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Navigating Academic Tenure Process: Keys to Success

Comprehensive guide on academic tenure process, proposal development, and career advancement strategies by Rhonda Franklin Drayton, Associate Professor in Electrical and Computer Engineering at the University of Minnesota.

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Navigating Academic Tenure Process: Keys to Success

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  1. Navigating the Academic Tenure Process in Ideal and Non-ideal Environments Rhonda Franklin Drayton Associate Professor Department of Electrical and Computer Engineering University of Minnesota

  2. Overview • Clarify tenure and its significance • Tenure Proposal (i.e. Dossier) • Drayton Philosophy on Tenure Aspects • Tenure tools

  3. Overview • Clarify tenure and its significance • Tenure Proposal (i.e. Dossier) • Drayton Philosophy on Various Aspects • Tenure tools

  4. Tenure? • What is tenure? • A permanent employment position that offers the broadest range of opportunities within an academic institution to work on faculty-focused interests. • Difference from industry/government: Work on management-focused interests. • How is it obtained? • From a 2-phase proposal process • Part 1: Tenure Pre-proposal: Interview process based on supervised work • Funded Results: Job Offer • Part 2: Tenure Full Proposal: Pre-tenure academic career phase based on self-supervised work • Funded Results: Tenure + Promotion

  5. Tenure Rumors…Fact or Fiction? • How do I get tenure? • Teach lots of courses very well • Get great student evaluations • Publish lots of papers • Raise lots of money for research • Supervise and graduate lots of Ph.d. students • Work on campus and national service committees • Establish a national reputation Okay…How Many?….

  6. Pre-tenure period can feel like…. TIME 0 1 2 3 4 5 6 1 2 3 4 5 6 29 30 31 32 33 34 35 36 37 38 AGE Put non-professional life on hold…… Friendship Relationships Marriage Children Get a life….

  7. 0 0 1 5 10 2 15 3 4 20 5 25 30 6 7 35 8 40 1 2 3 4 5 6 29 30 31 32 33 34 35 36 37 38 25 30 35 40 45 50 55 60 65 70 Big Picture Possible retirement Long-Term Live life, but know the Big Picture time age Short-Term – Pre-tenure phase

  8. Academic Career Ladder Career Climbing Lab Director President 5 5 Endowed Chair Provost Career Climbing 5 5 Chaired Dean Technical 5 5 Administrative Full Assoc. Dean 5 5 Majority of faculty Associate* Head Track 3: Combination of 1 and 2 5 5 Assistant Full • Tenured position • Advancement occurs the following year Track 1 Track 2

  9. Overview • Clarify tenure and its significance • Tenure Proposal (i.e. Dossier) • Drayton Philosophy on Various Aspect • Tenure tools

  10. Tenure Full Proposal • Objective: • To describe PI’s demonstrated ability to produce significant return on investment of institutional seed resources - space, start-up funds, student and faculty support, etc. - in areas that align with the institution’s mission. • Institutional Missions Research R/T T/R Teaching 100% >50%/T >50%/R 100%

  11. Tenure Full Proposal • What constitutes significant return on investment? • Research Institutions: • Effective use of start-up funds to seed new projects • Increased institutional recognition and/or enhancement of institutional reputation from • Research Aspect • Excellence in work • Significant impact • Visibility conferences and publications • National faculty recognition • Active involvement in technical/professional community (e.g. government and industry) • Placement of graduate students in academia, industry or government • Teaching Aspect • Effectiveness in instructing undergraduates • Effectiveness in improving the educational program • Effectiveness in advising and mentorship

  12. Teaching Profile Philosophy Courses taught Student Evaluations Colleague Evaluation Research Profile Philosophy Faculty CV Productivity Record Research projects directed Funded Grants Publications Students advised, supervised and graduated Technical References Service Profile Department College or University Professional Technical society Government and industry Tenure Proposal Content(Completed work through the Nth-1 year)

  13. Overview • Clarify tenure and its significance • Tenure Proposal (i.e. Dossier) • Drayton Philosophy on Various Aspects • Tenure tools

