2014 Tenure Track Cohort

[egilson]

Any of us left? I turn in my packet on October 31. My to-do list is a mix of regular and packet-specific stuff:

- finish revising and submit the revise-and-resubmit by mid-August
- finish the grant application by mid-September
- ask outside people to write for me
- go through the box of stuff and get copies of the stuff I don't have
- write the narratives
- put it all in its binder

Our T&P are two separate processes (don't ask). I'm pretty confident of tenure given everything I've done and the feedback I've been getting for several years but less confident of promotion because it's much more of a crapshoot. I only have to get tenure, but I don't get a raise unless I'm promoted.

[drbrt]

I turn in my packet September 15.

I am scrambling to prep five studies for fall, write one last grant, and get in one last manuscript.

[mamselle]

I turn in my packet September 15.

I am scrambling to prep five studies for fall, write one last grant, and get in one last manuscript.

Good energy and focus to all!

(Will the cats help organize the..ummm... no, nevermind...)

Seems like just yesterday you took the position.

Hope all goes well.

M.

[darkstarrynight]

Hi Friends, sorry I missed this thread earlier. My materials are due around September 15th too. External review letters have been requested by my chair, and I am still gathering everything and organizing it before I work on my statements for each area.  I had a lot of things happen this summer that are what I consider good timing, including winning a national award (voted on by peers) at a convention, and my first book comes out in three weeks!  I also have an article coming out in the next few months, and am starting to get invited for podcast interviews (new outlet for me).

It is hard for me to work on the materials though because I am teaching two summer courses, and working on manuscripts and research projects simultaneously.  I have been collecting data all month on a new study that is wrapping up soon, submitted one manuscript this summer, have another under review, and three projects in various other stages of analysis.

[Kron3007]

I applied for tenure last year and am now officially tenured!

I know some people find it anti-climactic, and in some senses it is, but for me it has been a huge weight lifted.  Not trying to rub it in, but there is light at the end of the tunnel and this is now the summer of George...

On the flip side, I find myself just as busy and there is no real change in the day to day job, it just seems brighter.  Moving forward, I plan to apply for sabbatical...

[fast_and_bulbous]

I applied for tenure last year and am now officially tenured!

I know some people find it anti-climactic, and in some senses it is, but for me it has been a huge weight lifted.  Not trying to rub it in, but there is light at the end of the tunnel and this is now the summer of George...

On the flip side, I find myself just as busy and there is no real change in the day to day job, it just seems brighter.  Moving forward, I plan to apply for sabbatical...

Congratu-frickin'-lations. That is a huge load off your shoulders, eh?

I think it's good that there's no change, you're just as busy. I've seen some folks slow down too much after tenure and never regain their footing.

Sabbaticals are wonderful things. I had one before I left my previous U. It was a year long one at half salary, but I managed to get enough research money to not take much of a pay cut. I think a sabbatical is really a sabbatical only if you leave your U but I know how not everyone can swing that. I'd be interested in whether you are going to shoot for a semester or a year or...

Again, congratulations on getting tenure.

[mamselle]

I applied for tenure last year and am now officially tenured!

I know some people find it anti-climactic, and in some senses it is, but for me it has been a huge weight lifted.  Not trying to rub it in, but there is light at the end of the tunnel and this is now the summer of George...

On the flip side, I find myself just as busy and there is no real change in the day to day job, it just seems brighter.  Moving forward, I plan to apply for sabbatical...

Joining in the celebration.

We might need a pool party at the new clubhouse for this, yes?

M.

[Kron3007]

I applied for tenure last year and am now officially tenured!

I know some people find it anti-climactic, and in some senses it is, but for me it has been a huge weight lifted.  Not trying to rub it in, but there is light at the end of the tunnel and this is now the summer of George...

On the flip side, I find myself just as busy and there is no real change in the day to day job, it just seems brighter.  Moving forward, I plan to apply for sabbatical...

Congratu-frickin'-lations. That is a huge load off your shoulders, eh?

I think it's good that there's no change, you're just as busy. I've seen some folks slow down too much after tenure and never regain their footing.

