By June, 10 to 20 members of the faculty will have a greater sense of job security when they are notified that the College's Board of Trustees has granted them tenure.
The process by which professors receive tenure is "fairly complicated," according to Assistant Dean of the Faculty Sheila Culbert.
The process
Culbert said between 10 and 20 members of the faculty receive tenure each year.
"It varies from year to year, depending on how large a class of faculty is coming through," she said. "There is no set number. Every case is judged on its own merit."
The College makes tenure decisions based on a combination of research, teaching, contributions to the College, needs of the institution and experience judgment in ensuing years.
Every candidate must have an outstanding record as a teacher and scholar, according to the Faculty Handbook.
Culbert said "most of the time, people are on a six-year plan ... They may apply for a delay in this process for such reasons as maternity leave."
Earth Science Professor Kenneth Belitz, who is up for tenure this year, said the College considers a candidate's research to be more important than teaching in deciding who gets tenure.
"Tenure is a validation of your accomplishments," he said.
Faculty members who are up for tenure are subject to assessment by scholars in their field at other institutions.
Students, both graduate and undergraduate, are also asked to write evaluations of their instructors, Culbert said.
The professor's department reviews his or her teaching and research. "Everything is taken into account," Culbert said.
Dean of the Faculty James Wright pointed out his office's efforts to gather students' opinions about professors who are up for tenure.
"Materials start to be gathered each fall," Wright said. "Student participation is very important. I send out 70 to 80 letters to students for each tenure case."
"The response varies," he said. Students are "an elusive group to track down. About 30 percent respond, and some write two or three page reflections."
Culbert described tenure review as an "ongoing process."
"The departments play a part, and then the deans and finally the Committee Advisory to the President makes the final decision," she said.
The CAP consists of Wright and six tenured professors. The committee consults with the College president on issues dealing with the faculty, especially issues of promotion and tenure.
Wright said the Board of Trustees usually does not vote on tenure cases until June. But, some professors have already learned about their status.
Job security
Classics Professor Roger Ulrich, who was tenured one year ago, said tenure is a "major step" in a professor's career.
"It means job security," Ulrich said. "A tenured faculty member becomes an associate professor and can aspire to be a full professor or chair of the department."
"Tenure is certainly not easy to go through and acquire," he added.
Engineering Professor Ulf Osterberg, who received tenure last year concurred that tenure gives professors a sense of job security.
"On a professional level, nothing changed. But, on a personal level, I feel more security," he said .
But Ulrich said a professor is not completely safe once tenured.
"There are review committees always looking at a professor's teaching and scholarship and contributions to committees," he said.
"The bottom line is salary differentials, which are based on merit," he said. "No one feels off the hook."
"I love my subject, and it is a great relief to have tenure," he said. "It is a confirmation of what you were planning on doing with yourself."
A sense of freedom
Wright said gaining tenure allows professors to act more freely.
"Tenure is much more than job security," Wright said. "It also gives you a senior rank or partnership in the institution. You are part of its future."
Some professors who are awaiting the Trustees' decision also said tenure gives professors more freedom.
Tenure "is a good thing. It gives you freedom to pursue any research directions without fear," Government Professor James Murphy said.
But professors acknowledge this freedom does not come easily.
"Tenure is relatively difficult to obtain," Osterberg said.
He said it is hard to describe the feelings associated with receiving tenure.
"It does make a tremendous difference," he said. "I now have freedom to focus on the types of scholarly questions and approaches I have wanted to. I am thinking in terms of years instead of months for a project."
Geography Professor Francis Magilligan received tenure two weeks ago. "What a wonderful weekend it was," he said.
"I worked pretty hard at it," he said. Tenure "lets you pursue topics that are a little out there. I can now take on some big theoretical issues."
"It is a fantastic feeling. Dartmouth has shown benevolence toward me," he said. "If I didn't get tenure, it would have been my own fault."
"I think its very unique how the College goes out of its way to get student input," Magilligan continued. "It goes randomly through the class rosters and sends out 60 or more evaluations to students."
Magilligan said he thinks the departments try to hire professors whom they hope to tenure.
"Tenure is not just a reward," he said. "The six years it takes to get tenure is an example of what you do and are going to do."
