Improving Promotion and Tenure Practices: Promotion Discussion Scenario

Question Title

Review the following Promotion and Tenure scenario and select the correct answer(s) based on the insight gained from the Increasing Women in Neuroscience course. This question was adapted from the University of California, Irvine ADVANCE Program and the National Science Foundation under award SBE: -0123682

As a tenure committee chair, you’ve had difficulty scheduling a meeting with one of the Assistant Professors to discuss her progress toward tenure. You know she wants to have her academic file submitted for review as soon as possible but you don’t believe she is ready for the promotion, even though you recognize that she is a promising and talented scientist. Your research is very demanding at this particular time and you’re struggling to meet the demands of your research and your responsibilities as chair. You lead a research team that includes other members of the department, and one of them was recently promoted. She’s challenged you on that promotion, citing a recent publication that she co-authored and some promising results in a recent experiment.

Which of the following are important parts of the best approach to take at your next meeting with the assistant professor? (Check all that apply)

Apologize that you’ve been so busy and tell her that you’ll focus on her soon.

Explain why the promotion to the person in your department was made.

Identify a mentor for her to work with. Help her create a plan that includes some regular feedback from you.

Tell her that it is not appropriate to challenge the other promotion, and that her time will come – she just has to be patient.

After recognizing her recent successes, very clearly identify the reasons why you don’t feel she is ready for the promotion. Describe milestones and timelines of what she needs to do to demonstrate that she is ready.