Sabbaticals are wonderful things. I had one before I left my previous U. It was a year long one at half salary, but I managed to get enough research money to not take much of a pay cut. I think a sabbatical is really a sabbatical only if you leave your U but I know how not everyone can swing that. I'd be interested in whether you are going to shoot for a semester or a year or...

Again, congratulations on getting tenure.

Yeah, if anything my lab is ramping up so no worries about regaining my footing, more just keeping it...  I have a group of grad students just about to defend, another group that started recently, and a couple more that will begin soon.  As a result, I am in a big transition period with a bit of shift in focus.  I hope to use this transition to reorganizeize and re-tool a bit, trying to maintain what I did well and learn from areas I need to improve.  It's interesting to see the shift in lab dynamics during these periods and this is the first major one I have seen from this side of the desk.     

I am really looking forward to the sabbatical (huge surprise right?).  Here it will be 2 semesters at full pay, but we cannot pay ourselves from research money anyway (Canada).  After the first sabbatical we have the option to take a 1 semester sabbatical after 3 years or 2 semesters after 6; I may start taking 1 semester sabbaticals moving forward if I can time it to get out of my less preferred teaching semester.   

I will likely take a few trips to various places while on sabbatical, but we have small children (some in school), so any extended travel would be difficult for now.  When they are a little older I would definitely love to go live abroad somewhere for a semester (This is a bit of a dream of mine and I think it would be great for the kids), but for now that would be difficult. 

   

[Kron3007]

I applied for tenure last year and am now officially tenured!

I know some people find it anti-climactic, and in some senses it is, but for me it has been a huge weight lifted.  Not trying to rub it in, but there is light at the end of the tunnel and this is now the summer of George...

On the flip side, I find myself just as busy and there is no real change in the day to day job, it just seems brighter.  Moving forward, I plan to apply for sabbatical...

Joining in the celebration.

We might need a pool party at the new clubhouse for this, yes?

M.

The weather is quite perfect for it, at least it looks like it from my office window.... 

[AJ_Katz]

I applied for tenure last year and am now officially tenured!

I know some people find it anti-climactic, and in some senses it is, but for me it has been a huge weight lifted.  Not trying to rub it in, but there is light at the end of the tunnel and this is now the summer of George...

On the flip side, I find myself just as busy and there is no real change in the day to day job, it just seems brighter.  Moving forward, I plan to apply for sabbatical...

I'm in the same boat, a couple of students finished this summer, a couple more should finish in the fall, and on-boarding at least one new person this fall.  I am not sure whether to take sabbatical.  At this point, I feel more interested in opportunities to get into leadership within my institution.  Also, having worked with a visiting scientist who was on a sabbatical when I was a postdoc and seeing what a rough time hu had (not given a lot of support by PI), I just feel like it's risky to take a sabbatical.  It seems like the best opportunities would be to take a sabbatical with someone you already know.  I would also be nervous about being so far away from the lab group.  I meet with most of them once or twice a week and also have a lab meeting, so I don't know how things would turn out if I were not here to be involved.  What's your strategy?

[Kron3007]

I applied for tenure last year and am now officially tenured!

I know some people find it anti-climactic, and in some senses it is, but for me it has been a huge weight lifted.  Not trying to rub it in, but there is light at the end of the tunnel and this is now the summer of George...

On the flip side, I find myself just as busy and there is no real change in the day to day job, it just seems brighter.  Moving forward, I plan to apply for sabbatical...

I'm in the same boat, a couple of students finished this summer, a couple more should finish in the fall, and on-boarding at least one new person this fall.  I am not sure whether to take sabbatical.  At this point, I feel more interested in opportunities to get into leadership within my institution.  Also, having worked with a visiting scientist who was on a sabbatical when I was a postdoc and seeing what a rough time hu had (not given a lot of support by PI), I just feel like it's risky to take a sabbatical.  It seems like the best opportunities would be to take a sabbatical with someone you already know.  I would also be nervous about being so far away from the lab group.  I meet with most of them once or twice a week and also have a lab meeting, so I don't know how things would turn out if I were not here to be involved.  What's your strategy?

