What does tenure mean in academics? #writinglife

By: Meradeth Houston on 4:00 AM

It's come to my attention that most people have no idea what I'm talking about when I say that I'm planning on applying for tenure in the fall. I get asked things like, "Don't I already have that?" (I'm tenure-track, or eligible to apply for tenure.) Or, "Does that mean they can't fire you?" (It makes it harder, sure, but not impossible.) Or a whole host of things. So, here's the low-down in case you're ever writing about professors or anything set in an academic setting :)

Teaching courses in a University setting (and I'm not talking about Teaching Assistants--TA's), you're likely to see:

• Graduate students. These are just that: students. Usually doctoral students who are earning money/tuition by teaching on the side. It's a great opportunity to learn how to teach, because most of the time (and by that I mean almost always), professors receive almost no training on how to teach. It's all about observe other and learn the ropes yourself.
• Adjuncts. These are individuals, often with a degree (doctorate or sometimes Master's) that teach courses on a course-by-course basis. They are almost always underpaid and overworked.
• Lecturers. These are individuals who are teaching courses by not on a tenure line (as in, they don't have the opportunity to get tenure). Again, often doing lots of teaching with little pay, but they are often on a contract that allows them more security. They always have a degree (PhD, and more rarely, MA). These positions don't always have a time limit and I've seen people spend their entire careers as them, which is fine if that's what you like and your institution is stable enough to handle that. You definitely don't have to deal with some of the tenure/research/department BS :)
• Visiting Assistant Professors. These are pretty similar to lecturers, but often on a yearly contract that is scheduled to end at some point. Often they're a place-holder for a tenure faculty until the official person is hired into the tenure line (which can be either the visiting person, or another person--a nation-wide search will have to be held no matter what).
• Assistant Professor. This is where tenure starts to play a role. The individual hired as an assistant professor is on a tenure line, meaning that later they are eligible to become tenured. There are three main components to this job: teaching, research, and service (to the university). They may be weighted differently, depending on the institution, but you're expected to excel in all three to get:

~*TENURE*~

• Tenure application. Applying for tenure and applying for the jump to assistant professor are actually two separate things. They can be done in conjunction, or you can apply for associate professor before tenure (and this varies a little from place to place). The application process also varies a lot, but generally means turning in a portfolio of some kind with evidence of all your awesome work that you've done over the 6-8 years prior years, while at the same time convincing everyone they like you enough to keep you. It's basically one majorly stressful time, and since I'm staring it in the face right now, kind of makes me want to run and hide....
• Associate Professor. After being awarded tenure and the jump to the next rung on the ladder, you're now tenured (which everyone says means that there's more freedom...we'll see if that's true), but it does mean that someone isn't breathing down your back as much about funding and projects and doing all the things at once. You're still busy with the three main things (teaching, research, service), but there's more flexibility to say 'no' every now and again...or so I'm told.
• Full Professor. After another ~6 years, after demonstrating excellence again, it's possible to apply to be a full professor. This is one of the top rungs, and often people who are full professors have proven themselves in their field to be strong advocates, successful scholars, and definitely hard workers.
• Emeritus Professor. This is usually after retirement where professors either do research or teach or something to continue contributing. Mainly because after working so hard for your whole damn life, it can be hard to just leave behind :)

There are a TON of other variations on these, depending on the institution, the country they're hired in, and just how things work. These are the common ones at my university that I've also seen elsewhere. But, at research institutions or medical schools, things are vastly different. However, hopefully this gives you a general sense of how things work :)