Tenure is one of the milestones in the career of a collegiate academic. When a professor seeks tenure from a college, the teacher’s academic record is reviewed. Should the professor be deemed satisfactory, his or her contract will be renewed. Tenure usually assures a professor a permanent place at Lawrence University.
There is an elaborate procedure to determine who will receive tenure. Professors who do not receive tenure usually have one more year left on their contracts, after which employment at Lawrence generally terminates. Applicants for tenure are critiqued in three main categories: teaching, scholarship, and service.
Teaching is rated by the professor’s ability in the classroom and student observations. Scholarship is based on the professor’s research and academic work. Service reflects the professor’s contributions to the Lawrence environment and community service.
A panel of tenured professors analyzes each applicant and comes to a decision over the course of several months. “People who participate in this process generally consider that it works pretty well,” comments Dean of the Faculty Brian Rosenberg.
This year, two professors have received tenure. These professors are Nancy A. Wall, associate professor of biology, and
Jeffrey A. Collett, associate professor of physics. Both began their Lawrence teaching career in 1995. Two other professors applied for tenure but were denied: assistant professor of history Wendy A. Nicholson and assistant Spanish professor Elia J. Armacanqui-Tipacti. Armacanqui-Tipacti appealed the tenure committee’s decision, and the result of that appeal has yet to be publicly announced.
This year, at least five Lawrence University professors are up for tenure. These teachers are assistant professor of music Michael I. Kim, assistant professor of religious studies Kathryn M. Kueny, Russian assistant professor Rebecca Epstein Matveyev, music assistant professor Anthony Padilla, and assistant professor of French Lifongo J. Vetinde.
Lawrence students have an important role in the decision to award tenure. When a professor applies for tenure, questionnaires are distributed to all students who have taken one or more courses from the teacher in question. The students are then asked to rate several of the professor’s qualities on a numerical basis, and then to write briefly about the positive and negative aspect of that person’s teaching style. The reviewing board collects all student responses, and all comments are considered in the reviewing process. Special care is taken to assure the anonymity of all student remarks.
Two professors given tenure in 2001, at least five to try in 2002
