Blazing New Trails - Connexions

Service to the Profession: The Forgotten Element of Tenure and the Importance of Faculty Mentoring 323
The data revealed that the majority of the respondents identified that the two most significant
areas related to tenure were scholarship (83.9%) and teaching (65.6%). The majority of the
professors (63.5%) reported service to be only somewhat significant. When asked if service
was required in their departments, 30 (43.5%) agreed and 37 (53.6%) strongly agreed with the
statement.
The participating professors were also asked to identify the amount of time they spent
on service projects as compared to scholarship and teaching. The results of this question are
revealed in Table 3.
Table 3. Dedication of Time.
Area of Tenure At least At least At least At least
10% 25% 33% 50%
Scholarship 14.5% (10) 23.2% (16) 37.7% (26) 24.6% (17)
Teaching 1.4% (1) 7.2% (5) 43.5% (30) 47.8% (33)
Service 27.5% (19) 40.6% (28) 17.4% (12) 14.5% (10)
Nineteen (27.5%) replied that they devoted at least 10% of their time to service, 28 (40.6%)
devoted at least 33% to service projects, 12 (17.4%) spent at least 33% of their time, and only
10 (14.5%) spent at least 50% of their time on service. The results also showed that 26 of the
professors (37.7%) devoted at least 33% of their time on scholarship while the majority (33,
47.8%) of the professors spent at least 50% of their time devoted to teaching.
Research Question Two
In response to research question two, professors were asked to identify ways in which
they were informed about the tenure process and the service requirements on their respective
campuses. Table 4 reveals the Likert-scale statements and the participants’ responses.
Table 4. Awareness of Tenure Process.
Statement Strongly Disagree Agree Strongly Agree NA
Disagree
I was made aware 4.3% (3) 7.2% (5) 42.0% (29) 40.6% (28) 5.8% (4)
of the university’s
tenure policy when
hired.
There was a 18.8% (13) 24.6% (17) 30.4% (21) 20.3% (14) 5.8% (4)
department mentor
available to me to
help me understand
the tenure process.
There was a 20.3% (14) 30.4% (21) 27.5% (19) 17.4% (12) 4.3% (3)
department mentor
available to me to
help me understand
the service
requirement for
tenure.