Tenure Track Research Articles

Gendering data care: curators, care, and computers in data-centric biology

ABSTRACT The increase in molecular data and the use of computer technologies in biology have led to the emergence of professional biocurators, who populate biological databases and knowledgebases with high-quality information. Although crucial to life science knowledge production, biocuration is, to a large extent, invisible labour that takes place behind the scenes of data-centric life science. The field suffers from a lack of recognition and status that has been linked to a language of service and a scientific system that is not equipped to recognise and reward new types of scientific practices. However, as the majority of biocurators are highly educated female biologists, biocuration is also reproducing the problematic pattern of women leaving the scientific tenure track in favour of less prestigious positions. Instead of viewing the issue as just another example of ‘the leaky pipeline,’ the gendering of biocuration could be seen as an interplay of gendered structures in science, organisations and society which makes a career in biocuration attractive for female scientists while at the same time positioning the activity as non-scientific low-status work. By illuminating some of the ways gender works in the processes which render certain kinds of technoscientific work invisible, biocuration serves as an example of how existing social structures influence the emerging data-centric science.

Disparities in Promotion and Retention Rates Among Underrepresented in Medicine Faculty in U.S. Ophthalmology Departments

PurposeThis study examines the rates and trends of faculty promotions within the field of ophthalmology, with comparative emphasis on the rates of promotion among URiM faculty. DesignA retrospective panel study was conducted using the Association of American Medical Colleges (AAMC) Faculty Roster database. MethodsWe utilized the Association of American Medical Colleges (AAMC) Faculty Roster data to assess trends in academic faculty promotions within U.S. ophthalmology departments. Full-time assistant and associate professors appointed between 2000-2010 were included in the analysis, and tracked until November 2021 to determine promotion rates. Pearson's Chi-squared and Fisher's exact tests were utilized to evaluate differences in promotion and retention rates based on gender, race and ethnicity, advanced degree, and tenure status. ResultsThe demographics of 1436 assistant, and 680 associate faculty members were obtained for analysis through the AAMC. Black faculty had lower promotion rates when compared to White faculty (20% vs 37% p<.001). Faculty with MD/PhD degrees demonstrated higher promotion rates than faculty with MD degrees alone (59% vs 36%, p<.001). Additionally, Faculty not on tenure track had lower rates of promotion than those on tenure track (35% vs 48%, p<.001). With respect to faculty retention: among assistant and associate professors combined, Black faculty and faculty without tenure track appointments were more likely to leave academic medicine (46% vs 33%, p<.001) and (36% vs 27%, p<.001) respectively. ConclusionIn this study, promotion rates varied significantly by race/ethnicity. Specifically, Black faculty had lower rates of promotion and retention in academic medicine. These findings underscore the need to explore and implement strategies and policies to address equity in promotion rates and retention of URiM faculty within academic ophthalmology.

Earth System Breakdown Does Not Care About Tenure Track

The prior issue of Krisis (42:1) published Critical Naturalism: A Manifesto, with the aim to instigate a debate of the issues raised in this manifesto – the necessary re-thinking of the role (and the concept) of nature in critical theory in relation to questions of ecology, health, and inequality. Since Krisis considers itself a place for philosophical debates that take contemporary struggles as starting point, it issued an open call and solicited responses to the manifesto. This is one of the sixteen selected responses, which augment, specify, or question the assumptions and arguments of the manifesto.

