Trekking toward Tenure: What Pre-tenure Faculty Want on the Journey

Abstract

Utilizing empirical data from an online satisfaction survey of over ten thousand falltime, pre-tenure (tenure-track) faculty members at 120 institutions, as well as qualitative data from interviews with seventy-three faculty and administrators at six research universities, this paper highlights the most important factors in the success and satisfaction of early career faculty: clarity of tenure policies and practices; resources for professional development; a culture of collegiality, collaboration, and community; and support for work-life integration.