Have Questions about Promotion and Tenure Amid COVID-19?

The Covid-19 upheaval has impacted faculty in many ways: research delays, additional teaching responsibilities, loss of funding and childcare support, job opportunities—the list goes on. The Early Career Committee recognizes that these impacts are not normal and they can pose disproportionate challenges to junior faculty, whose job security hinges on looming promotion and tenure (P&T) outcomes. 

Given this challenging situation, is it wise to ask for an extension for promotion and tenure? If an extension has been offered, what considerations should be kept in mind? What resources can my department or university provide, and is it okay for me to ask for them? Is it still possible to prepare a winning performance report despite pandemic-related progress loss? These are some questions we have heard from junior faculty, but we know you may have more! 

During the upcoming SPSP Convention, the Early Career Committee will host a professional development session to help answer your questions. The workshop involves a live panel of senior scholars and administrators—Kristin Dukes, Ying-yi Hong, Fiona Lee, and Daniel McIntosh—who will bring perspectives from diverse institutional, disciplinary, and geographic backgrounds. We hope to see you there!

Between now and February 5, you can submit your questions through the link below:

Submit your questions

Your concerns and specific questions will guide the live discussion. In the session, you will also hear general advice from the panel on successful job applications and P&T in the context of COVID-19.

Background of Panelists (by alphabetical order of last names):

• Dukes is Dean for Institutional Diversity at Allegheny College, who is an experienced administrator at a SLAC.

• Hong is Choh-Ming Li Professor of Management at the Chinese University of Hong Kong, who has served as a faculty mentor and administrator across disciplines (psychology and business) and countries (US, Singapore, and China).

• Lee is Arthur F. Thurnau Professor of Psychology and Associate Dean of Diversity, Equity, and Inclusion & Professional Development at the University of Michigan, who has spent recent years in departmental and university administration.

• McIntosh is Professor of Psychology and Dean of College of Arts, Humanities, & Social Sciences at the University of Denver, who has expertise in discussing matters related to P&T for faculty on tenure-track, teaching, and research lines.