The phenotype of pathology residency program directors

Pathology residency programs vary greatly across the United States. To the authors’ knowledge, little is formally known about the “phenotype” or career pathways of pathology residency program directors (PDs). PDs, former PDs (FPDs), and associate PDs (APDs) were surveyed, aiming to address whether or not dominant phenotypes or pathways to graduate medical education leadership exist. Several trends emerged including: 76% Whites, 70% females, 15% MD/PhDs, and more junior faculty (33% being <5 years in practice, another 24% being in practice <10 years, and 41% assistant professors at time of first PD/APD appointment). Anatomic and clinical pathology-certified individuals represented 79%. Sixty-two percent of respondents were on a nontenure employment track, with only 18% indicating tenure track. For subspecialty focus, cytopathology (25%), transfusion medicine (16%), and hematopathology (14%) represented the most common subspecialties practiced. A majority (65%) had served as a chief resident during residency, and most (61%) of PDs had served as APDs first. Most (60%) had not served as fellowship director. Most (65%) had not participated in any education leadership training, with 27% having participated in certificate programs or other educational professional development. Thematic analysis of perceived key criterion in selection for the role was passion for education, demeanor, emotional intelligence, and willingness to serve the department. This information may influence training or experience pursued by individuals aspiring to pathology graduate medical education leadership, inform chairs on qualities to look for, and supplement future educational sessions of the Association of Pathology Chairs Program Directors Council.

Strategic assets or second‐class citizens? Teaching‐focused faculty in business schools

AbstractBusiness schools have significantly increased the percentage of teaching‐focused faculty (defined here as full‐time faculty with doctorates not on the tenure track) over the last decades. However, many schools have not adequately updated their policies to support these faculty, leading some teaching‐focused faculty to feel like second‐class citizens. In this article, we provide a literature review of teaching‐focused faculty hiring trends, challenges faced by teaching‐focused faculty and the institutions that hire them, and proposed improvements to these challenges. Next, we draw from these best practices provided in the literature, as well as from first‐person interviews, to share how business schools address these challenges. Specifically, we use interviews from decision makers (current and former deans) to examine how schools approach hiring and supporting teaching‐focused faculty. Our study shows improved institutional support and acceptance of teaching‐focused faculty over the past two decades, but with room for continued improvement. We conclude by arguing that TF faculty should be treated as strategic assets within schools in order to support collegiality, acceptance, and professional respect, while also enhancing students’ learning opportunities. In doing so, we hope to start a discussion of best practices that can better equip schools to provide institutional support to teaching‐focused faculty.

Applicant qualifications and characteristics in STEM faculty hiring: an analysis of faculty and administrator perspectives

BackgroundThe lack of racial diversity in science, technology, engineering, and mathematics (STEM) disciplines is perhaps one of the most challenging issues in the United States higher education system. The issue is not only concerning diverse students, but also diverse faculty members. One important contributing factor is the faculty hiring process. To make progress toward equity in hiring decisions, it is necessary to better understand how applicants are considered and evaluated. In this paper, we describe and present our study based on a survey of current STEM faculty members and administrators who examined applicant qualifications and characteristics in STEM faculty hiring decisions.ResultsThere are three key findings of the present research. First, we found that faculty members placed different levels of importance on characteristics and qualifications for tenure track hiring and non-tenure track hiring. For example, items related to research were more important when evaluating tenure track applicants, whereas items related to teaching and diversity were more important when evaluating non-tenure track applicants. Second, faculty members’ institutional classification, position, and personal identities (e.g., gender, race/ethnicity) had an impact on their evaluation criteria. For instance, we found men considered some diversity-related items more important than women. Third, faculty members rated the importance of qualifications with diversity, equity, and inclusion (DEI)-related constructs significantly lower than qualifications that did not specify DEI-related constructs, and this trend held for both tenure track and non-tenure track faculty hiring.ConclusionsThis study was an attempt to address the issue of diversity in STEM faculty hiring at institutions of higher education by examining how applicant characteristics are considered and evaluated in faculty hiring practices. Emphasizing research reputation and postdoctoral reputation while neglecting institutional diversity and equitable and inclusive teaching, research, and service stunt progress toward racial diversity because biases—both implicit and explicit, both positive and negative—still exist. Our results were consistent with research on bias in recruitment, revealing that affinity bias, confirmation bias, and halo bias exist in the faculty hiring process. These biases contribute to inequities in hiring, and need to be addressed before we can reach, sustain, and grow desired levels of diversity.

