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Giving assistant professors an extra year on tenure clock in recognition of covid-19 related disruptions to research is well meaning, but it comes at a cost for APs: another year of career uncertainty and, at institutions where tenure comes with a raise, a financial hit.
1/6
1/6
One possible alternative: an across-the-board adjustment of tenure expectations. (Crucially, this would have to get buy-in from ALL internal & external evaluators.)
What might this mean?
@warre046 's paper on tenure in sociology provides clues.
2/6
https://sociologicalscience.com/download/vol-6/february/SocSci_v6_172to196.pdf
What might this mean?
@warre046 's paper on tenure in sociology provides clues.
2/6
https://sociologicalscience.com/download/vol-6/february/SocSci_v6_172to196.pdf
He finds that newly promoted associate professors in top 21 sociology departments averaged 18.4 peer-reviewed articles, book chapters, & other pubs in 2015-2017. In 1993-93 (earliest year), average only 12.1 pubs.
Refers to article-only APs. Trend for "book people" unclear.
3/6
Refers to article-only APs. Trend for "book people" unclear.
3/6
If we assume* 5 years before submitting file and even spread of pubs across AP years, 18.4/5=3.6 pubs/year. If pandemic set APs back by a year, should reset expectation to 14.8 pubs, on average, for non-book APs.
*Assumption flawed, but OK for back-of-envelope calculation.
4/6
*Assumption flawed, but OK for back-of-envelope calculation.
4/6
Kicker: resetting tenure expectations for current assistant professors to adjust for "lost" pandemic year would bring expectations back in line with the average publication record (non-book) associate professors promoted in 2009-11.
Worth it, & fairer to AP's than extension.
5/6
Worth it, & fairer to AP's than extension.
5/6
Some "of courses:" tenure decisions not just matter of counting publications, and evaluators must read the work; publishing landscape has changed (some evidence in Warren's paper of shift away from "requiring" an AJS/ASR); teaching, service, & advising count; etc.
6/6
6/6
