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[captainwillard]

Hope I'm posting this in the right place.

I have a job offer I intend to accept to become chair of a large department at Rural State University.  Everything about the offer is fine except that I need tenure to do the job (which includes leading several other full-time faculty members, most of whom have tenure) and they're not willing to bring me in with tenure.  The interim dean says, "this will be no problem," but naturally I'm a bit leery.  He also didn't give a schedule for my tenure process.

Should I be worried about the fact that the new dean is being chosen from among outside candidates at the same time I'm being hired?  Can I expect them to let me go through the tenure process right away, applying in the first semester I'm on the job, so that I'd be tenured at the beginning of year 2?  If not, what will they expect me to produce while I'm working in a 12-month position with little time to teach and probably less to do research?

Any help with what to expect, what questions I should be asking, how I might negotiate this would be appreciated.

[torpidny]

Hi -
I write from the perspective of a current Dean and former Chair. When I moved from being Chair (as a tenured Assoc. Prof) to being a Dean, I also changed institutions.  The new institution had recently enacted a policy that prohibited hiring anyone with tenure, and Deans are not eligible to go through the tenure process, so I am an untenured Dean at the rank of Professor (and have been for 9 years). 

I recognize that my situation differs from yours, yet offer this advice:  don't take the job unless you are offered tenure.  I have given this advice to many friends and colleagues who are tempted by moves into administration simultaneously with moves to new institutions.  In your case, the imminent departure of the Dean is reason enough to pause; hus reluctance to even discuss a tenure timeline is even more troubling.  Your posting is not explicit, but suggests that you are not even sure about the criteria by which you will assessed for tenure.  And I agree that you won't get much done in the first year (or two). 

Thus, I strongly suggest that you gently "push" the Dean about the tenure issue.  Barring your being able to win this negotiation - and assuming you still want the position - , I suggest asking for more specificity - in writing, preferably - about the tenure time line and criteria.  be sure that you have the initial written offer in hand before making these "demands"  (I recently "jumped the gun" by stating my desire for a tenured position if I was offered a VP position, and I never received the offer).

Bottom line:  can you be effective as a Chair without tenure for 1-2 years?  or will the decisions you make and the processes you put into motion nor endear you to those making the tenure recommendations?  And how confident are you in the institution's ability to choose a Dean with whom you will get along? 

[sibyl]

I know that some institutions simply won't allow anyone to come in with tenure; they believe that no one should get tenure without review by the faculty involved.  So while I respect torpidny's advice, and agree that it would make it vastly easier to perform the duties of the chair if you are able to negotiate tenure, I don't think I would go so far as to say you shouldn't take the job without tenure.  At a minimum, however, you shouldn't take the job without a written agreement about the tenure clock and tenure requirements.  That will give you protection against the vagaries of a new dean.  It will also give you guidance about expectations, because it is all too easy for a new chair to get swallowed up by various administrative demands and not be able to meet very many teaching or publishing benchmarks -- even if the chair is coming from within the institution.

As always, Getting to Yes is a good guide for negotiations.  When you're trying to create options for shared victories, you should certainly talk about how it will be much more difficult to do the things they want you to do without tenure.

Good luck, captain.

[captainwillard]

Many thanks, torpidny and sibyl.

Here's an update: The interim dean called this morning to say that he "is trying to get [me] tenured this summer."  He says he told the academic VP why it's important to bring me in with tenure and the VP agreed with the reasoning but insisted on the process, so I guess the compromise is to try to get it done before I really start the job.  The dean also said that he had asked the faculty of my department whether they need more documentation from me before they recommend me for tenure and they said no, they're ready to recommend me now.

I wrote the dean an e-mail thanking him for the call and reiterating what he had said (creating contemporaneous notes and providing them to him in case he "remembers" anything differently).  I feel very much reassured by this and I am proceeding with plans to sign on the dotted line.

But these fora have made me cautious.  I would be very grateful for additional feedback, ideas and warnings, as well as reassurances, if any.  Thanks again.

[biged]

I have never before heard of a Dean without a tenured back-up position, so I learned something new today.  It is extremely unusual however, and even institutions that will not take faculty in with tenure (as mine does) will make exceptions for administrators. It’s not fair, but it is the standard industry practice.  I have heard about expedited "reviews" of administrative candidates by their prospective home department, and in a few cases rejections resulting in the candidate not getting the job, but never not having the tenured back-up included in the final offer.  Be wary on this one!  Why don’t you suggest an expedited review by the prospective home Department?

[aandsdean]

I have never before heard of a Dean without a tenured back-up position, so I learned something new today.  It is extremely unusual however, and even institutions that will not take faculty in with tenure (as mine does) will make exceptions for administrators. It’s not fair, but it is the standard industry practice.  I have heard about expedited "reviews" of administrative candidates by their prospective home department, and in a few cases rejections resulting in the candidate not getting the job, but never not having the tenured back-up included in the final offer.  Be wary on this one!  Why don’t you suggest an expedited review by the prospective home Department?

I changed insitutions to be chair and according the the rules of that state I could NOT be offered tenure.  I wanted the job for a lot of reasons and so negotiated the shortest possible tenure clock (in this instance, review in the fall of my second year), and it worked fine.  This was, however, a matter of state policy and not the doing of the individual institution.  I wasn't too worried about it, but in my case the dean's office was stable, I was more than qualified for a tenured faculty appointment, and the general feeling was just fine.  I also knew that I was replacing a deposed chair who had become really bad (this was a "chair-for-life" institution) and thus  I knew going in that I was likely to have a good chance of doing well, given the probable contrast.

