The importance of StaYING MOTIVATED AFTER TENURE

1. The importance of StaYING MOTIVATED AFTER TENURE Marie T. Mora Professor of Economics The University of Texas – Pan American Presented at the Second Wave Conference The Ohio State University 02 June 2012

2. Overview Many of you have already achieved a career milestone—TENURE!  The next milestone is not that far away—promotion to Full Professor. Why is this next step so important? The answer is in basic demographics.

3. Combined, Blacks and Hispanics represent nearly 30% of the entire population: - Blacks represent one 1 of every 8 people; - Hispanics represent 1 out of every 6. The economic outcomes of these populations thus affect the nation as a whole. Yet, among Full Professors of Economics in Ph.D.-granting institutions in 2010-11, only 0.9% were Black, and 2.4% were Hispanic.

4. This means that much of the research and subsequent policy recommendations by senior-level faculty that directly (and indirectly) affect minority communities are being conducted without input or insight from members of these communities. Many times, this results in policies designed on the basis of incomplete information. Your input is important, not only for minority economic issues, but for economic issues affecting the nation overall.

5. Why does this racial/ethnic disparity exist at the upper echelons of the profession? At all education levels, but particularly among post-baccalaureates in economics, the racial/ethnic gaps are wider than for the population as a whole. These differences have remained fairly static, and in some cases have worsened, in the past decade.

6. Econ Bachelors Degrees In 2000, of the 18,431 Econ bachelors degrees: - 976 (5.3%) were awarded to Blacks, and - 936 (5.1%) were awarded to Hispanics. In 2010, of the 27,630 Econ bachelors degrees: - 1,359 (4.9%) were awarded to Blacks, and - 1,746 (6.3%) were awarded to Hispanics. In a relative sense, Blacks lost ground… And the gain for Hispanics did not keep pace with their population growth.

7. Econ Master’s Degrees In 2000, of the 2,163 Econ master’s degrees: - 59 (2.7%) were awarded to Blacks, and - 50 (2.3%) were awarded to Hispanics. In 2010, of the 3,367 Econ master’s degrees: - 97 (2.9%) were awarded to Blacks, and - 83 (2.5%) were awarded to Hispanics. Blacks and Hispanics only experienced a marginal improvement… but fell short of the Hispanic population growth.

8. Econ Doctoral Degrees In 2000, of the 847 Econ doctoral degrees: 18 (2.1%) were awarded to Blacks, and 16 (1.9%) were awarded to Hispanics. In 2010, of the 980 Econ doctoral degrees: 10 (1.0%) were awarded to Blacks, and 21 (1.9%) were awarded to Hispanics. Blacks lost considerable ground (absolute and relative) among newly minted econ Ph.Ds, while Hispanics did not advance in a relative sense.

9. Figure 1a: The Representation of Blacks and Hispanics among Bachelors Degrees Awarded to U.S. Citizens and Permanent Residents: 2000-2009

10. Figure 1b: The Representation of Blacks and Hispanics among Doctoral Degrees Awarded to U.S. Citizens and Permanent Residents: 2000-2009

11. Full-Time Econ Faculty In 2010-11, among tenured/tenure-track econ faculty in Ph.D.-granting institutions: 1.9% of Assistant Professors were Black, and 6.2% were Hispanic. 3.2% of Associate Professors were Black, and 5.1% were Hispanic. 0.9% of Full Professors were Black, and 2.4% were Hispanic.

12. With such small numbers (absolute and relative), your progression to the Full Professor rank means something real. At a minimum, your voice should be heard and you can serve as a much needed role model. How do you get there? Stay motivated and remain active in the profession!

13. Some Motivation Tips - Present your work at national conferences (including at conferences like this one) and stick to the discussants’ deadlines. Without the pressure of tenure, it might be easy to disregard timelines. Conference presentations help provide some structure to your schedule PLUS you receive immediate feedback PLUS you can network.

14. My advisor informed me that networking is a lot of work, but there is a payoff. I agree! - Other things to consider: Go to the library and skim through the latest issues of the journals you would like to publish in. - Read through the users guides and variable lists for datasets you might want to use. - Find a productive co-author who will keep bugging you to work on your part. (Yes, it is difficult to find the right person.)

15. - Attend conferences (like this one) with interesting sessions/papers. They can be re-energizing PLUS provide new ideas (keep your antennae up) PLUS networking opportunities. - If you are feeling burnt out, try to remember why you got interested in econ. Perhaps there was a topic your advisor discouraged you from pursuing. Post-tenure, you have more time to delve into alternative projects.

16. Professional Service With tenure, you will be expected to conduct more service—try to select activities that will enhance your own professional development. - Research and prof. development committees; - Organize conferences or conference sessions; - Serve as a paper discussant at conferences; - Review papers for journals; - Get more involved in NEA/ASHE/CSMGEP; - Volunteer to be faculty mentor (e.g., AEA Mentoring Program; DITE; your institution).

17. If you might be thinking of moving into a leadership/administrative position, undertake service activities (including directorship roles) that will help you build your CV. Having tenure does not mean you are “stuck” at your institution—even if you are happy there now, things can change. Remain active in the profession to increase your mobility within and outside of your institution. Finally, stay involved in groups such as this one!!!

18. Economics can be a beautiful and exciting subject—but our profession sometimes has a way of making it seem like anything but that… These types of events can help us stay energized!