Time and Place, Time and Chance

Time and Place, Time and Chance Sebastian N. Page (bio) Editors’ Note: The following essay is the acceptance speech for the Tom Watson Brown Book Award, conferred on the best book published on the Civil War era in 2021. Tad Brown, president of the Watson-Brown Foundation, awarded the prize to Sebastian N. Page for Black Resettlement and the American Civil War, published by Cambridge University Press. Page delivered his speech during the Southern Historical Association’s annual meeting on November 11, 2022, in Baltimore, Maryland. The Society of Civil War Historians judges and administers the book prize. I’d like to thank the Society of Civil War Historians, the Watson-Brown Foundation, and the prize jury for this huge honor. I’d also like to thank, by name, Tad Brown, Joan Waugh, Lesley Gordon, Andy Lang, Dave Thomson, and Jim Marten. This is a night of firsts. It’s my first time in the United States . . . since 2019, for the same reason it’s the first “analog” meeting of the Southern in three years. It’s also my first appearance at any conference other than BrANCH, the Association of British American Nineteenth Century Historians. For the prize, it’s the first time it has gone to an Englishman. There are two exceptionally generous awards in US history: this one and the Gilder Lehrman Lincoln Prize. Each has been won by a Briton just once—the Lincoln Prize by Richard Carwardine in 2004. While I’m gratified to note that Richard and I are both graduates of the University of Oxford, I’m delighted to say that we’re also graduates of Corpus Christi, the smallest—and evidently the best!—of Oxford’s historical colleges. Being associated with Richard’s name brings me such pleasure that I’ve just made sure to plant that association in your mind. I’m also the first winner of the Tom Watson Brown Book Award to declare themself a failed academic. But I’ve always suspected I’m a decent historian, which this evening’s events may confirm. Still, I tried and tried [End Page 147] again for an academic position and failed—ergo, “failed academic.”1 Others may spurn the f-word and identify as academics off the tenure track or even outside higher education—and that, too, is valid. Although I wouldn’t claim to represent those who didn’t make it, I will observe that my sort is underrepresented at conferences compared with tenured professors and graduate students who haven’t failed to make it . . . yet. So I’d like to thank every advisor honest enough, with themselves as much as anyone, to alert their students to the state of the market and at least speak respectfully of mainstream careers. And I’d like to highlight my own situation, which comes under the much-overlooked category of “employment allowing for study,” rather than “employment incorporating study skills.” I’m a weekend receptionist at Hertford College, another constituent college of the University of Oxford. From Monday to Friday, I do my own research, and from Saturday to Sunday, I do my own research, those being quiet days at the front desk. I’m lucky: I’m all about the research and get by with part-time employment because my needs are modest. From tonight, they’re even more so. Thanks to the Watson-Brown Foundation, I’m receiving a check for more than twice my gross annual salary. The charity is about to endow the independence of this researcher for life—and for that, I am, by definition, eternally grateful. And what’s my research like? Well, it’s thorough. I despair of summarizing a work that encompasses thirty countries and stretches from the 1770s to the 1890s. Don’t let the title fool you: it’s Black Resettlement and the American Civil War, not in or during, because any survey of the nineteenth century’s many schemes to separate black Americans from white must climax in the 1860s, a claim that might dismay some scholars. I didn’t set out to write this book, and I suspect several historians would rather I hadn’t written it, too. My intended PhD project...

Beyond market share: Accounting for doctoral program size in recent rates of anthropology faculty job placement.

Job placement trends in higher education at US institutions are bleak. Within anthropology and other social science disciplines this problem appears to be particularly pronounced. Recent studies focusing on placement in Anthropology using market share analysis have suggested that specific doctoral programs offer a greater chance of placing their graduates in faculty positions. Here we expand on that work, looking beyond market share to the number of graduates placed in positions relative to the total number of program graduates. Our results suggest that while large programs do indeed command the majority of tenure track placements by market share, much of this may be a product of the high numbers of graduates from these programs. Smaller programs can be proportionally as successful at placing their students in tenure track positions. The majority of PhDs in anthropology should anticipate gaining employment outside of a tenure track position. Training students for positions in private industry, government, and other non-faculty opportunities is essential.

