-4 load and some expectation of research. My department supported me, my chair supported me and my dean supported me and then the university wide committee supported me for tenure but not promotion. They indicated that "there was evidence to suggest that I failed to challenge students." They did not say what this evidence was and to this day, I don't know what they were talking about. There is speculation that I did not have perfect grade distributions, that I was a feminist and the committee thought I was radical, that the committee did not like people in sociology, and more. Honestly, my initial response was devastation. My master status is professor. I love to teach, to be in the classroom, to work with students and I couldn't believe they were saying I failed to challenge. I teach women and crime and social deviance, how can that not be challenging even if I simply cover the material? Anyway, I maintained coolness at school -- my chair and dean were supportive and I waited. All steps above the university wide committee went well and eventually I was tenured and promoted at the end of the year. But this was much more stressful than I thought it would be or than I thought it was when I was going through it. Now, I'm passed it. It is so much better. And oddly enough I won the outstanding teaching award for the whole university that same year --- politics indeed! The one good thing is that I had to submit my teaching philosophy after being nominated and I wrote while fueled with anger over the decision of the university wide committee and it, honestly, worked well. Oh yeah, I also had to give the commencement speech and I talked about how being radical was a good thing!!! So, now I feel more relaxed and relieved but less trusting of everyone and a slight bit less "in love" with my university. I don't know how or if this actually answers your questions today. Basically, I wanted to make the point that sometimes you have to wait to react. I would have considered filing a complaint or whatever other channels I could have taken had I not got tenure. But I waited (simmering) until the end. Each of us has our own story...

Dear Sleepless, It does no good to worry in advance about not getting tenure - I know because I did it for at least 3 years. In fact, I spent enough time worrying that it probably cut into my time writing, which is what I was supposed to be doing! One of the things I had to face was how much of my well-being was wrapped up in the idea of success. My department hired me to do gendered work in criminology, then promptly started criticizing gendered work in criminology while giving me one or two new preps every semester. Neither of those things made me feel very secure, to say the least. I spent a lot of energy feeling mistreated and frightened, planning what to do when the failure to get tenure arrived, as I was sure it would. I finally reached the conclusion that I had done the best I could do in the circumstances I was in. If that was not enough, it did not mean I was a failure. I had to remind myself of all my successes in the past in order to get past the fear of failure. Curiously, once I reached that point I became incredibly productive and ended up sailing through the tenure process, with only one senior colleague still grumbling about feminist criminology! Currently, I am watching a colleague whose tenure clock is ticking very loudly do the same thing. We've talked a lot about options. She has a healthy outlook, and she has chosen to believe that not getting tenure would be an opportunity to move someplace where she will fit better. (A healthy outlook, but I hope she does get tenure since she is a wonderful colleague!) In a more practical vein, the decision about whether or not to file an appeal depends on your situation. Did someone else get tenure there who has a similar track record to yours? Do you believe that you were not treated fairly? Talk to other women on your campus. Those who have survived the process can be enormously helpful and shed some wisdom on the situation. If you decide to leave, do it with your head held up high. (Yes, I mean during the year that you are there without tenure, incredible as that may seem!) Not getting tenure is not the end of the world. It happens all the time, and people go on to succeed elsewhere, provided they keep a positive attitude. Network with other women, and ask for suggestions. Believe in yourself! And don't forget, non illegitmi carborundum - don't let the bastards grind you down! Regards, Weary but tenured.

FEMINIST IDENTITIES AND THE TENURE PROCESS

I have a question of sorts for some tenured profs out there. I was wondering how they remember negotiating their feminist identities with the tenure process. It seems to me that the two are quite contradictory. Feminism would have us standing up for ourselves, our perspectives, and those we work with, while the pre-tenure existence seems to silence us, marginalize our perspectives, and essentially force us into submission, often resorting to the "nice little good girl" role. At least that's how I feel and it's my feminist mentors who are telling me this is the way the game has to be played!

Just thought others may have some good suggestions on how we can remain true to ourselves and still keep our jobs.

The Responses:

My heart goes out to this untenured woman feminist criminologist and I am a bit conflicted about exactly how to answer. Please allow me first to pose some questions for her, others, indeed all of us to consider. How do you want to live your life? How do you want to feel about yourself and your activities and behaviors? How do you want to feel about the place you work and the people with whom you work?

