About to make Associate, but just hired at Ivy League. Should I expedite tenure track or take my time?

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I just received an offer from an Ivy League university — right as I’m submitting my tenure dossier at my current non-Ivy teaching job. I’ve asked if they’d bring me in with tenure, but the answer was, unsurprisingly a swift “no.” However, I could ask to expedite my tenure track. I have been advised, thought, to not do this since tenure track at an Ivy is going to be much more strenuous than at my current school, and I may really want to use the time and resources this school will give me to build up a solid tenure package.

The thought of going back on the tenure track from 0 is pretty sad, but if I really think about it, an Assistant position just means you get some course releases and maybe extra access to grants and research money. Right? Or, should I ignore the advice and try to cut my tenure track in half?

Comments

  1. Frosty_Sympathy_1069 Avatar

    What if your tenure case get denied in the new school? I guess I won’t move if I were you, except the case when I’m open to plan Bs in case of tenure denial.

  2. Shelikesscience Avatar

    I have spent basically my entire academic career at these types of institutions (Ivy, etc). All I can tell you is that getting tenure is absolutely brutal. Like, during the pre tenure push I see people putting in 100 hours per week (a number explicitly suggested to me by more than one professor). You can shoot your shot, for some of us it is worth it; just offering what I’ve observed

    ps – I see you’re in the humanities, which I am not. I don’t know what the differences are between them re tenure and hours worked etc

  3. RuslanGlinka Avatar

    Will the Ivy bring you in as Associate level and give you X# of years to assemble whatever they need to approve tenure?

  4. SkateSearch46 Avatar

    It sounds like it would be to your advantage not to rush the tenure process at the new appointment. Take your time to build the strongest case possible. Go up for tenure and promotion when reliable mentors and colleagues at the new institution are advising you that your case is ready.

  5. apo383 Avatar

    I think your interpretation is incorrect. When they say “don’t expedite” they just mean to use the default tenure clock (say 8 yrs for Ivy) for maximum flexibility. Usually you can go up for tenure when you & dept feel ready. But idea is not to force a time limit, which is what the clock means.

    My former student gave up tenured Assoc Prof to take an untenured Assoc offer at the #1 school, on “standard” tenure clock. They ended up going up for tenure after a couple years (3? can’t remember) and were successful. Others I know did similar elsewhere, and I don’t recall any failures. This policy is mainly a failsafe against people who are toxic or flame out. Just show up, prove that you can teach, don’t harass your new colleagues. Generally they are not hiring anyone to fail, regardless of IMO outdated horror stories.

    Don’t take my word for it. Ask the chair for clarity. (BTW, this is a common concern, I wish people did a better job of explaining verbally at time of offer.)

    Also just to verify what you say, it would be *extremely* unusual to be brought in with tenure at that level. Tenure would be lengthier process since they would have to prepare a casebook and everything, and most likely the job slot doesn’t allow for that anyway. They’d have to ask for a separate slot from dean or provost, who usually reserve offer with tenure for a Nobel winner—I’m exaggerating but that is the idea.

  6. Joolie-Poolie Avatar

    Ask them to put in your offer letter that you have the option of early tenure, given your previous experience. Then you can decide with your chair when your dossier is ready. (I did this myself and it worked out perfectly.)

  7. omeow Avatar

    You can find out what is the tenure rate at the ivy school and how your profile compares to their recent tenures?