Making a start on the tenure track

Making a start on the tenure track

Profile of prosthodontics program directors in North America.

To develop a current profile of prosthodontics program directors in United States dental schools and describe the current challenges and responsibilities of those serving in the position and assess the professional needs of the program directors to better support them in their roles. A survey was sent to 51 participants who were identified as prosthodontics program directors in North America via Qualtrics in 2019 to assess the professional needs of program directors to better support their roles. The survey consisted of 29 items organized into six sections: 1) demographic information; 2) hours and time spent in various areas of the job; 3) greatest challenges; 4) perceived importance of specific competencies; 5) opinions on the greatest rewards of the position, and 6) their needs for support from the American College of Prosthodontists and advice for the future program director. The response rate for this survey was 88.3%. Of the 45 respondents, the majority were white/non-Hispanic, followed by Asian/Pacific Islanders. The two largest and equal numbers of participants who worked for more than 10 years and between 1 to 3 years were observed with approximately 29% each, and program directors who worked less than a year occupied the least amount. 34% of program directors are on the tenure track and 80% of those are tenured. Teaching and clinical services took away the greatest time with approximately 42% and 22.1% respectively. Thirty-five (78%) program directors listed the greatest challenge they encountered was the workload of the role. Skills listed in leadership and personnel competencies were all rated more important than most of the skills listed in management. There is a wide gender gap and a lack of racial diversity among the prosthodontics program directors. The biggest challenge faced by them is the amount of workload followed by budget and fiscal constraints. And for their improved efficiency, they gave emphasis on learning time management and continuous clinical training of newer advances. This article is protected by copyright. All rights reserved.

Trends In... Librarians and Faculty Status

Within academic libraries there are a variety of models for faculty status or classification applicable to librarians within their institutions. Some librarian positions are tenure track, some are non-tenure track, and some are classified as non-faculty administrative staff roles. This column will outline things to consider when a librarian classified as staff, professional or non-faculty is approached to take on a faculty role in an academic department outside of the library or is presented with the opportunity to pursue faculty status as a librarian. Having these statuses has benefits as well as challenges which should be considered before taking on such a role.

Scholarly Activity of Tenure-Track Faculty in US Departments of Pharmacy Practice

Objective. To quantitatively determine scholarly activity among tenure-track faculty at US departments of pharmacy practice over a 10-year period.Methods. A search of PubMed was performed for articles by department of pharmacy practice tenure track (DPP-TT) faculty from January 1, 2010, through December 31, 2019. DPP-TT faculty working in departments of pharmacy practice were identified through faculty rosters published on the American Association Colleges of Pharmacy website or college or school internet sites. Tenure-track faculty listed as working in a department of pharmacy practice, clinical pharmacy, or pharmacotherapy were included. An objective third party confirmed the data obtained. Each publication was classified by scope (eg, clinical pharmacology, health economics/outcome research, biomedical informatics, basic science, review, editorial/letter, or case report). DPP-TT faculty productivity was calculated by dataset frequency distribution. Descriptive statistics and analysis of variance were used to compare data across demographic strata.Results. One hundred thirty-seven institutions employed 2147 pharmacy practice faculty. These faculty published 20,059 (9.3±16.3/10 years/faculty member) papers. Six institutions had no tenure-track designation. There was a 2.5-fold increase in publication rates from 2010-2019 (P < 0001). Public vs private schools' productivity was 207.8 vs 69.0 publications per institution, respectively (P < 001). The ratio of male to female DPP-TT faculty per institution was 62% to 38%, with male faculty publishing an average of 12.1±19.1 each, and female faculty publishing an average of 7.4±13.8 each (P < 0001). Faculty ranks were 37% assistant professor; 36% associate professor; and 26% professor, with an average of 4.0±7.3, 8.6±12.4, and 17.4±24.6 publications per faculty, respectively. Regionally, US pharmacy practice faculty located in the West produced the most publications, followed by those in the Northeast, South, and Midwest (P < 0001).Conclusions. These national DPP-TT publication data demonstrate that scholarly productivity increased from 2010 through 2019, across a wide variety of publication scopes.