Now, please allow me to provide my own answers for myself. First, from the beginning to the end, I have to live with myself and be true to myself. There's little left to me if I violate my own principles in any part of life, including my job. In addition, if I don't stand up for what I believe and for who I am, who will? If I don't take risks for myself and others, then why should anyone risk anything for me? I want to work with colleagues whom I respect and who respect me, and I want kindness in my interactions. If it's clear to me that the environment or circumstances are poisonous, then I want out; toxic waste spreads and if it surrounds me then sooner or later it'll likely enter me. An environment that is trying to silence me, marginalize my perspectives, and trying to force me into submission is poisonous, and people who tell me I have to be a "nice little good girl" do not feel particularly helpful. The pre-tenure process you describe is NOT my experience of tenure just 4 years ago. I've certainly worked hard but have also done the work I wanted to do and have felt good about. I've always been up-front about my feminism and places that didn't want that never invited me for an interview. My colleagues, department, college, and university have been very professional and much of the time, kind.

Please know, however, that I'm neither stupid nor a martyr and dear friends of mine have suffered terrible injustices in their workplace, and so I always try to seriously assess the environment and circumstances to ascertain what level of safety exists. I also search out people to learn more about the place and situation and look for allies because there is some safety in numbers. My perspective is that life is too short to live in much fear and if this job had not been as described, I would have sought out something more suited to me. In writing this I remember my privilege in that other academic jobs are more readily available in criminal justice/criminology than in other disciplines. I'm not in the most prestigious of universities although my program is known and respected around the country. Lots of prestige and more resources are worthless if I hate walking into the building and dislike or distrust my colleagues. I've also built a whole life with loving friends and family, and enjoyable outside activities and all of these keep me balanced and remembering what's most important in life.

As an aside --- when I first started at LIU/C.W. Post there was a lawsuit asking for equity with regard to salaries of female professors. The actuaries stated that as we live longer, we will eventually catch up. We lost the law suit. It is really a question of insisting that our research is urgent and important --- hey look at our President, he's declaring war on Iraq, possibly Korea, and Women and their right to choose.

We have to be insistent, stick together, and get lots of required feminist/women's courses.

My take on this is, don't wait to become who you want to be: it will never happen. When I was a junior faculty I was surrounded by people who seemed to want me to wait to be my outspoken self until I got tenured. What I kept explaining was when I got tenure, I wouldn't step out of my Clark Kent suit and become Superman (or Superwoman). I would be who I had practiced being for the last six years.

In my own life experience, truer words were never spoken. Your only real power in the work place--tenured or not--is your willingness to keep your resume updated and marketable--and your bags packed.

To me, being a feminist means not practicing being silenced or marginalized for six years as a way of learning how to be empowered after tenure. It means practicing now. We don't teach students to swim by teaching them to sink.

This will probably come off as grumpy, but I have been where the questioner has been and I have had to ask myself some hard questions. Survival with dignity is not only the concern of feminist college professors, or college professors, but something that everyone struggles with, even those whose journey leads them to the land beyond tenure. It is wise for us to remember that professors are a privileged lot. If you really want to try some submission, work at Wal-Mart.

Thus one of the first ways to cope with the struggle is to avoid terminal uniqueness. Once, I had a position and lost it. I thought it was because I was a union activist, but then it occurred to me that none of the other union activists had lost their positions! I was denied tenure because I didn't do my job very well, and let my yen to crusade overcome my quest to gain competence. Crusading is more fun, but I used it as a means to avoid learning how to teach and do research. After 25 years (said the dinosaur), I think I am getting the hang of it. How well do you do your job?

The questioner should ask herself some questions: Who, exactly, is forcing the questioner into submission? Her tenured, feminist mentors (how did THEY survive with dignity)? Other tenured faculty? What is the questioner being asked to do that is immoral, illegal, or health-threatening? Is the questioner being asked to do things that other, non-feminist faculty members are not being asked to do? Are untenured faculty members, regardless of gender, asked to do things that silence and marginalize them? Are women faculty members, feminist or not, asked to do such things? If the answers to these questions are yes, get the hell out of there. If not, it is wise to remember that one should not take oneself too seriously.

