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[melliet]

I am not sure if this is the right place to post this.  If not, please forgive me.  I have a question on behalf of a friend of mine.  And, yes, this actually is a friend...it isn't me saying "friend" when I am really talking about myself...haha :)

Anyway, my friend just signed a contract for a tenure-track teaching position at a community college in Arizona (she starts in September).  Now that she has this position, she is thinking about starting a family with her husband.  She wants to have a baby within the first year or two at this college.  Ideally, she would like to take a semester off because that, combined with summer break, would give her time with her newborn.
 
But, she has some very valid (in my opinion) concerns about this:

1. Can she even take a semester off, given that she will be a new faculty member?
2. If she can take the semester off, will this negatively impact her chances for tenure?
3. If she cannot take the time off, will going on maternity leave so early in her career look bad and, in effect, negatively impact her chances for tenure?

She wants to ask someone at the school so that she can plan accordingly.  But:

4. Who should she ask - the department chair, HR, etc.?
 
She wants to be prepared by finding out, but she is also afraid of getting off on the wrong foot. 
 
I don't have any experience in this, so I wasn't sure what to tell her. My first response was that she should wait until she has tenure, or at least has a couple good years at this college under her belt, before having a baby.  I don't plan on having children, but that is what I would do.  However, she is nearing 35 and wants to have at least two children.  So, she does not feel as though she can wait much longer. 
 
Any advice?

[macaroon]

Here's my advice.  You should tell her, "I don't know."

When a friend shares concerns with you, don't necessarily assume he or she is looking for advice.  She may be just sharing because you are friends.

Also, if you don't have any experience on the matter, nor have you thought much about it because it doesn't pertain to you, don't make stuff up.  You don't need to consult a third party on behalf of your friend.  She is an adult, and can find wiser counsel on her own.

[msparticularity]

My thought is that this is yet another of those issues that is "all about" the interaction between the individual and the context. In other words, there is no "right" answer to any of this. She's going to have to find out more about how this particular institution and department are accustomed to handling this stuff--as well as what they're open to-- then weigh that in relation to her own needs and goals.

[melliet]

Thanks!  I am sure that once she gets there she will get a feel for things and handle the situation appropriately.  She just wanted to see what others had to say before getting to the point of talking to the people at the school.  And, becuase the forumites have give such great advice in the past, I wanted to post here. 

[zuzu_]

The impact of taking a semester's maternity leave depends on the institution and the department. If there is a large pool of qualified adjunct faculty hoping for extra classes, then it might not be a big deal.

On the other hand, if your friend is difficult to replace, it might lead to resentment among her colleagues who have to pick up the slack.

At most CCs, tenure is based on teaching and service. These things aren't "accumulated" in the same way publications are, so I doubt the maternity leave would have much of an effect on paper on one's bid for tenure.

I took a teeny-tiny maternity leave during my first semester at my CC. They hired an adjunct to cover 3 classes, a FT colleague covered one, and I taught one online from home. It was no big deal. But I only took off a couple of weeks.

[fishbrains]

As others have noted, we don't have enough information to make a good call here.

My CC is "family-friendly," so taking a semester off for maternity leave wouldn't radically affect tenure potential here. Most of us have met each other's kids, and it's not unusual to see a colleague's kid on campus every now and then.

I can't say the same atmosphere exists at other CC's.

[menotti]

 
But, she has some very valid (in my opinion) concerns about this:

1. Can she even take a semester off, given that she will be a new faculty member?
2. If she can take the semester off, will this negatively impact her chances for tenure?
3. If she cannot take the time off, will going on maternity leave so early in her career look bad and, in effect, negatively impact her chances for tenure?
4. Who should she ask - the department chair, HR, etc.?
 

She should start by looking at the faculty handbook, and keeping her eyes open around the school.  That will give her an idea of the official and unofficial rules.  If she's been there a year, she'll be eligible for FMLA.

Personally, I think anywhere between the second year and the year before tenure is about the same with respect to impact on tenure chances, looking bad, and so on.

She could maybe ask HR.  She shouldn't ask her chair.  Here's why:  babies tend to be unplannable things.  Maybe your friend will be that lucky one who can decide to conceive in March for a January delivery.  Maybe she'll be like most people, able to conceive with a reasonably healthy pregnancy, but not able to time it exactly. Maybe she'll get pregnant next month (oops!).   Maybe she'll have complications that will entail going on disability halfway through the pregnancy.  Maybe she'll go through the hell of fertility treatments.  She just doesn't know.  By talking to her chair - unless they are VERY open and sympathetic, and it will take a while to suss that out - she just expands the time frame for possible negative ramifications and awkward conversations. 

[melliet]

Thanks everyone.  I can see how there isn't enough info to sufficiently answer the question.  See, told you I know nothing about this kind of stuff :)  The department did seem pretty family friendly at her interview...but, there is only so much you can tell there.

Someone PMed me about going to HR and she got the same advice when she asked around more yesterday.  I just talked to her this morning and she said that is what she will do.  From there, she said she will wait and see when she gets there.  At one point she was planning to start trying now, but she decided that it is best to wait until she is there for at least a semester to a year so that she can get get a feel for the department. 

Thanks again!