436 Novel approach for tracking interdisciplinary research productivity using institutional databases

OBJECTIVES/GOALS: This study proposes a pragmatic approach for tracking institutional changes in research teamwork and productivity in real time using common institutional electronic databases such as eCV and grant management systems. Dissemination of this approach could provide a standard metric for comparing teamwork productivity across different programs. METHODS/STUDY POPULATION: This study tracks research teamwork and productivity using commonly available institutional electronic databases such as eCV and grant management systems. We tested several definitions of interdisciplinary collaborations based on number of collaborations and their fields of discipline. Publication characteristics were compared by faculty seniority and appointment type using non-parametric Wilcoxon Rank Sum Test (p RESULTS/ANTICIPATED RESULTS: Interdisciplinary grants constitute 24% of all grants but the trend has significantly increased over the last five years. Tenure track faculty collaborated with more organizations (3.5, SD 2.5 vs 2.3, SD 1.1, p DISCUSSION/SIGNIFICANCE: This study provides empirical evidence of the benefits of interdisciplinary collaboration in research and identifies an important role that senior faculty may be playing in creating the culture of interdisciplinary teamwork. More research is needed to improve efficiency of interdisciplinary collaborations.

The Professionalizaton of Non- Tenure Track Faculty in the United States: Three Case Studies From Public Research Institutions: Rutgers, the State University of New Jersey, University of Illinois At Urbana-Champaign, and University of Oregon

Originally published by the National Center for the Study of Collective Bargaining in Higher Education and the Professions, Proceedings, Forty-Second Annual Conference, April, 2015, Thinking about Tomorrow: Collective Bargaining and Labor Relations in Higher Education

The state of mental health, burnout, mattering and perceived wellness culture in Doctorally prepared nursing faculty with implications for action.

Depression, anxiety, and burnout are an epidemic in the nursing profession. Unlike nurses in clinical settings, little is known about the mental health of doctorally prepared nursing faculty in academic settings, especially when separated by degree type (Doctor of Philosophy in Nursing [PhD] vs. Doctor of Nursing Practice [DNP]) and clinical or tenure track. The study aims were to: (1) describe the current rate of depression, anxiety, and burnout in PhD and DNP-prepared nursing faculty and tenure and clinical faculty across the United States; (2) determine if differences exist in mental health outcomes between PhD and DNP-prepared faculty and tenure and clinical faculty; (3) explore whether wellness culture and mattering to the organization influence faculty mental health outcomes; and (4) gain insight into faculty's perceptions of their roles. An online descriptive correlational survey design was used with doctorally prepared nursing faculty across the U.S. The survey was distributed to faculty by nursing deans and included: demographics; valid and reliable scales for depression, anxiety, and burnout; an assessment of wellness culture and mattering; and an open-ended question. Descriptive statistics described mental health outcomes; Cohen's d was used to determine effect sizes between PhD and DNP faculty for the mental health outcomes; and Spearman's correlations tested associations among depression, anxiety, burnout, mattering, and workplace culture. PhD (n=110) and DNP (n=114) faculty completed the survey; 70.9% of PhD faculty and 35.1% of DNP faculty were tenure track. A small effect size (0.22) was found, with more PhDs (17.3%) screening positive for depression than DNPs (9.6%). No differences were observed between tenure and clinical track. Higher perceptions of mattering and workplace culture were associated with less depression, anxiety, and burnout. Identified contributions to mental health outcomes yielded five themes: lack of appreciation, role concerns, time for scholarship, burnout cultures, and faculty preparation for teaching. Urgent action must be taken by college leaders to correct system issues contributing to suboptimal mental health in both faculty and students. Academic organizations need to build wellness cultures and provide infrastructures that offer evidence-based interventions to support faculty well-being.