Concentrate on learning--by doing--everything you can about teaching, research, and, yes, even university service. Be true to yourself by doing your work--your chosen profession--the best you can. You will probably get tenure. If you don't get tenure, it is not the end of the world and if you are doing good work, you will land another, perhaps better, job.

This can be a difficult one. I think that I was seen as a feminist and it caused some problems at the university level in getting tenure at a small southeastern university. However, my department of sociologists was pretty cool and overall my other record stood. But I think that I did play it down a little before tenure without knowing, because after tenure, I feel much more free. As a lesbian feminist, I still don't tell my students, but I use correct pronouns in referring to my partner when talking to colleagues now.

This is an extremely important question. I anguished over it myself for several years. My position was that (rebel that I am) I refused to publish work that I did not believe in simply to get tenure. However, the work I did was not necessarily what my (older white male) colleagues thought worthwhile. I finally found a workable solution for myself, although it may not be good for everyone. After spending three years sending my work to journals that my chair deemed worthy, and getting very little published that way, I finally woke up. I decided to start sending my work to journals that published scholarship more similar to mine, and to live with the consequences. Immediately, I started getting publications. I knew that my chair was very hung up on a few specific journals. I also knew those journals rarely publish feminist work. I also knew that if I had to bargain with Dr. Mephisto to get tenure, that I probably did not belong here. But, to take this step, I had to be willing to risk not getting tenure - scary proposition!

The way that I survived and thrived was through getting very involved in the DWC and getting connected to a lot of people. I found friendship and emotional support, and I had names to give to my department as suggested outside reviewers - people who I knew would appreciate and understand my work. And, I knew that if I did not get tenure, that I would have support and understanding. In my case, things worked out. I sailed through the tenure process without a problem. And, I kept my self-respect and identity in the process. For me, it was a matter of asking myself which was more important to me - getting tenure or feeling good about my work. When I first started in this position, I thought that tenure was the most important. But, when I recognized that I was miserable, I decided to be true to myself. But, I also had nobody dependent on me for support, giving me freedom to make that choice, too. I don't think there is a "right" way to handle negotiating the tenure process as a feminist. We each have to find our own way through the mess. However, again, I made it through that maze with a whole lot of help from my DWC friends!

TENURE AND MATERNITY LEAVE

"I am an untenured faculty member who is in their third year on the tenure clock and who is expecting a baby in July. At my university it is possible to add a semester to my tenure clock due to having a baby. I have been thinking about the pros and cons of doing such a thing and was wondering what others thought about the issue.

Also, should there be any other personnel issues that I should be thinking about at this
point that I should discuss with my chair? I don't have any tenured female faculty members to ask here in my own department so I thought I would ask for help from my sisters in DWC."

The Responses:

I have had several female grad students have children while on the tenure clock. I heartily recommend stopping the clock. What's the harm there? So you wait until tenure for a little while longer? The alternative is to possibly not get tenure because you couldn't get enough work done. Why stress yourself and shortchange both yourself and your baby? This is a critical point for your family and yourself. Don't try to be a superwoman. Add the semester to your time clock. If you are a productive faculty member over the long run it will not be held against you. I'd say by all means take the extra semester-- though I'd first make sure how this is reflected in the tenure application (i.e., do you indicate maternity leave on your forms during that semester, or not include that semester at all in your accounts of your performance? Whichever way, make sure you are not informally "penalized" for this). My university allows a year extension for maternity leave. I took this year when I got pregnant (I am now an Associate Professor) and was glad that I did. I had no clue how much time and energy taking care of a baby took!!! A semester is not much leeway but at least you have some time. It's always good to have this time in case you need it, and you'd also want to enjoy your baby. Good Luck!

If you believe that the extra semester will be needed to have your publication record sufficiently strong for the tenure review, then I would advise taking the semester. My only concern in recommending this is that an all-male committee might try to justify holding you to a higher standard since you had more 'time.' Only you can judge whether that is a hazard. Your chair might be in a position to advise you based on experiences he has heard about in other departments (since I gather no women are available for you to consult who have added the semester to their clock). But he might just give you the politically correct response.

