Working with new faculty across the campus for the past 8 years, I think many more pre-tenure track faculty leave for a TT job elsewhere for to go to a more desirable geographic location (closer to family, solving the 2 body problem, climate preferences), more prestigious institution, experience better department dynamics (support for research, intellectual fit, etc.) rather than to avoid expected problems with earning tenure in the current institution.
Certainly there are a few cases where the mid-tenure (3rd year) review indicated possible problems and a a pre-tenure faculty member was advised to go on the market for a fresh start elsewhere. But among TT faculty who leave the institution without earning tenure in their first TT job, I think the ones who leave to get a fresh start and a full 6-years to build a tenure portfolio are in the minority. The data on people "paying dues" by first working as an adjunct faculty member before getting into a TT job are not good: That transition is difficult and rare enough that many regard accepting adjunct work as a path to an eventual TT position as a career mistake (lots of articles about this in the Chronicle, especially among the humanities). There are exceptions, but the odds are not good (for reasons that seem to have little to do with the tangible qualifications of the people holding adjunct faculty positions and wanting to make the transition). _____________________________________________ Claudia J. Stanny, Ph.D. Director Center for University Teaching, Learning, and Assessment University of West Florida Pensacola, FL 32514 Phone: (850) 857-6355 (direct) or 473-7435 (CUTLA) [email protected] CUTLA Web Site: http://uwf.edu/offices/cutla/ <http://uwf.edu/cutla/> On Wed, Nov 18, 2015 at 11:10 AM, Tim Shearon <[email protected]> wrote: > > All > I would think that difficult to find in archives but I think the AAUP a > likely source (or the Chronicle?). I think it something worth knowing > especially for those going into the market. Here is the information over > the last decades from one small six-person department- not much data but > some: > Member 1: Tenure on first and second TT jobs. > Member 2: Tenure on first TT job. > Member 3: Tenure on first TT job. > Member 4: Left in 4th year - first TT job- would probably have received > tenure. > Member 5: Left in 3rd year- first TT job- would almost certainly have > received tenure. > Member 6: In second year of second TT job here. I would think very likely > to receive tenure. Left first TT job due to dissatisfaction with the > institution (her choice) not problems with moving to tenure. > Member 7: First year here. > > So finding the answer to this would likely require, based on our little > department, a slight clarification and some definitions. What do we do with > Member 1 who received tenure at institution one and resigned the next day > to come here (or similar cases, I mean)? What about those, like members 4 > and 5 above who left while well on their way to tenure due to receiving > jobs closer to home or with more research support than we could give? What > do we do with people who leave prior to a tenure decision due to > dissatisfaction with an institution? (It is, after all, a six year > interview between both parties, as it were.) :) > > I have to be honest. Based on my own experience here and with all the > contacts across 30+ years in teaching I'd have to say that most of my > sample got tenure at their first institution OR left to better positions > for them and received tenure there. I'm aware of many anecdotes to the > contrary but I just have not had the experience nor any first hand > information to back up what the question is stating. > Best > Tim > > _______________________________ > Timothy O. Shearon, PhD > Professor, Department of Psychology > The College of Idaho > Caldwell, ID 83605 > email: [email protected] > > teaching: intro to neuropsychology; psychopharmacology; general; history > and systems > > "You can't teach an old dogma new tricks." Dorothy Parker > ________________________________________ > > --- > You are currently subscribed to tips as: [email protected]. > To unsubscribe click here: > http://fsulist.frostburg.edu/u?id=13144.1572ed60024e708cf21c4c6f19e7d550&n=T&l=tips&o=47411 > or send a blank email to > leave-47411-13144.1572ed60024e708cf21c4c6f19e7d...@fsulist.frostburg.edu > --- You are currently subscribed to tips as: [email protected]. To unsubscribe click here: http://fsulist.frostburg.edu/u?id=13090.68da6e6e5325aa33287ff385b70df5d5&n=T&l=tips&o=47412 or send a blank email to leave-47412-13090.68da6e6e5325aa33287ff385b70df...@fsulist.frostburg.edu
