Promotion and Tenure: Suggestions for Success

1
Promotion and Tenure Suggestions for Success

• Kimberly W. Anderson
• Professor
• Chemical and Materials Engineering

2
Suggestions come from

• 1 year of experience serving on the Physical
  Sciences and Engineering Advisory Committee
• Personal Experience

3
Research Common Pitfalls

• Co-PI on too many grants
• Too many authors on publications and contribution
  is not clear
• Still publishing with Ph.D. advisor
• Manuscripts were all published this past year.
• Research not recognized nationally
• Has not mentored graduate students

4
Research Avoiding Pitfalls

• Establish research program independent of Ph.D.
  work.
• Serve as PI on as many grants as possible and
  avoid senior collaborators who still want to be
  the star!
• Serve as lead author on papers and be clear as to
  the contribution of others.
• Note lead author and graduate students in the
  list of publications
• Choose projects at the beginning that will not
  take 4 years to establish/pursue high risk
  projects after you are established.
• Apply for national awards that demonstrate
  recognition (e.g. Career Awards).
• Mentor students and have at least one close to
  graduating before your promotion case is
  considered.
• Associate professors need to show continued
  progress in research.

5
Other Suggestions for Success in Research

• Participate in proposal reviews and study section
  meetings
• Attend national/international meetings to gain
  recognition
• Ask your Ph.D. advisor to recommend you for
  invited presentations

6
Teaching Common Pitfalls

• Low teaching evaluations/comments from students
  not supportive
• Has not taught enough courses
• Teaching activities do not reflect DOE Special
  Title Series

7
Teaching Avoiding Pitfalls

• Teaching is important and is taken seriously.
  Does not have to be outstanding but poor teaching
  can lead to failure.
• Work with Chair early to improve teaching!!
• If you have a higher DOE in teaching you should
  show some innovative activities.
• Teach a variety of courses

8
Service Common Pitfalls

• Does not participate in department activities.
  Difficult to work with.
• Very little/no professional service.

9
Service Avoiding Pitfalls

• Be a team player in your department.
• Get involved in professional service
• Review manuscript/proposals
• Chair sessions at national/international meetings
• These activities will also help with gaining
  recognition in your research area.

10
Other Suggestions

• Department/College letters are important
• Team player
• Be visible
• Outside letters are important
• Outstanding letters from prestigious strangers
  are more impressive than outstanding letters from
  previous collaborators

11
Suggestions Continued

• Make the dossier easy to read
• For example, separate grants into (Sole
  Investigator, 2 investigators, multiple
  investigators)
• Show a table of funding history
• Make it clear who is leading author on
  publications and which authors are students.
• Separate UK publications from prior UK
  publications
• Separate proceedings from reviewed publications
• Note importance of proceedings.
• Pay careful attention to the checklist

12
Considering administration before promotion?

• Administrative duties can delay promotion
• Not as visible
• Decision making can lead to ill feelings and can
  make life difficult.
• PROCEED WITH CAUTION!