Ok, I’ll change the metaphor, for the elderly. The Thunderdome: two men enter; one man leaves.
Where I am, it is assumed that if you do well, there’s a tenure slot for you. Meaning that startups come up as tenure slots become available. If you don’t make it, tough shit for everybody. But no one that would make it to tenure on his/her merits gets kicked out because there’s someone better for the same spot; everyone is intended for a different slot.
In the real terms that means that we are chronically understaffed, and that everybody in the department has to work a little more than they should. But it sure reduces the stress levels of the asst. profs. I would say it encourages collaboration between them, rather than competition. Isn’t it a prettier kumbaya scenario?
I’m not saying this is how it should be, I haven’t been in this business long enough to know. I’m genuinely curious to know if the “two asst. profs. for the same tenure slot” is common practice, and in what type of institution.
At my ILAF medical school, we hire junior faculty with the hope that every single one of them is successful and makes tenure, and we have the “slots” to back this up. There are other ILAF medical schools (and one very famous for this) that make it very clear that there is a competition among junior faculty for rare tenure slots.
At my major medical school (not sure what the ILAF qualifications are) there is no limit on tenured slots. In basic science departments, the great majority of junior faculty get tenure. The numbers are much lower in clinical departments but that is related to very different culture and expectations for promotion, not a limit on slots.
we hire junior faculty with the hope that every single one of them is successful and makes tenure
I was under the impression that that’s the case everywhere except Harvard and a few similar places. And at those places everyone knows coming in that junior people are rarely promoted. It’s more like a super prestigious postdoc.
I think you guys are getting far too overwrought about something that was just an excuse to post a hilarious old In Living Color sketch for the kids these days.
DrugMonkey 
September 3, 2015 at 1:59 pm
Good thing I was always fucken high as a kite when I watched that show. That way I didn’t see Juan Valdez coming this time.
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September 3, 2015 at 4:16 pm
whoah, so the hunger games extend all the way through to tenure? Sheeeeiiiiit
They don’t do that at my place, how prevalent is that?
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September 4, 2015 at 1:51 am
What “hunger games”?
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September 4, 2015 at 9:30 am
Ok, I’ll change the metaphor, for the elderly. The Thunderdome: two men enter; one man leaves.
Where I am, it is assumed that if you do well, there’s a tenure slot for you. Meaning that startups come up as tenure slots become available. If you don’t make it, tough shit for everybody. But no one that would make it to tenure on his/her merits gets kicked out because there’s someone better for the same spot; everyone is intended for a different slot.
In the real terms that means that we are chronically understaffed, and that everybody in the department has to work a little more than they should. But it sure reduces the stress levels of the asst. profs. I would say it encourages collaboration between them, rather than competition. Isn’t it a prettier kumbaya scenario?
I’m not saying this is how it should be, I haven’t been in this business long enough to know. I’m genuinely curious to know if the “two asst. profs. for the same tenure slot” is common practice, and in what type of institution.
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September 4, 2015 at 9:55 am
At my ILAF medical school, we hire junior faculty with the hope that every single one of them is successful and makes tenure, and we have the “slots” to back this up. There are other ILAF medical schools (and one very famous for this) that make it very clear that there is a competition among junior faculty for rare tenure slots.
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September 4, 2015 at 10:13 am
At my major medical school (not sure what the ILAF qualifications are) there is no limit on tenured slots. In basic science departments, the great majority of junior faculty get tenure. The numbers are much lower in clinical departments but that is related to very different culture and expectations for promotion, not a limit on slots.
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September 4, 2015 at 10:53 am
we hire junior faculty with the hope that every single one of them is successful and makes tenure
I was under the impression that that’s the case everywhere except Harvard and a few similar places. And at those places everyone knows coming in that junior people are rarely promoted. It’s more like a super prestigious postdoc.
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September 4, 2015 at 4:05 pm
I think you guys are getting far too overwrought about something that was just an excuse to post a hilarious old In Living Color sketch for the kids these days.
Next up: JUICE WEASEL!!!!!!!!!!!!
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September 7, 2015 at 6:31 pm
Given the cost of startups, the Dean has the Chair for lunch if there is a failure. Chairs are tasty.
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September 7, 2015 at 6:31 pm
Given the cost of startups, the Dean has the Chair for lunch if there is a failure. Chairs are tasty.
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