[Fire-Babe]

we academic types have to do this tenure thing. I JUST submitted my portfolio for evaluation. So pray to whomever you want that it goes the way I want it to go, or if it doesn't, that there's a really good reason, and I see that it's a good reason.

I'ma go meet a student, go to karate, then go home and have a good drink...so chat should be fun.

[Angle]

Updates?

[Fire-Babe]

None yet.

The dept chair gets it first, reviews it and then writes her recommendation. It's due to the School of Arts and Sciences on 10/22.

I get to write a rebuttal if necessary which I have to say "Hey, I'd like to rebut that" on Monday 10/25 and then have it written and submitted to the School by 10/29, so that all materials are available for review by the School Personnel Evaluation Committee (hereafter SPEC) by November 1. Their written recommendation is due to the Dean by November 19.

Intent to rebut, if necessary on November 22 and Rebuttal due November 29. I should point out that this is essential finals week, which is either really stupid or really convenient timing.

December 6 the Dean has to forward HIS recommendation, and the aforementioned portfolio to the Academic Affairs, Personnel Committee, and the VP of Academic Affairs for them to review. That's where my little time table, also known as Attachment D stops. So I have no idea what happens from there.

I will keep folks posted, if they care.

[Habs]

OK I have no idea how it works, but I'm curious. So a tenure is a portfolio of what you have done academically (article, presentations and what not) ?
And you need to do this often?

[Fire-Babe]

Tenure is a status that means it's really hard to fire you. So I'm up for that and promotion to associate professor.

So, I had to put together this huge binder full of stuff. My teaching philosophy, course evaluations from students, letters of recommendation, copies of research presentations and publications....

It's that last one that's a pain. I have a paper submitted, to Sociological Focus but they are taking their sweet time getting back to me. I was hoping by Friday I'd hear, so I could just shove it in there, and no one would know. BUT I do have a copy of the actual paper, and then also the e-mails where it was submitted. Not sure if that will be enough though. Stupid publish/perish creeping into my small, private liberal arts college.

[Habs]

Thanks for the clarifications, and good luck (I'm sure you don't need it but still...)

[Fire-Babe]

No, I do need it. And a place to stay if this doesn't work out got a couch?

[Habs]

Got a futon!

[Sportsguy]

Best of luck to you Fire

[creepy]

Ditto.

[Fire-Babe]

Update of Sorts:

So, I turned my thing in, as you know. The dept chair and other tenured faculty in our department was supposed to review it, then the dept chair would write a recommendation based on that discussion with a vote. Easy, right? We only have two tenured faculty members, one of whom pledges her undying and unwavering support no matter what. You know, unless I want to turn my 'concentration' into a major or a minor...... (for those who don't know, I call her 'the debutante' because she's clearly gone to charm school but has no clue WHY she does the uber trained polite things she does, and often will violate one in order to get to the other. She's also 70 and should retire so I can have her office).

The other one, the dept chair....well, she miraculously got it done and turned in a day before it was due. I'm a big procrastinator, and I look at her and feel better about myself, so this was a huge thing. I call her "Tweak" a la South Park because she's always under TOO MUCH PRESSURE! Anyway, she gave me my copy, and I took it home to read later. In case there were tears.

Well, I didn't get to it Thursday night (hello? TNA was on!) but then Friday, I walk in the hall and pass her office and she says "Oh...good...I need to explain to you the e-mail I'm sending you."

This is never a good thing.

Apparently, for some reason, after writing me a relatively positive review (but fairly so, not gushing...there are weaknesses and she did indicate those, but also fairly), so there were no tears. But...she decided to ABSTAIN from voting on my renewal/tenure/promotion thingy. So I have one vote yes and one abstain.

WTF?

Well, I haven't read the letter, so I can't form coherent questions, at that point, so I just nod and stuff. Apparently, her boss, le dean, is less than thrilled that she would abstain. And told her so. And also told her that if she DOESN'T make an ACTUAL vote, she's no longer chair.

So she has to redo it.

And revote.

