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Last Updated on: 2nd February 2024, 05:39 am
How long does it take to get tenure? Traditionally, this question is answered something like, “You must get tenure by your seventh year.” Most people go up for tenure in their 6th year so that tenure can be granted for their 7th year. While this is normal, there are other ways and timeframes for getting tenure. I’ll discuss the traditional–and nontraditional routes–here, and describe how I got early tenure.
Tenure Basics
Academic tenure is thought of by many as lifetime employment. True, once you get tenure it is harder for a school to terminate your employment, but the ultimate purpose of tenure is to give faculty the freedom to express unpopular opinions.
Don’t forget, tenure does not guarantee employment forever. Tenure can be taken away for egregious acts or if the school gets rid of your program or has serious financial issues. It’s important to keep this in mind as a number of colleges currently face serious financial issues. Considering how long it takes to get tenure, you’ll want to be sure you get it at the right place.
How Long does it take to Get Tenure?
Seven Years: The Traditional Route
Most new hires go through the traditional route to get tenure. In this approach, you work hard for 6 years and then submit all of your documentation to your department tenure and promotion committee.
This committee makes a decision about your tenure and then passes it on to the school promotion and tenure committee. The next step is to the university promotion and tenure committee, then on to the Provost or President for final approval.
The progression just presented assumes that you get a positive review at each level. If you get a negative review, then you need to look at the faculty handbook to determine how to proceed. In most cases, you will be able to add additional information to your file to counter any negative reviews.
The best thing that you can do to prepare for this is to make sure that you are fully aware of all tenure requirements and sections of the faculty handbook. This way that you can anticipate most issues before they arise. Considering how long it takes to get tenure, you want to make your application as strong as possible in the beginning.
Tenure Upon Hiring
The easiest way to get tenure is to negotiate it when you are coming in the door. This rarely happens for someone just starting and applying for an Assistant Professor job. However, if you already have tenure and are looking at a job at a new school, by all means, ask for tenure as part of the package.
Get Your Dissertation Accepted On Your Next Submission
Your material will still be looked at by the school’s promotion and tenure committee but in my experience, once an offer has been made to you, making tenure part of the package is rarely an issue.
I have also seen administrators negotiate for tenure as part of an offer. So if you are offered a position as Dean or Provost it is common to ask for tenure along with a faculty position that you can fall back to if you are no longer in the administrative role.
Getting Early Tenure
How long it takes to get tenure isn’t set in stone. As stated earlier, most schools require that you apply for tenure before your seventh year. Just because most people wait until their seventh year doesn’t mean that you have to wait until then.
The first time I applied for tenure, I did so because I was applying for a promotion to Associate Professor (I wanted the raise as part of my base) and it was the same application and the same written criteria. I had only been at the school for four years, but the faculty handbook did not list time as a requirement for tenure.
Interestingly I was initially granted the promotion but denied tenure. Remember, same application, same criteria.
I was told informally that I had not been there long enough. Being a contrarian, I appealed the decision as the criteria were the same. Nowhere in the application or the faculty handbook was time listed as a requirement. I submitted my paperwork and was ultimately given tenure as well.
How Long Does It Take to Get Tenure? Summary
Tenure is something that most faculty members strive for. There are several paths to tenure and if you navigate them successfully, they all end with the option of long term employment. No matter which path you choose to follow, being familiar with the requirements will allow you to present the strongest application possible. Good luck!
If you’re interested in pursuing tenure, my academic career coaching program can help you do just that.