  14. Drayton’s Tenure Proposal Philosophy – Research Aspects • Year 1: • Evaluate and test your new environment with an old and new idea • Learn the internal proposal submission process and Identify suitable external funding agency for research • Submit proposals to obtain experience and hopefully funding • Year 2: • Prepare the environment to explore new ideas (Round I) • Actively seek funding using preliminary data from university sponsored seed funding • Year 3: • Communicate Round I research outcomes, seek feedback, and listen carefully • Prepare a preliminary Tenure proposal • Year 3 - Proposal review • Year 4: • Plant new research ideas (Round 2) and prepare for Round I project close-out;. • Seek funding for Round 2 ideas • Develop first Draft of tenure proposal and philosophy statements • Year 5: • Wrap-up Round I work and mature Round II ideas • Address weaknesses in tenure proposal • Year 6: • Submit Tenure Proposal (Casebook); • Communicate Round 2 idea results

  15. Drayton’s Tenure Proposal Philosophy – Teaching Aspects • Year 1: • Develop new course materials • Take courses on instruction • Year 2: • Introduce a new course • Address teaching concerns, if any • Year 3: • Have faculty colleague assess teaching • Year 4: • Develop education community service activity • Year 5: • Address unresolved teaching issues • Year 6:

  16. Drayton’s Tenure Proposal Philosophy – Work Relationships • Year 1: • Build relationships within your institution – staff, faculty (inside and outside your department), graduate students, sponsored grants office, purchasing department • Hire and train research staff • Year 2: • Build relationships outside your institution - academic, industry, government • Participate in review processes – grants and papers • Get to know your undergraduate students • Prepare for staff transitions (MS and/or PhD) • Year 3: • Develop reference list with colleagues and students ( at least 4 each/yr) • Develop industry contacts for graduate students • Identify several institutional faculty “champions”; nurture these relationships • Year 4: • Actively volunteer service to your technical community • Update academic and technical community about your research • Ask for tenure proposal references • Year 5: Expand industry and government network • Year 6: Consider sabbatical opportunities

  17. Overview • Clarify tenure and its significance • Tenure Proposal (i.e. Dossier) • Drayton Philosophy on Various Aspects • Tenure tools

  18. Tenure Tools: Managing Research Projects • Physical • Create an agency specific deliverable model • Report requirements • Template for reporting • Procedure for pursuing additional funding • Develop timeline for • staff hiring needs • project reporting requirements • budget targets and spending rates • People • Prepare graduate students to manage • Prepare to transition between new/old staff hires ( typically, year 3) • Professional Development: Seek management, project management and budget training • Tip: Be patient and flexible while developing your management style.

  19. Tenure Tools: Creating active collaborations • Pursue summer faculty fellowships • Access: DOD and DOE organizations • Use various leave options, if available • Semester leave • Sabbatical (post tenure) • Take short-term (1-2 week) visits for research collaborations • Use annual conferences to develop proposal and research collaboration meetings • Professional development: Seek grant writing and budgeting training • Tip: Partner student projects with 1 external collaboration to seed relationships.

  20. Tenure Tools:Funding Research Ideas • Institutional • Seed grants • Campus center grants • Government • Grants (i.e. seed and full proposal) • Contracts • Industry • Contracts • Faculty Awards • Fellowships • Faculty • Student • Professional Development: Seek grant writing and budget training • Tip: Write as much as possible to solidify ideas and improve written communicating skills

  21. Tenure Tools:Personal Development • Minimize isolation, nurture family and friend relationships • Develop institutional and local professional friendships • Pursue your personal goals (i.e. marriage, children, etc..) • Create a support system where needed (e.g. cleaning and care-giving) • Remember: You cannot violate natural laws: Time is conserved (1 week = 168 hours) for everyone. • Make flexible plans and be adaptive • Take care of yourself; you will get older. • Strive to exercise and eat properly • Remember: A career is a 35-year marathon. Run hard and deliberate, but PACE yourself. You have at least seven 5-year cycles to pursue your interest and dreams.

  22. Tenure Tools:Managing Distractions • Excessive Service Requests • Participate within reason • Learn to say “NO”, but expect to feel guilty • Don’t isolate yourself; loneliness will make you crave and need to serve others to feel humane • Excessive Opportunities • A successfully developed tenure proposal will create numerous opportunity (i.e. job offers, speaking engagements, reviewing proposals, etc.) • Participate within reason; your academic business should be “open” in your absence. Who will lead, manage, and open the store in your absence? • Focus on clarifying your vision for your work and career. Avoid job hopping without significant motivation for doing so. • Remember: Excellence is a magnet for opportunities.

  23. Thank you for your time! Questions?

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