Your progress in your research and writing to date is your best guide for this decision. A new baby is definitely going to reduce your professional productivity - probably for a while depending on how much child care help you can arrange. You should not plan at getting much work done the first year - if you are able to, of course that will be a plus but don't count on it. Just loss of sleep reduces energy and concentration and large blocks of time vanish with a newborn. Try to factor in as much as you can when deciding. And good luck.

If they will allow you to stop the clock, I would do it; and I think you should be publishing, writing articles, attending professional meetings to build the resume. Take your time to do what is necessary, so that when you come up for tenure you will be prepared and well qualified. By the way as Editor of the Women's Series for Prentice Hall, you might be interested in submitting a proposal for either a volume or chapters --- it is all refereed. [RM].

It is unclear whether the ability to "add a semester to my tenure clock" means that you are also getting a semester maternity leave. In other words, if you add a semester to your tenure clock, does that mean you must take a maternity leave? If that is the case, then your decision is tied to the leave issue. You would have to decide whether you want a maternity leave. If you do want a maternity leave then the semester question is moot. However, if you have two choices,
1) deciding whether to take the maternity leave, and 2) whether to also add a semester to your tenure clock, you might think of the following issues. If your progress toward tenure is on track or ahead of track in terms of your performance, you might NOT want to add the semester to the clock. If you can continue with your performance level up to and after the birth of your child, you may not need to add the semester. I would certainly seek advice from your mentor, Chair and Academic Personnel (Associate VP or Provost) about your performance and their thinking about your progress. I assume that in your third year you have received some formal assessment of your performance (probably two assessments by now) so you could review their verbal advice with your formal assessments. They, of course, can not verbally guarantee the outcome of your tenure decision, but their advisory comments would give you additional information to think about. My suggestions here are based on my view that one should get tenure as soon as allowed because it not only takes tremendous pressure off you for career development, it also puts you in a better position should you decide to seek another position at another university.

Having said all this above, I also encourage you to think about the semester maternity leave, if that is available, and take it with the added semester on the clock. I say this because spending the first few months with the newborn is something you cannot do later. If it would be beneficial to you, the baby and any other family members involved, then take the time. You can get tenure at a later date. And you thought this decision might be made easy with outside advice! I bet you get a variety of suggestions. For me the bottom line is: do what you think is best for you and the baby now. Good luck!

. . . I do have many years as a Dept Chair and I always advised individuals to add time to their clock if possible. One never knows what life will hand one. However, before you make a decision, I would urge you to find out the ramifications of adding time to your tenure clock. Several universities permit - and even encourage - this practice, but some of these do not look with favor on those who take this option when tenure time comes around. The only way you can find out is informally, so check with your network [at your university]. . . You need to check at all levels - Dept, College & Provost. That information might influence your decision. Good luck and happy parenting!

Here at the University of Wisconsin-Milwaukee either a mother or father expecting a baby may ask for an additional year on the tenure clock. We encourage all new parents to do this (faculty may also ask for other caregiving responsibilities, such as eldercare) as soon as possible after the birth (or adoption) of the child. This permits them the extra year if they need it, but does not obligate them to take it. I think the timing is important because it signals the institution's recognition of the extra burden of the caregiving responsibilities and normalizes such requests. Although faculty members may also ask later in the probationary time period and the request will still be granted, then the person risks being perceived as asking because they feel they are in "tenure trouble."

As the mother of a 17-month-old child, I can attest that the arrival of a new baby can seriously curtail the amount of time you usually spend on research and publication. Unless your publication record is already beyond reproach, I strongly recommend that you take advantage of the assistance your University offers. It is your right, regardless of what your colleagues may think privately of it. If it turns out that you do not need the extra semester on the tenure clock, you can always apply for tenure "on time" (unless your University specifies otherwise). Congratulations and best wishes on the pending addition to your family!

We have a statement that is broader than for childbirth, but it works to give leave for this as well. Take it, but find out how the folks you work with view it so you know what you're dealing with. What everyone finds out is that it's harder to have a child and come right back than what they think before doing it. A major question to ask is how this will influence the timing of promotion and tenure for you. Usually when a person takes off one semester, it can move P&T one year forward. But you need to know.