New Data on Tenure
Matthew Collins recently wrote a post in the SBL forum summarizing a recent tenure survey and report by the Modern Language Association, a society comparable to the SBL (click here).
Collins writes that the survey showed disconcerting results related to the overall chances of Ph.D. candidates ever obtaining tenured positions at universities. Only 35% make it!
The data also reveal what types of publication seem to count for tenure, and again the results are a bit disconcerting. Colins writes, "The survey documents increased pressure for candidates to publish scholarly monographs and refereed journal articles as a part of the tenure qualification process, with decreased (or no) importance given to other publication work such as editing. The survey results also show almost no merit given to electronic publications."
Readers of this blog need not worry about the final result above. Once you've got tenure, you're free to try to connect your work up with the real world...
The data also reveal what types of publication seem to count for tenure, and again the results are a bit disconcerting. Colins writes, "The survey documents increased pressure for candidates to publish scholarly monographs and refereed journal articles as a part of the tenure qualification process, with decreased (or no) importance given to other publication work such as editing. The survey results also show almost no merit given to electronic publications."
Readers of this blog need not worry about the final result above. Once you've got tenure, you're free to try to connect your work up with the real world...
posted by S and C at 12:43 PM
3 Comments:
Though, at least in countries like UK, NZ and Australia there are periodic reviews of research outputs which impact on Government funding, and therefore one's employers' incomes. Unless electronic publications "count" in some way this form of publication is still disadvantaged...
It's high time that the "guild" got its collective head out of the 19th century!
Good point, Tim. We're really luck here at VTS not to get any "help" of a financial nature from the government, not even student loans. The administration has just always viewed government funding to be too much of a nightmare to be worth it. My wife works for the city government, and just hearing about her frustration with that is enough for one lifetime for me... ---Steve P.S. I've got that CD in the mail to New Zealand today.
One thing I found confusing about matthew's statistic was whether "Ph.D. candidates" included folks with Ph.D.'s in hand or just ABD's who are on the job market. If its just ABDs that statistic is not all that surprising.
Jeremy
Post a Comment
<< Home