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[anonimatina]

I'm seeking advice as the chair of a small department who must also chair the  search committee seeking to replace a colleague denied tenure last year.  The tenure decision was not a complete surprise but hu did have the support of our department.  Hu is well liked and we're all very sad to see hu go.  This promises to be a tricky situation for me because no one wants to hurt hu's feelings, nevertheless I have to proceed with plans to replace hu for next year.  I feel like I'm betraying a friend but I have no choice.   
 
Thank you in advance for any suggestions on how to make this easier for everyone.
 

[daniel_von_flanagan]

I'm not sure what the difficulty is.  Your colleague should understand the situation.  If your department recommended for tenure, then your colleague should not be too angry with you, though of course (s)he might have cause to be bitter in general.  - DvF

[larryc]

Sure it is awkward, but such is life. You might have a cup of coffee with they outgoing professor to talk about the process. Tell him what your timeline for the search is going to be, and give him a heads-up before campus visits.  And offer to write him an exceptional letter of recommendation if you can see your way to doing so.

[goingcrazy]

I can understand where you are coming from and you are not going to enjoy the process regardless as to how well your colleague deals with the situation. I agree with larryc's idea. If you address it with your colleague you are showing concern and support him/her.

[drangie]

Sure it is awkward, but such is life. You might have a cup of coffee with they outgoing professor to talk about the process. Tell him what your timeline for the search is going to be, and give him a heads-up before campus visits.  And offer to write him an exceptional letter of recommendation if you can see your way to doing so.

Agreed.  You can't avoid the search, so be humane with your colleague, and let him  know what's going on. 

[la_jupe]

I don't know . . . if the colleague is a friend, it might be better to keep him/her out of the loop, so it doesn't seem like you're being thoughtless by bringing it up.  This could pose problems, of course; at a department meeting, you can't (and shouldn't) avoid discussion of the search.  But you could save that discussion for the end of meeting, and let your colleague know you're doing this so s/he can leave early if s/he wants to.

Maybe the best course of action is to meet with the colleague at the start of the semester and ask what s/he prefers--in the loop or out.  Then go with that.  At least it will be clear you're trying to be sensitive.  Personally, I'm thinking I would want to hear as little about the search as possible. 

[oldchair]

We had something similar happen a few years back.  It was important for the outgoing person to know when we were interviewing, mainly so hu could make sure to be off campus.  At the same time, however, I made sure I didn't send hu department-wide emails about the interviews.  These emails tend to be enthusiastic and, therefore, would have been hurtful for the person who was not being retained.

[sibyl]

You are grieving for your own loss, and you are grieving for your friend's loss.  There's nothing wrong with that.  The only way to address those is to be supportive of your colleague and to keep working for yourself.

Definitely start with a conversation with your colleague.  Start with the offers of fantastic letters of recommendation, and ask if there is anything else you or the department can do to help with the search.  That kind of help and support will be invaluable to the seeker, who will feel lonely and isolated anyway.  You should also ask how the search is going from time to time, and offer to stop asking whenever the colleague feels "pressured" by your asking.

Then ask about how the colleague prefers to be involved, or not, with the search.  Does the colleague want to receive e-mails, know about campus visits, etc.?  Should the department save all search-related business for the end of department meetings so the colleague can get up and go?  Keep an open door in case the colleague has a change of heart about any or all of this.

Good luck.

[xeno_cratus]

We have a similar situation in the 18-member department of which I am chair at the start of my second year: a colleague denied reappointment.  I have two questions:

(1) Is it usual for persons in this situation to attend and vote in department meetings?  The above postings seem to assume it is, but the last time this happened to us, when I was a junior faculty member, the colleague denied reappointment simply dropped out of all participation in departmental affairs.  I suppose one cannot deny the person the right to attend if s/he wishes, but other colleagues have voiced discomfort at the prospect of this person voting on matters affecting the future of the department.  What's "best practice" here?

(2) I would like to be able to give this colleague advise about seeking another job: what's the best way to "spin" the situation? what do you say in the job application, and then later on in interviews, about the reason for your departure? etc.  Anyone have any quick advice, or know of some good reading, on this topic?

Many thanks.

[philo]

I remember an uncomfortable morning I spent in an airport a few years ago.  I was going to a conference.  A colleague on his terminal year was also there, going to the same conference on a different flight.  (I had offered to let him stay in my room so that he could pursue jobs.)  A candidate who had interviewed to be my colleague's replacement was also in the airport, getting ready to go home.  I spoke to both of them separately, and remember really hoping that we wouldn't all three end up together somehow.