A lot of people here dont actually go anywhere while on sabbatical, it just relieves them from teaching/service and they focus on writing, applying for grants, etc.
I suspect that I will do this and use the time to catch up on writing articles, perhaps write a review article, focus on grants (perhaps try to put together a larger collaborative grant), etc.  I will also likely take a few smaller trips to visit various labs, attend more conferences, etc., but will be present for the most part.

[darkstarrynight]

I applied for tenure last year and am now officially tenured!

I know some people find it anti-climactic, and in some senses it is, but for me it has been a huge weight lifted.  Not trying to rub it in, but there is light at the end of the tunnel and this is now the summer of George...

On the flip side, I find myself just as busy and there is no real change in the day to day job, it just seems brighter.  Moving forward, I plan to apply for sabbatical...

Woohoo! Doing a happy dance for you!

[mamselle]

I applied for tenure last year and am now officially tenured!

I know some people find it anti-climactic, and in some senses it is, but for me it has been a huge weight lifted.  Not trying to rub it in, but there is light at the end of the tunnel and this is now the summer of George...

On the flip side, I find myself just as busy and there is no real change in the day to day job, it just seems brighter.  Moving forward, I plan to apply for sabbatical...

Woohoo! Doing a happy dance for you!

Come join us at the pool party at the Clubhouse!

Dancers very very welcome!

M.

[emprof]

Hi all!  I was in the 2013 Tenure Cohort under a different name. I stopped the clock when my daughter was born, so now I'm going up this year with you all!

And honestly, I'm having a ROUGH time. I've met the publication requirements, have a big teaching award, done service out the wazoo, had coffee with everyone in the department regularly for 2 years (or the equivalent). But I really wanted one more publication to put me over the top, and instead I got a desk rejection from the journal this summer. Colleagues who've read it say it's a strong piece that just need some tweaking, so I'm hoping it'll be accepted elsewhere by the end of fall semester. But OUCH, like I needed anything to make me even more paranoid this year.

My list of suggested external reviewers is due to the chair in September, materials for the reviewers go out October 15. I can add to the file until December 1.

My to-do list:

- Make list of suggested external reviewers for the chair
- Revise and send that article off to a second journal
- Update narratives from my reappointment file and send to mentor for critique
- Insert all the Extra Stuff I've done since then
- Finish my book manuscript so it can go in the file
- Submit a session to a conference
- Finish a book review

[darkstarrynight]

Hi all!  I was in the 2013 Tenure Cohort under a different name. I stopped the clock when my daughter was born, so now I'm going up this year with you all!

And honestly, I'm having a ROUGH time. I've met the publication requirements, have a big teaching award, done service out the wazoo, had coffee with everyone in the department regularly for 2 years (or the equivalent). But I really wanted one more publication to put me over the top, and instead I got a desk rejection from the journal this summer. Colleagues who've read it say it's a strong piece that just need some tweaking, so I'm hoping it'll be accepted elsewhere by the end of fall semester. But OUCH, like I needed anything to make me even more paranoid this year.

My list of suggested external reviewers is due to the chair in September, materials for the reviewers go out October 15. I can add to the file until December 1.

My to-do list:

- Make list of suggested external reviewers for the chair
- Revise and send that article off to a second journal
- Update narratives from my reappointment file and send to mentor for critique
- Insert all the Extra Stuff I've done since then
- Finish my book manuscript so it can go in the file
- Submit a session to a conference
- Finish a book review

Congratulations on the birth of your daughter and the joy she brings to you! I have so many things held up with journals which can be so frustrating.  However, your other accomplishments are amazing!  At least you know what your publication requirements are - mine are very vague.  My colleague at a peer institution told me a book is worth seven articles in her department.  I am not in a book field but I am hopeful my book which comes out in less than two weeks is worth at least an article.  I have lots of articles but am not sure what the requirement is and I know my count is low compared to what some colleagues in other departments in my college suggest would be the sum of an average recommended number per year.  It is what it is at this point!  I cannot stress about what is out of my control, right?  Too much of how we are evaluated rests with slow journal review processes.