Or something. Whatever. So she rewrites the letter, I get a new copy, it's essentially the same. The debutante once again voted yes on renewal contract and promotion/tenure thingy. Tweak voted yes on renewal and no on the other. Which, is fair, given the areas where I'm weak (publications...stupid publish/perish).

So that's where that is. The Dean and the School Personnel Evaluation Committee has it now.

[Habs]

soooo it's a good thing right?

[Fire-Babe]

I have no freakin' clue.

[Fire-Babe]

Well, it's better than if they had voted no, for sure. But I don't know whether Tweak's...issues (she has others with the provost) will help me or hurt me.

[creepy]

Aren't situations like this why you dabble in the black magic?

[Fire-Babe]

Dabble.....? DABBLE??????? Feh.



to be perfectly honest? I have a 'dabbling' all ready for debutante. I just need the 'go ahead' first. As soon as those pennies pop up all heads......

[Fire-Babe]

Update....

So, I had left a few things accidentally out of my porfolio (one of which didn't exist at the time, so that's not a problem.) So I get an e-mail from the dead saying some things were missing and "run TODAYOMGNOWNOWNOW and get copies of them to turn in TODAYOMGNOWNOWNOW to the woman in charge of the committee (admin ass't)!!!!"

Okay, I might be paraphrasing.

So, I go to personnel admin ass't, who is wonderful, assures me that these things do happen and it's no big deal....gives me copies, and we go forward...

Or so I thought...

I get a call from admin ass't 1 to tell me one of them ISN'T RIGHT and they're meeting TODAYOMGNOWNOWNOW!!!



So, another panicked call to the admin ass't 2, who finds the right one sends it to me via .pdf, I send it to admin ass't 1 who verifies it is INDEED the right one.

HALLELUJAH!

And yes, please do print that out and bring it upstairs.....

(because she doesn't have a printer? WTF?)

Fine...done.........

So.....they're meeting today. Their recommendation has to be posted by 11/19.......

[Fire-Babe]

Update

So, I waited around Friday, until about 4:30 thinking it would be placed by a sneaky campus elf in my physical mail box. It was suppose to be by 5, but since I know for a fact they met on November 9, I didn't think they'd run it down to the wire like that.

Grr....So I left. I also considered that they may have mailed it home, since they sometimes do that with HR things. Nope. Nor on Saturday.

I toyed with the idea of going in Friday night before work (since the PD is just a block and a half away), but decided that I didn't want my entire night ruined if it was bad news.

So, Saturday, I'm grading, and find an issue that I need to let my student know about ASAP, so sign in to my university e-mail to send it to her, and lo and behold, mailed at 5pm EXACTLY on Friday, are the letters. Yes, letters (I'll get to that in a minute).

So, the verdict...the SPEC voted 7-0 in favor of renewing my contract for another 4 years. I am, apparently, awesome.

As far as tenure/promotion the vote was 3-4 against The sticking point? One of my three scholarship pieces was 'submitted' rather than 'in print.' We have to have ONE that is 'in print.'

Now, both the majority AND minority letter commented on the fluctuating scholarship standards within the college during the 4 year interim between this and last review, and the lack of adequate software, or rationale for the lack of funding, or information on alternative sources for said funding for said software. Both also commented on how once software was purchased, I learned it, completed my analysis, and submitted the paper in like less than 2 months, while teaching a summer class, creating a new course proposal, supervising three internships, and continuing a second research project that yielded two other presentations. (Heh...maybe I do kinda rock...)

So... I have decided to write a letter about all that, which goes to the School Dean by Monday, November 29, by 5pm (and fuck yes, it's going to get sent at exactly that time...fuckers...) He reviews stuff and forwards it all with his recommendations to the personnel committee and Vice President of Academic Affairs by December 6.

The VPAA is a hard person to get a read on, and for some reason seems to have taken a general dislike of our department since a falling out between he and tweak. Or that's just more of her paranoid ramblings. Hard to say. I doubt he'll overturn the renewal, although I guess that possible. It'd be pretty stupid, as 1. he's leaving anyway to go elsewhere and 2. debutante announced her retirement (FUCKING YEAH!) on Friday also, so then they'd have to do TWO job searches, not just one.

So...next update Dec 6, unless I hear something sooner.