Challenges of Contextualizing Tenure Track System in a New Professional University in Pakistan: Context, Content, Implementation and Outcomes

Challenges of Contextualizing Tenure Track System in a New Professional University in Pakistan: Context, Content, Implementation and Outcomes

Presidential Professorships: The Tenure Process in Poland

In the final stage of the tenure track procedure in Poland, after a candidate has been recommended by a tenure commission, the Polish president must sign the candidate's nomination. In several recent cases, this final act has been delayed, revealing how politicians in Poland are able to control academic careers. This article analyzes the complex relationship between academics and politicians in Poland and how this relationship challenges academic freedom. Autocensura (self-censorship) is one of the key consequences of this relationship.

Academic Careers in Medicine: a Sex-Related Analysis of Career Goals

For female and male physicians of the clinical-academic mid-level staff, working conditions as well as the attitude towards profession and career play a decisive role. For years, there has been an increasing proportion of women in medicine. Despite this increase, a significant sex incongruence is still evident, especially in academic medicine. The aim of this work was to analyze current opinions of female and male physicians on sex-related aspects for career. By means of an online survey, medical mid-level staff from university and peripheral hospitals were asked about professional biographical as well as career-related topics and the data analyzed in terms of the sexes. Compared to their male counterparts, female physicians had lower career goals and mainly aimed to qualify as senior physicians. Women planned to have families and raise children earlier in their careers. Men were more likely to have their professional careers in mind during the same time period. Although only just under 47% of respondents considered an academic career to be worthwhile, 65% continued to rate the acquisition of an academic title highly. When evaluating equal treatment by superiors, female physicians tended to feel disadvantaged in their professional careers compared to male physicians. Thus, physicians rated the treatment by their respective superiors as characterized by the quality of the work (44% for both genders of superiors) or dependent on sympathy (female superiors 30%; male superiors 24%). Female physicians, however, saw a preference for male colleagues in 37% of male superiors. Despite a significantly larger proportion of women in medicine for decades, there is still an incongruence in sexes in favor of men in management positions. The professional and private goals of women and men differ significantly depending on their age decade. The academic career per se is increasingly losing importance, although the acquisition of academic degrees still seems to be desirable. Therefore, to improve the future of academic medicine, significant structural changes are needed to enable projectable career paths (e. g., tenure track, assistant professorship, young medical professionals model) for mid-level academic staff.

The Tenure Track Model: Its Acceptance and Perceived Gendered Character

This article is concerned with the tenure track (TT) model, which has become increasingly used to extend the period of early career academics’ probation from one to five years across the EU. This article focuses on the TT in Trinity College Dublin (TCD), the oldest and most prestigious university in Ireland, one where gender equality has been embedded more consistently and where the pace of change has been faster than in other Irish universities. Drawing on interviews with thirteen men and women in three faculties, all but one of whom had successfully achieved tenure, this article explores their acceptance of the TT model and the perceived relevance of gender. Men were more likely to accept the model and less likely to see it as gendered. Even those women who identified a lack of clarity around maternity leave and/or gender differences in negotiating ‘fixed’ starting salaries did not identify a systemic gender issue but blamed themselves. Women who were ‘outsiders’ to TCD and in the arts, humanities and social science faculty were most likely to be critical of the model. The findings suggest the importance of a cautionary appraisal of TT, even in institutions that have actively sought to enhance gender equality.

Shaping the Future of Macromolecular Chemistry: A Successful Path from the Start

Shaping the Future of Macromolecular Chemistry: A Successful Path from the Start