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Yep, me again.
So I have two university professors. One has been tenured for a little over a year, one is about a year away from tenure. The story takes place during that last year before she's expecting to be tenured. So, that's is going to be a significant part of the story. More specifically, how it affects her and how it occupies her time/energy/etc.
I'm doing some research about the tenure track, all the hoops they have to jump through, etc., but I want to pick people's brains about what it's like to actually go through all of that. And I'm still learning how this all works, so I probably sound uber clueless, but rest assured, I'm learning. lol
From what I've been reading, that last year or two before actually being tenured (getting tenure? reaching tenure? not even sure how to word that) is incredibly stressful. Some articles I've read recently have mentioned being stressed to the point of being physically ill, getting migraines, etc. What was your experience like? What were the most stressful parts of the whole process?
How much time/energy does this involve during that last year or so? How much contact does the ass't professor have with the tenure committee, department heads involved in recommending/deciding on her tenure, etc? If there's an existing conflict between the ass't professor and a member of the committee (which boils down to "they just don't like each other"), how can that affect matters?
Basically, my character who isn't tenured is stressed out, and there are some issues that may cause her to be... denied? Rejected? The other character, who has been through it already, is trying to be supportive and reassuring, and knows what it's like since he's been there, done that.
So, tell me anything you can about this whole process and how it affects a person (from their stress levels to how much time it occupies, etc). Especially if there's something I may not have thought of. ANYTHING and everything helps, yo.
(For what it's worth, one character's field of study is biology, the other is history. I haven't decided which is which yet.)
So I have two university professors. One has been tenured for a little over a year, one is about a year away from tenure. The story takes place during that last year before she's expecting to be tenured. So, that's is going to be a significant part of the story. More specifically, how it affects her and how it occupies her time/energy/etc.
I'm doing some research about the tenure track, all the hoops they have to jump through, etc., but I want to pick people's brains about what it's like to actually go through all of that. And I'm still learning how this all works, so I probably sound uber clueless, but rest assured, I'm learning. lol
From what I've been reading, that last year or two before actually being tenured (getting tenure? reaching tenure? not even sure how to word that) is incredibly stressful. Some articles I've read recently have mentioned being stressed to the point of being physically ill, getting migraines, etc. What was your experience like? What were the most stressful parts of the whole process?
How much time/energy does this involve during that last year or so? How much contact does the ass't professor have with the tenure committee, department heads involved in recommending/deciding on her tenure, etc? If there's an existing conflict between the ass't professor and a member of the committee (which boils down to "they just don't like each other"), how can that affect matters?
Basically, my character who isn't tenured is stressed out, and there are some issues that may cause her to be... denied? Rejected? The other character, who has been through it already, is trying to be supportive and reassuring, and knows what it's like since he's been there, done that.
So, tell me anything you can about this whole process and how it affects a person (from their stress levels to how much time it occupies, etc). Especially if there's something I may not have thought of. ANYTHING and everything helps, yo.
(For what it's worth, one character's field of study is biology, the other is history. I haven't decided which is which yet.)