Survive and Thrive. Wendy C. Crone

gender in your field presents challenges. Will you choose to adopt strategies to “pass” or celebrate your “differences”?

       7. The community in which we live is also an essential ingredient. Have you taken the time away from establishing your academic career to get to know the city you live in and the people around you? Are you living in an environment that you enjoy?

1.2 YOUR CAREER AND YOUR PARTNER

1.2.1 OVERARCHING QUESTIONS TO CONSIDER

      • How do you and your partner’s goals compliment each other?

      • Have you had discussions about how you will make decisions affecting the both of you?

1.2.2 MENTORING CONVERSATION: ON NAVIGATING THE JOB HUNT WITH A PARTNER

      Whether your partner has a career or not, he or she will have an influence on the decisions that play into taking a job offer and staying in the job you have. It is important for both of you to be comfortable with the professional opportunities available and the new community you will becoming a part of. I have known a number of candidates and colleagues who have declined offers or left institutions because the fit for the partner was not a good one. Reasons can range from the weather, to the community, to job opportunities. The point is, for a tranquil and supportive home life, both of you must be in agreement that this is the right place for both you.

      Navigating the job hunt with a partner in the equation can certainly add variables, but it is wholly possible for you to find an agreeable solution. Many institutions recognize the “two body problem” and have mechanisms for spousal/partner job assistance both inside and outside of academia. Many smaller or more remotely located institutions have also realized that dual faculty hires can actually have advantages for the institution. Although I met my husband when we were both assistant professors at the same institution, we embarked on an external job hunt a few years ago. Even though there was only an open search in one of our fields, the institution we were considering interviewed us both and eventually made offers to us both.

      From this experience, the most important lesson my husband and I learned was to communicate as much as possible, preferably before a decision is upon you. You need to have open conversations about your future goals, priorities, and preferences. Where you would like your career(s) to go? What hopes you have for your future life together? Also keep in mind that there is a good chance that one of you may end up making professional sacrifices for your common goals. You’ll need to ask the question: Who is willing to make the sacrifice at this point in their career?

1.2.3 DETAILED QUESTIONS AND SUGGESTIONS TO CONSIDER

      1. A number of creative strategies have been developed for work/life balance, especially for dual career couples. Can you explore the possibility of:

      • job placement assistance for your spouse/partner?

      • dual career couple hires?

      • maternity/paternity leave?

      • stopping the tenure clock?

      • job sharing?

      2. Do you have a plan for when you will bring up the dual career issue in the job hunt process? After you have accepted an offer is too late. Depending on the circumstances, during the interview or the negotiation process will be most appropriate. Who can you consult with to determine the best timing for your situation?

      3. Have you had an open discussion with your partner about:

      • who’s career takes priority in what circumstances and time frames?

      • how will you negotiate job offers?

      • how will family responsibilities be balanced with your career(s)?

      • what is your back up plan if tenure is not obtained?

      4. Are you and your partner in a agreement about the area of the country, size of city/town, and type of community you are comfortable living in? Have you considered the availability of day care and the quality of the school system?

      5. At some point in your career, you may be approached by another institution or actively seek an outside offer. You may want to consider:

      • Will your current department look at the offer in a positive or negative light?

      • Will an outside offer hinder or help your tenure case?

      • Are you really willing to leave your current institution?

BIBLIOGRAPHY

       TOUGH QUESTIONS ABOUT WHY YOU ARE HERE

      M.N. Bushey, D.E. Lycon, P.E. Videtich, How To Get A Tenure-Track Position At A Predominantly Undergraduate Institution, Council on Undergraduate Research, Washington, DC, 2001.

      “The Carnegie Classification of Institutions of Higher Education,” The Carnegie Foundation for the Advancement of Teaching, http://classifications.carnegiefoundation.org/index.php (Accessed 11/11/09).

      A. B. Ginorio, Warming the Climate for Women in Academic Science, Association of American Colleges and Universities, Program on the Status and Education of Women, Washington, D.C., 1995

      “Jobs,” The Chronicle of Higher Education, http://chronicle.com/jobs (Accessed 11/11/09).

      J.M. Lang, Life on the Tenure Track: Lessons from the First Year, Johns Hopkins University Press, Baltimore, MD, 2005.

      J. D. Spector, Guide to Improving the Campus Climate for Women Commission on Women, University of Minnesota, Minneapolis, MN, 1993.

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      ¹ “The Carnegie Classification of Institutions of Higher Education,” The Carnegie Foundation for the Advancement of Teaching, http://classifications.carnegiefoundation.org/index.php (Accessed 11/11/09).

      When I first embarked on the endeavor of being a faculty member I discovered that, although I had spend a good many years of my life in the academy, the number of things I did not know about my academic appointment far outnumbered the things I did know. So I took this on as another research project, a puzzle to solve, a mystery to investigate. The other crucial bit of information I realized along the way was that, although answers to many questions were forthcoming, much of my research would be long-term. It takes time to acquire the needed information, determine the rules (written and unwritten), and find those key people who have the answers.

CHAPTER 2

       Joining Your Department and Discipline

      The first steps to achieving tenure can occur well before you take up residence at your new institution. Much of this part of the process will put you in fact finding mode - starting when you begin looking at ads for positions, and continuing through the untenured years.

      To be successful in your new position, you will need the right tools. If you are very lucky, someone will tell you what these tools are and they will help you to obtain them. Unfortunately, most young faculty I have talked with did not have this experience. Often, it is not for lack of good intentions on the part of senior colleagues and mentors. The rules change over the years and the emphasis within the tenure committee may change as the committee members change. So the onus is on the junior folks. You must ask questions, search for information, and negotiate for what you need. Some of us feel more comfortable with some of these tasks than with others, but you must persist with them all!

      Now that you have made the decision to join the academy in your particular discipline and profession, you will want to consider the following questions.