By Elizabeth Botswick
Those professors who have earned a permanent position at the university said they value the job security, research possibility and creative license tenure provides – and they believe their experience is particularly relevant now, as students craft their spring schedules.
Obtaining a tenured position is a lengthy process. After earning a bachelor’s degree, potential professors must also earn master’s and doctoral degrees. After years of educational preparation, aspiring professors endure a rigorous interview process to secure a tenure-track job as an assistant professor.
During this process, candidates are brought to the university to gain exposure to campus culture and department personalities. Assistant professors are typically allotted five to seven years to prove their intellectual mettle and secure the title of tenured professor.
Assistant professors are reviewed based on their contribution to the university through teaching, research and service. The department offers assistant professors a tenured position if they’re able to demonstrate a satisfactory performance in the given time period.
The teaching category refers to the individual’s role as an instructor. Professors’ commitment to research is largely demonstrated through their output of published materials.
The structure of the tenure system varies slightly among universities. Universities are typically classified as either research-based or teaching-based institutions. Universities with a teaching focus concentrate on the instructive quality of tenured professors. Research-based organizations emphasize the quality of the material produced by the professor’s research. The UA places equal emphasis on research and instruction.
“There is a difference between creating knowledge and disseminating information,” said Jason Edwards, a doctoral candidate and graduate assistant in the English department.
Tenured professors enjoy intellectual freedoms denied to individuals in less established positions and increased access to funding.
Terrence Tucker, an assistant professor in English department, said tenure is a commitment from the university to the professor representing the university’s desire for the professor’s intellectual presence and investment in campus life. Tucker is in his fourth year as an assistant professor.
The number of tenured positions available differs between departments. David Joliffe, a full professor with tenure in the English department, said the department only has 23 tenure-track positions available, a small number relative to the university’s size. Other universities of a similar size typically have 30 to 35 tenure-track faculty members in a given department.
The Department of Chemistry and Biochemistry has a comparable number of tenure-track positions. Paul Adams, an assistant professor of chemistry and biochemistry, said his department has only 22 tenure-track positions.
The road to tenure is not always a clear-cut path. Many tenured professors did not begin their academic careers with the precise intention of obtaining their current position. Time and experience refine individual interests, shaping educational and occupational decisions.
Tucker followed a traditional tenure route, completing all necessary schooling and progressing immediately into a tenure-track position in the Department of English. Edwards’ history is different. After earning bachelor’s degrees in sociology and criminology, Edwards worked in several different fields before he decided to pursue a doctoral degree. Edwards said tenure is a future possibility.
Undergraduate students interested in acquiring tenure should explore academic interests. Tucker said students should talk to favorite professors about their experiences.
“Start developing critical thinking skills as early as possible, try to gain as many research experiences in the field you wish to pursue your graduate education in, and connect with mentors at each stage of your career to help guide you through large or small challenges as your career takes off,” Adams said.