Survive and Thrive. Wendy C. Crone
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of faculty life. After some experience with a variety of academic institutions, however, I learned that faculty positions differ from institution to institution and even from position to position within the same department. This was a wonderful realization. It helped me to rekindle my old dream, and it helped me to identify the type of institution I would be happy in. Because of this and later experiences, I believe that institutional fit is a critical component to happiness in a faculty position.
CHAPTER 1
Tough Questions About Why You Are Here
Occasionally, in life, one stops, looks around, and wonders - how did I get here? Many faculty chose an academic path early in life, but there are also some who come upon academic life later or by accident. Most assistant professors fall into one of two categories: those who are already committed to this career path or those who are still exploring a variety of opportunities. Regardless of which category into which one falls, it is important to stop, look around, and engage in self-assessment regularly.
Don’t wait until you face an obstacle or setback; a time of crisis may not be the best point to question the path you have chosen. However, careful planning may allow you to smooth the path and avoid the obstacles in the first place. Planning and self-assessment are important ingredients for a successful career.
With any career choice there are a number of things one must compromise in the rest of our lives in order to do the job successfully. Don’t continue blindly without reflection, or just because you had already set yourself on this path. The job of an assistant professor in today’s academic environment is challenging! There are difficulties your more senior colleagues may not have had to face. So, at least once in the early stages of your adventure, stop, look around, and ask yourself - why am I here? Your answer to this question may reenergize you and recommit you to the challenge you have taken up or it may prompt you to consider a different path.
This section breaks down the very broad question of, “Why am I here?” into more manageable bites. These are not all the possible questions, simply a set to help get you started. Strategy we will pursue throughout this book begins with overarching questions to consider, followed by mentoring conversation essays to reflect on, and then detailed questions and suggestions to address by yourself and with you mentors. Do not expect to have all the answers to the questions being posed. The big answers to the big questions may only come with time, and reflection, and through discussion with your trusted colleagues and advisors.
Read and reflect on the questions below individually or as with one of your mentors. Make some notes. Identify more questions of your own. Select some for discussion with your mentor.
1.1 ASSESSING THE FIT
1.1.1 OVERARCHING QUESTIONS TO CONSIDER
• What career paths do you envision for your future?
• Is your current institution the place you would like to spend your career?
• What is your back up plan if tenure is not in the cards?
1.1.2 MENTORING CONVERSATION: ON INSTITUTIONAL FIT
An academic career may not be the right choice for everyone, but I would argue that within academia there is such a wide range of options so that one can often find a good fit. I frequently have conversations with graduate students and post docs about what might be the right choice for them. In some cases, a student will bluntly say, “I don’t want your kind of job.” For a variety of reasons they have decided that what they see me spending my time on as a faculty member at a big research university is not what they want to do with their life. (On some days, I might agree with them myself.)
Although I don’t try to push every student towards an academic career, I do want them to realize that not every job in academia looks like mine. Not only are there a number of different types of institutions (Doctorate-granting Universities, Master’s Colleges and Universities, Baccalaureate Colleges, Associate’s Colleges, Special Focus Institutions, and Tribal Colleges)1, they each have different personalities (as a result of their public vs. private nature, or religious affiliation for instance), and there are different positions both on and off the tenure track. Depending on a person’s interests and long term goals, they may be more interested in an instructor or laboratory coordinator position than in a tenure track faculty position. At each institution, the requirements of even the tenure track faculty positions can be quite different, ranging from only teaching to heavily focused on research.
Other students come to me with a keen interest in obtaining an academic position. I try to help them first identify what type of position might be best for them. The next step is to identify people in such positions who they can talk with to check their preconceptions with the realities of the position so that they can make sure the fit is right. I encourage them to find out about what it is like in that position and what qualifications search committees at these institutions expect to see. This often helps a student to identify holes in their background that they can get advice on how to fill, by identifying opportunities to pursue while conducting their current studies or what next position might serve as a stepping stone.
I have similar advice for faculty who find themselves in an academic position or particular institution that is not a good fit for them. In contrast to previous eras, it is not uncommon for faculty to move around. One’s current position does not have to be a lifelong commitment. The key is to look for the type(s) of positions or institutions that would be a better fit and then develop the expertise and record that would make you an ideal candidate for the position you want. This may involve shifting the emphasis of your current work (where possible), seeking out external experiences that would be valued, and building a network within your new target zone.
One caution however, when you are fact-finding about or even go so far as to interview for a new position, be careful not to come across too negative about your current position. It can give a generally negative impression of you. Instead, you can say “It’s not a good fit, but…” go on to talk about some aspect you do appreciate or have excelled at in your current position. Then you can focus on why you feel the new position would be a good fit and your experience and achievements that are relevant to the new position.
1.1.3 DETAILED QUESTIONS AND SUGGESTIONS TO CONSIDER
1. What initially attracted you to your field of study? What continues to attract you?
2. In what ways are you satisfied with your progress in personal and professional development to this point? In what ways are you dissatisfied with your progress in personal and professional development to date?
3. Have you systematically examined the pros and cons of continuing on the academic path? Is it still in your best interest to continue on your current career path or would a different type of institution be more suitable? Consider:
• Do you still have a passion for your field of study?
• Are you/will you receive sufficient recognition for your work?
• Have you evaluated your earning potential?
• Are other more suitable positions available?
• Have you considered how your personal and family responsibilities impact your career?
• Do you have sufficient time for your other interests (hobbies, travel, volunteer work)?
4. What is the record in your department or institution in helping you and others in your position work towards obtaining tenure? Sometimes a hire is made without the intention of ever granting tenure. Can you determine if this is the case for you? Can you use the position to your advantage as a stepping stone to a better situation in which tenure is more feasible?
5. Have you explored the functions of the faculty at peer institutions? How does this compare to your institution? If there are discrepancies that are important to you, can you make change happen?
6. Feeling like you belong when you come from an underrepresented racial or ethnic group, different