In my current position (also the result of moving to a new institution), though, I was awarded tenure on appointment through the expedited process BigEd suggests.  I am not sure I would have taken this job--at a private--without that proviso, for all sorts of reasons.  However, according to the provost, I am the first administrator at the university EVER to have been brought in with tenure, and this was quite recently.

I really think that your choice here is highly situational:  the fact that there's an interim dean (and you don't yet know the dean with whom you'd be working) is quite a red flag, as the dean's support (or not) is really a make-or-break for your success.  in some cases I would have no problem whatever going in without tenure, and in others I would worry.  In this instance, there's reason for concern and you need to take care to protect yourself.

[captainwillard]

I'm grateful for the revived interest in my situation and for the additional words of caution.

I think the school and I have each other over a barrel: I don't have another good option, and neither do they.  This has influenced the negotiations in a positive way so far; we have wanted to keep one another happy.  At this point I feel committed to taking the job, although I am still nervous as can be, and clearly they're expecting me, though I hope I've kept them a little nervous as well.

I am on something like the "expedited review" track that biged mentions, and all indications are that I will sail through and have tenure by the end of September if not by the beginning of the school year.  There is no question in my mind that I am qualified for tenure at this institution, and I am also confident of my ability to form positive relationships with the new dean and my new colleagues initially (before I have to start making tough decisions or advocating in situations where it's impossible to keep everyone happy at the same time).  I think the key players recognize that it is no good for me, the department or the university to have me trying to do the job without tenure, and I think most of the department and the interim dean recognize that it would be a disaster for the department if I were to reverse my decision to take the job, or if I were to leave after a semester or a year, so they have some good reasons to get this done.  Of course there are, however, all sorts of things that could happen to screw me over.

I continue to express my concern and request that the process be moved forward as quickly as possible.  I continue to document each interaction, mostly by email.  I think I will not sell my home yet and plan to rent in the new location for my first semester.  I now realize that it is critically important for the interim dean to forward his official recommendation to the VP before the first day of the new dean's employment (how can I influence this schedule?).

Any other ideas?  I am grateful for the perspectives and warnings I've gotten so far.  Thanks.

[aandsdean]

I continue to express my concern and request that the process be moved forward as quickly as possible.  I continue to document each interaction, mostly by email.  I think I will not sell my home yet and plan to rent in the new location for my first semester.  I now realize that it is critically important for the interim dean to forward his official recommendation to the VP before the first day of the new dean's employment (how can I influence this schedule?).

Any other ideas?  I am grateful for the perspectives and warnings I've gotten so far.  Thanks.

Two things: 

1.  Your current plan seems good.  I might consider amending it to see if you can get leave from your current institution, with the understanding that you will notify them of whether you will return or not before the end of the fall semester, 2007.  This is the professional half of what not selling your house is on the personal side.

2.  When does the interim dean's position expire?  If it's July 1, there's no reason whatever why the whole appointment process shouldn't be done by then...and, wouldn't your job start on July 1 as well?  In that eventuality, you should certainly have everything in hand.  I'd query the interim dean on the timeline.

Good luck!  aands

[neniaf]

It actually ISN'T extremely unusual for a Dean to come in without tenure; I would say that as I've looked at deanships, about 2/3 of them come with tenure, or at least tenure-track possibilities.  My own dean, who has been in his position for over 20 years, came in tenure-track, but without tenure, as we have only recently instituted the possibility of hiring with tenure.

Still, given the fact that you will be facing an unknown Dean, I would not take the position without either tenure or a clear, protective contract.  I don't believe that you can't do the job without tenure (unless you are being brought in to create severely disruptive change), but I would be bothered by the possibility that the new Dean, whoever s/he may be, could choose to replace you with a buddy almost immediately, should s/he so choose.

[captainwillard]

Update:  Not because I don't respect and appreciate all the good advice I've received here, but because I really needed to for reasons I can't specify here, I signed my contract.  I'm now in the middle of an expedited review for tenure.  The faculty of my department unanimously recommended me and now I'm waiting for a college-level committee vote before my case goes to the university level.  Everyone says "no problem!" and that it will be settled during the summer and I should have tenure before my first actual day on the job.  While everyone has been very reassuring and I think I have some trustworthy people telling me there's nothing to worry about, those in authority have been careful, as high administrators tend to be, not to make me any guarantees.  If, after all the assurances I've gotten, this does come off the rails and I'm not awarded tenure, it won't be pretty and I'll need a new strategy.  I appreciate everyone's thoughts on this topic and I'll keep you informed.

[captainwillard]

In case anyone remembers my situation from way back in the spring, I thought I'd update: I got an expedited review for tenure, and it was successful.  I had tenure before my first day on the job.  Big relief, obviously.

Thanks to all who responded to my question.  See you on the Chairs & Deans board!

[aandsdean]

In case anyone remembers my situation from way back in the spring, I thought I'd update: I got an expedited review for tenure, and it was successful.  I had tenure before my first day on the job.  Big relief, obviously.

Thanks to all who responded to my question.  See you on the Chairs & Deans board!

Congratulations, Capt., and thanks for the update.  Good luck with your new position!  aands

[sibyl]

Congratulations, Captain.  Good luck with the job.