Thanks to two tenured DWC members for their responses to this newsletter’s questions!
Question 1: What are the DOs and DON’Ts for successfully making the transition from grad student to brand new tenure track faculty? Are there some DOs and DON’Ts that are specific to the type of institution (small liberal arts colleges; R1s, colleges with religious affiliations, colleges in small towns or urban centers, etc.)?
Answer 1a: I would first say congratulations on making it through grad school and getting your PhD. Recognize this for the accomplishment that it is. Be ready to turn the corner and transition to being a faculty member rather than a student. Know that this is more work than you may think at the start. Even if you taught while in graduate school, new responsibilities and experiences will likely come as a surprise and be more time consuming than you anticipate.
First and foremost, DO make sure that you appropriately balance your time and obligations. This should occur in a manner that fits the position that you have taken. If you are at a research institution, do not spend more time on teaching than research. While you need to be good at instruction, at a research institution, it is your scholarly productivity that matters, so balance accordingly. This is, I think, one of the hardest things to accomplish because students in our classrooms hold us immediately accountable in a way that research does not. As a result it is important to set aside specific time that you utilize for your research; hold that time dear and do not let anything intrude on it. Likewise, if you are at a liberal arts college where teaching matters, spend appropriate amounts of time prepping classes and honing your craft.
Second, DO network appropriately on campus. Use networking to identify potential mentors (I personally would recommend finding someone in a related discipline but outside of your own department). While DWC and ASC members (and your own mentors) are fabulous (they really are!), it is also important to have someone who knows the inner workings of your campus that you can go to for insights about things like campus level tenure and promotion, leave, workload, etc. policies and practices. It is also useful to develop friendships on campus outside of your own department.
Third, common advice that is well-received is DO keep your head down and get your work done. Take the time to find yourself as a scholar and a teacher, to find the balance between these duties with service responsibilities, and to find a balance between work and personal life, before you become too embedded in larger workplace issues. Finally, I would recommend beginning to explore workplace policies regarding tenure and leave. Knowing these policies places you in a position where you can ask informed questions and make appropriate decisions as you work to advance in your career.
A couple of DON’Ts come to mind as well. DON’T feel like you are in this alone. If you are feeling overwhelmed, excited, whatever, know that you are not alone and that others have had similar feelings and experiences. Reach out and share. There are many FABULOUS folks in the DWC who have shared, listened and supported each other and others through these same transitions, and are ready to “pay it forward” by being there for others. DON’T get pulled in to departmental battles your first year or two. Sit back and make sure that you see the full story and details. Know the playing field and make decisions that are best for you. Finally, DON’T forget to take care of yourself. It is easy to slip in to the rush of academe; don’t forget to take care of your needs outside and away from work.
I go back to the beginning….congratulations to everyone starting on this new career phase.
Answer 1b: DOs
1. Make sure that you behave respectfully and neutrally toward all members of your department. Treat everyone’s opinion with equal respect. Seek their advice and guidance.
2. In faculty meetings, wait until you are familiar with the lay of the land (or are invited) before offering an opinion. Statements such as “Well, this is the way we did it at Harvard U” will not go down well. Challenging established praxis will not be welcome. Academic departments are very hierarchical, and junior faculty are expected to keep a low profile until they have been “broken in.” I know that this sounds ridiculous in modern academic life, but 20 years of experience has taught me that ranking and status matter.
3. Office staff can be your best friends – they often run the department and will be tremendously helpful if you recognize their importance and acknowledge their contributions.
4. Remember that everyone is invested in your academic welfare. Your department selected you above other candidates, and wants to feel that they made the right choice. You can build on this goodwill by proving them right.
5. Within reason, always be willing to contribute to service for the department. You should not take on too much in this regard; have a friendly chat with your chair if an assignment seems too onerous. S/he might be flexible or offer shortcuts.
6. If you are at a research institution, keep your eye on the prize. Publish, publish, publish. Make sure that you have a copy of the departmental and university T&P guidelines handy so that you don’t get distracted. Create a body of programmatic research that builds on a particular topic and makes you the expert in your specialty. Depth is better than breadth; academic dilettantes are viewed as insubstantial and their promotion prospects will be affected.
7. A handy hint – T&P committee members are busy people; they will focus on your vitae rather than reams of explanatory detail about what you have done over the years. Keep your vitae up-to-date, keep it honest (don’t exaggerate or fictionalize), and keep it organized and professional.
8. Seek mentoring from a senior faculty member, and publishing opportunities with people across campus or at other universities. Publishing with departmental faculty members is tricky; the T&P committee might think that the other person is the “real” author and that you are being carried along by his or her expertise.
DON’Ts
1. Do not affiliate with one person or a small group of people within your department. If you do, you will make enemies with members of the out-group, who might be on T&P committees, or friendly with people who are on these committees. Don’t give anyone the impression that you think that some people are more important than others. This might be the case, but suck-ups are easily detected and disliked.
