I've been following feMOMhist's posts about working at a Quaint College with interest, as I'm in my first year TT at one myself. I've had a lot of positive experiences and a lot of disappointments over the first several months. Today, I'm focusing on a very positive thing: interdisciplinary opportunities.
One of the best things about teaching at a SLAC is that I can get involved in a lot of different activities both inside and outside my department. I've been volunteering in the theatre, and the performance club asked me to be a co-sponsor. Sure! Awesome! Then, there's a creative writing group, and they invited me to their meeting on Tuesday. Freaking cool! Yes, I want to hang with the CW folks. Another professor is taking some stus on a trip for model UN. Do I want to go, since I know San Francisco well? Hell yes! I adore politics! (However, I'm not sure that model UN will work out for me. I may have maxed out my travel expenses for the year already. But if the school will cover the cost, I'm totally there!)
All together, this is a lot of involvement -- I'm unsure that will likely count as official service for the school. You know, the stuff tenure's made of. However, it's stuff that I really want to do, and it's actually stuff I would have liked to have done as an undergrad, but I was too poor or too shy or too involved in other things. Mainly, too poor. Anything that involved travel involved money, of course, and my parents didn't pay for any of my college, so I didn't get to do a lot of the stuff I would have if I had money. So now? The opportunities I have are good fun for me, and I am excited about them. I'm not sure they'll help me get tenure, but maybe doing things like this will show I'm investing in the community. Maybe that will count.
One of the tough things for me at my SLAC is that tenure requirements are pretty wobbly. I have a (non-English) friend who is up for pre-tenure review, and even she is unsure of what's required. (I think it differs from department to department. Hell, none of us are sure.) Anyway, I hope that these investments that I'm making will pay off. Since the person I replaced refuses to give up anything she has run in the past, I am essentially a full-time adjunct for my department. I have nothing to do in the department, so I'm reaching out. Plus, the other person who is a British-y type is retiring in the next half decade or so, so I'll be taking over many of those classes. But until then, I'm teaching almost all gen-ed, and Shakespeare every other spring. (Not this spring, either.) I need something to do -- some way to use my talents, such as they are. Getting involved in student groups, going on trips, and doing some research (SAA paper is coming along), are, I guess, what I'm supposed to be doing.
So things are a little unclear for me about what I should be doing, but I'm forging a path nonetheless. I hope that counts to all the right people.
7 comments:
It sounds like you're putting your best foot forward. If you're unsure of what TT requirements may be, it's better to have a little bit of everything, I think. Then again, working in a university is but a dream for me.
1. I read your blog description like 7 times over trying to decide if your school was SLAC
2. totes thought you of you this weekend reading book foolscap. You must read now that I know you ate at SLAC. :)
tamayn - Working at a university is a dream for many folks. You're not alone. :)
feMOMhist - I recently changed the blog description in order to be more vague. I guess I should probably be more specific about being at a SLAC.
If your institution is anything like mine, then demonstrating investment in the college community and the students--exactly as you're doing--is an excellent way to shore up your tenure bid. In addition to "service," "involvement in the campus and wider community" is big here (even though it's not actually on the list of tenure requirements); it's all a part of collegiality. So if you're having fun, then keep it up! It can't possibly hurt you come review time (unless, of course, you're sacrificing classes etc. to do this stuff--but that's obviously not a problem).
Is there any other Assistant Prof in your department that is a little ahead of you?
Are you sure there isn't anything written re tenure requirements? Even if it's vague? I find that weird? Have you check the faculty handbook? Is there a university-wide tenure&promotion committee that you can ask? Anything helps.
Spanish prof - I'm the only non-tenured person in my department. The last person to go up for tenure was five years ago, I think. The faculty handbook has info, but it's vague and says it depends on the department as well as teaching, service, and some scholarship. But how much is enough in any category is vague.
Right now, I'm unconcerned. I'm also the only person attempting to do a small bit of scholarship besides the dean, who is also in English.
Heu - Good to know!
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