Eight members of the College faculty were granted tenure by the Board of Trustees at its meeting in July, following the recommendations made by President of the College Ronald D. Liebowitz and the board's Educational Affairs Committee.
The newly promoted professors are Associate Professor of Music Jeffrey Buettner; Associate Professor of Chemistry, Biochemistry and Environmental Studies Molly Costanza-Robinson; Associate Professor of Psychology Kim Cronise; Associate Professor of Spanish Juana Gamero de Coca; Associate Professor of Theatre Cláudio Medeiros; Associate Professor of Mathematics Emily Proctor; Associate Professor of Philosophy Jack Spackman and Associate Professor of Classics Christopher Star.
While tenure is an important topic on college campuses, many students are uninformed about the actual process in which professors are granted tenure.
"There are three criteria that are used to evaluate faculty members: teaching, scholarship and service to the institution," said James Davis, associate vice president of academic affairs and professor of religion. "Of these three, I think it's safe to say that the first two are the most important."
The first step of this process is putting together a tenure dossier – a compilation of the professor's work up to that point. The dossier includes syllabi from past-taught courses, publications, grants and a self-evaluation.
Once this is completed, members of the Promotions Committee and senior faculty in the department sit in on the candidate's classes. In addition, letters of evaluation from students and peers are required.
"There's very good reason for all of this effort," said Davis. "The College wants to have as much data as possible before the Promotions Committee, so their recommendation to [President of the College Ronald D. Liebowitz] is as informed as it can be."
"I think it's healthy for the College to regularly evaluate whether our standards for tenure reflect what we consider most valuable in a Middlebury faculty member," he said.
There is an emphasis on research in the tenure process; however, recently tenured Professor Star said, "I'd say the culture at Middlebury does a good job balancing teaching and research. Having a full year of research leave before tenure is very helpful."
It is the Promotions Committee who makes the recommendation for tenure to Liebowitz, who in turn makes his recommendations to the Board of Trustees. Ultimately, it is the Board of Trustees who grants tenure to faculty members.
Job security is perhaps the most significant benefit of receiving tenure for the newly promoted professors.
"Tenured faculty are in the best position to think innovatively about their teaching, to chart new territory in their research and to provide provocative intellectual leadership in issues of public importance, because tenure assures them that their jobs won't be jeopardized simply because they articulate unpopular positions or experiment with unconventional teaching," said Davis.
While the granting of tenure does grant job security, most professors say that it does not change their day-to-day life.
"I don't believe having tenure will affect how I go about my daily work," said Star. "I am looking to extend my research and teaching into new areas and I feel that now is a good time to do some exploration and take intellectual risks."
Tim Spears, vice president for academic affairs and professor of american studies, acts as an administrative support during the tenure process and helps aid the Promotions Committee.
"The review process itself can be quite stressful," said Spears. "The stakes are high, and candidates go through a period of months when they are under scrutiny and must await the outcome."
Buettner, a recently tenured professor, discussed the benefits of being tenured, calling tenure "an honor in its own way."
The tenure system is not only an important topic at the College, but also throughout the world of academia.
"In my own opinion, at a time of unprecedented political and economic pressures on higher education, the tenure system remains an essential protection for academic freedom," said Davis.
For the eight members of faculty who were granted tenure this year, Dean of Faculty and Philip Battell/Sarah Stewart Professor of Biology Andrea Lloyd said that now is a time for professors to exhale after a long year full of stress.
Lloyd was granted tenure in 2006.
"I was hit with a "˜What next?' moment," she said. "And for me, that was wonderful – I found it liberating to be able to think about my teaching and research as long-term endeavors, and to be able to plan things that might not bear fruit for years."
Looking back on the process of the past year, Buettner said, "I had a positive experience ... I'm also quite happy that it's over."
Star concurred.
"At the risk of sounding flippant, at present the most exciting aspect is having the process be over," he said.
Eight Professors Receive Honor of Tenure
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