2. Don’t engage in gossip about members of the department, the dean, or other employees. You might think that what you say is in confidence, but it never is. Be careful not to disparage faculty members, the department, or university to outsiders. The academic world is incredibly small and incestuous.
3. Do not be an absentee faculty member. Be visible on a reasonable basis, but reserve enough time to work on your research if required for T&P.
4. Don’t complain, even when you are stressed (which you will be). You can join in if everyone is kvetching about something, but otherwise try to be upbeat.
5. Do not serve on university or external committees for the first few years. In my experience (which might be contextual) departmental chairs do not value external commitments for academic service. Service that is rewarded is strictly at the departmental level. However, taking on an important assignment, such as editorship of a journal, toward the end of the tenure period can help to establish your national visibility.
6. Don’t purchase a home straight away. Rent an apartment or house until you are sure that you like your job, the city, and the people — and when your tenure prospects look secure.
Question 2: I’m graduating next spring and so am getting ready to go on the job market this fall. How do I make myself stand out among all the other applicants? I also have a small child and a husband (non-academic). Do I mention them at any point during the application process? Some faculty members have told me not to mention them during a campus visit and/or phone interview, while others think that it’s not a big deal to have kids.
Answer 2a: These are two very different questions. To start, I’d have to say that to stand out, the best approach is to be prepared. Know where you are applying, network with people beforehand. Find out what you can before you apply. It takes some time to tailor letters to individual places, but if there are places you know you want to be, make that clear in your application. Knowing a bit about a department or program before you apply can make a difference in your application standing out. Likewise, when invited on an interview, do your research before going. In many departments, all faculty members have input into hires, and some will ask staff about their experiences with an applicant. Prepare and act accordingly. Don’t short shrift someone because you don’t know them or their work, know something about everyone that you may potentially meet. Do some basic background research on the research interests and approaches of the program. Being prepared and asking informed questions will make you stand out as an applicant and an interviewee.
Your questions about family is somewhat more delicate. I see the merit of both sides. Ultimately it has to be your decision. Something to consider include what kind of place you want to be. If you want to be somewhere that is family friendly, then talking about these things may be a reasonable approach. For example, if you need daycare on campus, then asking this question can provide important information. If someplace is not going to be understanding of family responsibilities, then having this information out there is in the best interests of both sides. Be aware, as well, that asking questions related to family issues can tip your hand. For example, if you think you may want to have another child, knowing family leave policies and practices is a good approach; likewise, however, asking about these things informs the program that they are of concern to you. While this should not play a role in hiring decisions, people to formulate opinions based on this kind of information. You can get a feel, while on interviews, for who it is “safe” to discuss such issues with and may end up having this conversation whether or not you plan on it. Anecdotally, I can say that while I did not have children and was not married when I went on the market, asking questions about family leave and daycare facilities provided a wealth of information about the tenor of the universities and departments that I visited. You should be aware that universities and departments change as well; as new presidents and deans are hired, universities and programs can become more or less family friendly. There is a great book, “Professor Mommy,” that provides some very interesting discussions about the types and levels of universities that are more or less family friendly.
I recognize that I am not providing a direct answer to your question, and likely am reflecting both sides of advice that you have already received. However, I believe that this is a decision that you have to make yourself and that it should be based on the potential benefits and costs of disclosure to you.
Answer 2b:
1. Practice your research talk until it is perfect. Wow people with your expertise, your delivery, and your style. Be succinct and organized.
2. Do your homework – read up on the host department. Take an interest in people’s research interests, from the newest assistant professor to the most senior person in the department.
3. Be outgoing and friendly. Make people think that you are the perfect candidate in terms of your great personality as well as your academic worth. Remember – you are an investment in the future, perhaps for the next 20 or 30 years. People want to be sure that the new hire will be someone they can get along with.
3. Pay attention to your appearance. If you are being interviewed at Liberal U, do not turn up in prairie dresses and brogues.
4. Do not name drop. Do not appear to interact more favorably with some people than others.
5. Preface your research talk with details about your qualifications, expertise, and professional goals. State how your research interests and teaching experience fit with your host department and university.
6. Make sure that your research slides are professionally crafted.
7. Do not appear too anxious about getting the job, but do express your interest.
8. I am not sure about mentioning spouses and children. Personally, I would not talk about personal matters unless it was safe to do so. I would worry that someone might think that I was less likely to take the job unless my spouse could be accommodated as well. It is still a gendered world – men are less likely to be viewed in terms of family obligations or a spouse’s desires. But if someone does discriminate against you on these grounds, then perhaps he or she is not the sort of person you want to be around anyway.
9. Be mindful of graduate students – they are often asked to rank you and your teaching style. Faculty members take student input seriously, so don’t come across as patronizing or dismissive. The students are likely to give you good hints what the host department is really like and what their academic interests are in relation to yours.