The first one is a summary file that indexes all my 'accomplishments' in teaching, research and service. It contains a 'professional data sheet', narrative (20 pages) that explains the significance of all my work in the three areas, and a cv. The other four binders are all the supporting documents... teaching materials, publications and papers, reports and letters, etc, etc. Not to belittle or demean the process, but it is one of the biggest intellectual 'navel-gazing' projects I have ever undertaken! The time and effort it takes to produce the documents and organize the binders almost equals the time it takes to do the teaching, research and service!
Despite the paper-chasing, the process - which has been a bit rocky for me (topic of another blog) - has been ultimately deeply rewarding. Regardless of the result, I am proud. That said, I am r e a l l y hoping for tenure with promotion.
The department gives me their decision in the third week of November (actually the Monday of Thanksgiving week); I have to wait until June of 2012 for the final decision from the Provost but it is rare that the department’s decision is over-ridden by the Provost or College-levels.
I have been working on this ‘file’ for the past 6 years- in addition to actually DOING all the teaching, research and service, I have to DOCUMENT it and REFLECT on it and WRITE IT UP in three different ways (a ‘narrative’, a Personal Data Sheet’ and a C.V.) and provide all the supplemental materials (hence the 5 binders). The time it takes to organize and generate all the documents required for the file is CONSIDERABLE. Luckily, all tenure track faculty go through either a mini or retention review every year until you go up for tenure so I have been working on that thing for a regular basis for a l o n g time and if I do say so myself that file is very tightly organized.
October 4, 2011
Today, I finally delivered my tenure file to the department – it is OFF my desk. Wow. I am giddy with happiness and relief that it’s done, yet at the same time there is a feeling of emptiness, both mental and physical (my apartment looks so…. Empty w/o all those binders and the mess!)
Even though I have a love-hate relationship with my job and am conflicted about staying in public education until retirement, the significance of tenure is major in so many ways for this profession. Personally, I am fairly confident I will get tenure w/promotion but due to department politics (which are very thick and subject for another blog) I wouldn’t be shocked if I got tenure w/o promotion. That would be like saying ‘we need you but we don’t like or want you’ ….
Many think that the tenure system promotes laziness among academics, but in my experience it is quite the opposite. Those that are motivated enough to actually get tenure, continue to work the usual 50-60 hours a week (yes, numerous studies indicate profs work that many hours weekly) after they get tenure 99.9% of the time.
Personally, I am anxious for the job security so I can make decisions about the direction of my research and teaching and service without worrying what the Chair of my department will think- I think I will be able to accomplish more and focus on projects that are a bit less conventional for my field.
Also, to be perfectly honest, I have been planning my ‘exit strategy’ from academia and Southern California…. In June 2012 I am planning on taking 12-15 months leave-of-absence from the job for (mental) ‘health reasons’.
What is my ‘mental health’ issue? From the beginning I have had a conflicted relationship with my job as an assistant professor at CSULB. I remember during my first week of my first semester in 2005, leaving my large section of Soc 100 (with 100+) students, and thinking if I had to do this for the rest of my career I would shoot myself! Not to sound ungrateful - I am very thankful I have a secure job with great benefits and a flexible schedule; I know I am extremely fortunate. However, the nature of the job borders on exploitation given the amount and kind of labor required, the departmental/academic politics involved, and the lack of resources (the CSU system budget was cut $500 mill in 2010, another $500 mill in 2011 and 2012 it will be $650 mill). Also, have professional and personal reasons for wanting to be in Mexico and/or Canada.
I spent the first two years (2005-06 & 2006-07) at CSULB focused on leaving the University (and the US), applying for academic and applied jobs and research grants in Mexico and Canada. My third year I got a Fulbright grant to do research in Canada and Mexico (2007-08) (and I applied for more jobs in Mexico and Canada), but I came back to Long Beach in 2008-09. My fourth year was tough, I was still looking for work but the economy was tanking and jobs were drying up. At the end of 2009, the CA budget crisis precipitated furloughs for CSU employees in year 5 (2009-10). The furlough-crisis was the ‘last straw’ and helped me finally re-center my life on something else besides work, namely Baptiste Yoga (and yoga in general) and having a social life. Despite my frustration with the nature of my job and the economy/budget situation my perspective shifted. I began to focus on the parts of my job I liked and avoid/minimize the politics and bureaucracy, etc. By the 6th(2010-11) year I began to tell myself that I would go up for tenure and then take a year personal leave if I still was this dissatisfied…. And so here I am, at the beginning of my 7th year and still feeling ambivalent.
Honestly, whether I take a leave or not depends in no small part on the response of the department Tenure committee (and Dean and Provost) to my tenure file, of which, despite my ambivalence about being at CSULB, I am very proud as I have worked extremely hard to be a good colleague and ‘scholar-teacher’. Also, as I consider ‘life after tenure’, I am beginning to realize that I will have a lot more autonomy and ‘voice’ in my profession. To say the least, I will finally be able to say what I think at faculty meetings without fear of being denied tenure ;-)
