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[bookishone]

Steelmagnolia, your research effort doesn't look marginal to me. You must have been frosted at that remark. In your tenure binder, though, you'll probably have the opportunity to write a narrative that will make clear exactly how all those projects relate to your overall research focus. And then no one will call your research unfocused.

How many of us are going up for tenure now, in our 6th year? I am feeling daunted by the prospect of putting together the binder in the next couple of months.

[untenured]

I'm going up this fall.

Untenured

[schoolmarm]

I am also going up in the fall. 

I wish that I had more in print, but I have a ton of presentations at highly juried venues.

I hope it is enough!

I have to send my vita and re-prints/pre-prints out for external review soon.

I hope I live long enough for a sabbatical.  I'm exhausted!

SIGH!

[hyperbole]

I go up this fall, too. Good luck to all of us.
I've already been told that my situation doesn't look optimal due to a heady brew of budget cuts and politics, but that it doesn't look bad either.

[fifthyearintt]

I also go up for tenure this fall. I am in applied developmental psychology. State University.

1. 10 articles (9 were first-authored).
2. 2 in press
3. 1 under revision
4. 3 under review
5. 1 to be submitted in a couple of days.
6. About 20 conferences posters/papers.
7. On two editorial boards.
8. Applied several major grants unsuccessfully (got 5 small internal grants).
9. Outstanding teaching evaluation and outstanding research evaluation every year.
10. Satisfactory or outstanding service every year. 

My chair and other senior faculty members in my department said I will be fine. To me, tenure process is a two-way street. I don't want to beg for tenure. 

[englitprof]

I started a new position in Fall 2007 with one year credit, so technically I won't go up until Fall 2011.  I'd like to try and go up an additional year early if possible, but our provost is generally resistant to this.  Plus with the current budget crisis they're not going to be eager to have people promoted any earlier than necessary.

[untenured]

If you are in this beloved cohort, you just might be submitting your tenure applications this fall.

How goes it everyone?

Untenured

[renji]

I am also going up this year.

I feel pretty confident, but things can always take unexpected turns. Who knows how much of a role the economy will play in my school's tenure decisions?

I had always planned, and was advised, to go on the market during my tenure year. But, I just had a baby and really have no desire to move.

Wanting to stay makes things much more "interesting."

I am putting my package together now and working on two papers and a grant.

I wish that I didn't need to spend so much time on my tenure package. I would like to finish my other, more interesting, work.

However, even as confident as I am in my tenure chances, I am not confident enough to submit a shoddy package.

Before my son was born, I would have spent less time on my package, but now I feel added pressure. I am writing and rewriting sections that I doubt anyone will even read.

I have been told by members of the committee, my chair and dean that my tenure is a slam dunk, but I have also seen great NBA players miss dunks.

Now, that there is more on the line, things just got a lot more interesting.

[bookishone]

Yes, is it really necessary/recommended to go out on the market during your tenure year? I'd always heard that it was, but it's sooooo much extra work and hassle, and to be honest there won't be any jobs out there anyway.

On the other hand, if it turns out that getting tenure in a bad budget year is more difficult than getting tenure in a regular year* then it might be a good idea to try for an alternative, just in case.

*Our provost assures us that the economy does not affect tenure decisions. I'm not sure I believe this is true.

[oatmeal]

I have read these entries with interest. I am up for tenure and promotion this year. It is a lot of work, of course, but I have found pulling everything together for the dossier rather insightful and helpful. It has helped me to really think through my research agenda and plans for the future. Perhaps one could call it taking stock. I have been through the tenure and promotion process before (successfully) only to leave for a better job (which did not come with tenure) and therefore I am going through it again. Second time around does help but it is always unsettling.

Then budget situation is pretty bad this year for many institutions. However, in most circumstance this should not (and must not) have a bearing on tenure decisions, unless the institution declares financial exigency.

I noticed one person on here wrote about going up for tenure earlier but the Provost is generally resistant. I would urge caution. Perhaps talking with senior colleagues or the Chair might be useful.

Good luck to everyone this year.

[englitprof]

I noticed one person on here wrote about going up for tenure earlier but the Provost is generally resistant. I would urge caution. Perhaps talking with senior colleagues or the Chair might be useful.

That would be me.  I will definitely be following my chair's and dean's advice on this.  Since I posted that message, our provost announced s/he's stepping down next year, and who knows what attitude the new provost will have.  We'll see.

[oatmeal]

Good luck englitprof. It sounds as though your institution is going through a transition in leadership. I hope you get some useful advice.

[seniorscholar]

Yes, is it really necessary/recommended to go out on the market during your tenure year? I'd always heard that it was, but it's sooooo much extra work and hassle, and to be honest there won't be any jobs out there anyway.

Search committees are generally smart enough to read the c.v. and figure out if the writer is up for tenure. And (here at least), we've found that except in the case of Ivy League schools, someone good enough to be hired in our department is very likely to get tenure wherever they now are, and that if we make an offer to such people, drag out the negotiations for six weeks by trying for a lot of different perks -- higher salary, promise of sabbatical in second year here, job for partner, tenure on hire, etc. etc. etc. -- and after we've turned cartwheels to satisfy some of the conditions they have heard from the provost of their school and turn us down anyway, by which time we've also lost our second choice.

In other words, unless someone is coming from a much "less desirable" school or is a hot star but married to someone at a different university in this city, we're really unlikely to consider wasting one of our interview slots on someone who is up for tenure.

[hennypenny]

I just moved to a very different institution (research 1 or whatever it's called now) and have a brand-new tenure clock.  Good? Bad?  We'll see...

hp