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Last Updated on: 2nd February 2024, 03:10 am
For many years there have been two different paths in the full-time academic teaching world. Some have called them tenure track and non-tenure track while others may refer to them as tenure track and instructors.
In this article, I’ll give you an idea of the differences between tenure track vs non-tenure-track jobs and what the pros and cons of each are.
What is Tenure?
As late as 100 years ago faculty members served at the pleasure of the Board of Trustees, meaning that they could be let go at any time and for any reason. If a donor or administrator didn’t like a faculty member or what the faculty member said, they could be let go, regardless of how long they had been employed.
This was a problem not only for the professors themselves but also for research as a whole. Some researchers avoided controversial topics because of the fear of being dismissed if their results were unpopular.
Tenure was developed to protect integrity and freedom of thought. It allows faculty members to express opinions, even opinions contrary to current popular thought. It is this freedom that many credit as being the basis for the scope and quantity of research created by U.S. universities.
Today, tenure can be obtained after a certain number of years by professors who meet a list of requirements and gain approval from the tenure committee. Tenure all but guarantees lifetime employment.
Tenure Track vs Non-Tenure Track Jobs
Let’s explore the differences between tenure track vs non-tenure track jobs and look at the pros and cons of them both.
Tenure Track Jobs
There are three components within most tenure track positions: teaching, research, and service. The weighting of the three depends upon the type of institution.
At a Research 1 institution, research may be 60% of your job with teaching 30% and service 10%.
At a regional public school, it may be 50% teaching and 25% each for research and service. The percentages can vary, so you need to understand the expectations when you start.
If you meet the expectations, then tenure is achievable. However, some schools have limits on the number of tenured positions in a department and financial issues may limit the number of people that can get tenure.
Over 50% of doctoral candidates don’t finish their dissertations.
If your school limits the number of tenure track positions to six and there are six tenured faculty members and two recent hires ahead of you looking for tenure, then it would be best to keep yourself marketable.
Pros and Cons of Tenure Track Jobs
Pros:
- You have to possibility of lifetime employment.
- Your path to tenure is usually well documented.
- Your academic freedom is protected.
Cons:
- You may be reticent to express yourself before you have tenure.
- Your publishing and teaching priorities may be dictated by the institution.
- Getting tenure may cause people to be reluctant to give it up or try new things.
Non-Tenure Track Jobs
In a non-tenure track position, the rules are a little different. At many schools, staff members who teach and are not on a tenure track have no research requirements for their job. They concentrate on teaching and service. Their teaching load is normally higher than those in a tenure track mode and in many cases they do more service work as well.
A non-tenure track person can do research and while publications are welcomed, they will not have a big impact upon annual evaluations.
In non-tenure track positions, you will usually work under a contract that lasts from 1 to 3 years. If you are doing a good job, you will usually get your contract renewed. But, if there is low enrollment, it is the non-tenure track people who will be let go first.
Finally, one of the major differences of tenure track vs non-tenure track positions is the pay. Non-tenure track positions typically earn less than tenure-track positions.
Pros and Cons of Non-Tenure Track Jobs
Pros:
- You don’t have to worry about the pressure to publish.
- If teaching is your passion you are more likely to be allowed to follow that passion.
- As long as you are good at teaching your contract will most likely be renewed.
Cons:
- You will most likely earn less in a non-tenure track position.
- Non-tenure track positions are the first to go when there are financial problems.
- There is no guarantee of lifetime employment.
Variations
The distinction between tenure track vs non-tenure track positions breaks down a bit when it comes to variations on the system.
I have heard of talk of schools letting people in tenure track positions choose the percentages (within a range) for teaching, research, and service upon which they will be evaluated.
I remember hearing about one school that gave you a choice of being hired into a tenure track position at one salary or choosing a ten-year contract (with no renewal) at a higher starting salary.
As the world changes and colleges and universities face more challenges I believe that more variations will be implemented.
What Are the Odds of Getting a Tenure Track job?
Most newly-minted PhDs, all ready to get their careers on track, are curious what the odds of getting a tenure track job are. The answer, as usual, is “it depends.”
First, it depends upon your discipline. If you are a new PhD in History or English where 300 to 400 qualified applicants apply for a single job, the odds appear to be pretty low. If you hold a PhD in accounting with a CPA, your odds are high as many schools are looking for these rare animals.
Second, after 30 years in academia, I am seeing lots of pressure on schools to reduce or eliminate tenure. Boards and Legislatures want the flexibility to adjust staffing based upon enrollment and financial conditions. This does not bode well for the future of tenured positions and will decrease the odds of getting a tenure track job overall.
Rest assured that faculty will fight hard to keep the tenure tradition alive and will probably have some success. However, I do not foresee the conditions for tenure to be the same 25 years from now as they were 25 years ago. If you want tenure, do what you can to get on track for it now.
If you’re serious about getting tenure and could use some guidance and support, take a look at my academic career coaching services.
