Conquering The Hurdles Of The Tenure And Promotion Process For The Junior Faculty Members

The process of tenure and promotion can be a harrowing experience for faculty in higher education. A tenured faculty member is one whose job, with a few exceptions, is secured for life. These exceptions typically include the closure of the department, (although a good faith effort may be made to place them in a related department within the university), gross negligence, and sexual harassment. Tenure was designed to protect faculty from the volatile behavior and attitudes of administrators. The process generally occurs in the sixth year of employment and for many can be stressful. A candidate for tenure and promotion is evaluated in the areas of teaching, scholarship and service. This manuscript addresses tactics, strategies and approaches that were utilized by the author to overcome the tenure and promotion process.