Tenure Review is over
Glad that's done. It went very well. No criticisms (keep in mind this is only my first-year review). Several faculty went to great pains to discuss the amount of teaching I've had to do this year (3 courses each semester, plus several of those were not only new to me but new to the department, which seemed to impress them, not to mention my late arrival, having been hired in June and having only six weeks to move and get geared up for a new semester).
So, all in all, a positive experience, but I'm so shell-shocked from being anxious and nervous that I can't really evaluate it objectively now. The director of my departmental division said it went "excellent," and since he's a man not given to extravagant praise, I sense that was a good thing.
Edited to add: Whew, I feel like I am just now, three hours later, coming 'down' from the whole thing. I can't imagine what it'll be like when the review really counts (i.e., third year). Looking back with some objectivity, I think it went well, I think I have more friends than enemies in the room. Enemies isn't really the word. More friends than 'non-friends.' If anything, internal politics might make people not as thrilled with me (having to do with my hiring, long story that I don't want to go into here).
Only thing that got mentioned that was of ANY concern was when one of the rhetoric scholars (it's a communication department) asked if I was basing my entire case for tenure on creative works. So I'm thinking, "where is this going? That's what they told me when they hired me." When I answered "yes," his question became more clear. He only wanted to make sure that the department had a way of evaluating my "publications" in such a way that was equivalent to rating journals in which traditional academics publish. The department chair assured him it was in the departmental tenure document, so no worries there, I suppose.
posted by TerminalMFA @ 3:51 PM
2 comments
2 Comments:
Congrats! Sounds like it went very well indeed (always good to show up and demonstrate oneself as a good citizen).
Good for you on your review. Do two things for yourself that might help you later: make sure you have it in writing that your department will consider your creative works as they would publications and get outside letters in support of your work. If any of your students work for people that value their education, solicit letters from their employers stating things like: ‘We here at XY Films enjoy working with interns from the Fab program at Great College. One of the reasons we like these interns is that have been well prepared by Professor Wonderful’ or ’Students prepared by Professor Wonderful are an asset to our company.’
I make sure that I contribute to the local broadcasting community in ways that are very public. Not my favorite thing to do but it’s more noticeable than academic publication and makes for good spin for my department. Presidents and VPs always like that.
These sorts of things have made it so I can be promoted and tenured without too much trouble in the unstable climate of four administrations and a married couple who rule our small department which is filled with speech communication teachers who haven’t an industry job in years. I am the odd ball mass communication person who does all of the practical training of the PR and journalism students. I love my job but the politics involved in it have made me a bitter old lady despite my relative youth. I am the youngest member of my department but rank third in seniority after the married couple. It’s interesting but tough. I love my students though.
Good Luck with everything.
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