Are we not reaching up?

Laura points out a new redoubt of Linda Hirschman's, while the Chronicle posts a piece on the long-term career consequences of women taking part-time positions that avoids insult only by what appears to be extreme institutional naivete:

Institutions such as the Ohio State University, the University of California, and Wellesley College have responded to those problems with a "half-time tenure track." That system allows caregivers to avoid the long hours of ideal workers while still producing high-quality research and teaching. Enhanced child-care support, parental leave options, and research grants for those with caring responsibilities could also help.

All of those options would make the tenure track more viable for many women who now believe -- on reasonable grounds -- that a tenure-track career is inconsistent with a meaningful and full family life. Universities could hire and retain many of the talented people currently now relegated to the mommy track of contingent status.

Not that I don't think a half-time tenure track isn't a great idea. (That's sort of what working at a liberal arts college, instead of a research institution, was for me^*.) But I bet all those departments living off adjuncts for budgetary reasons will go run right out and hire them permanently, as soon as there's an option that the adjuncts find attractive enough!

^* Edited to add: yes, of course those of us at little colleges work our butts off. I'm not meaning to say that we don't. The teaching load, the expectations of teaching quality and student contact, and the lack of graduate student lackeys all conspire to fill up time. However, I didn't need to do multiple years of high-stress post-doc to get this job. I got tenure with published output one-third the weight and one-fifteenth the impact of what I'd have needed at a Big Name University.

And, much as I might wish that right now, I could work half-time (and I do wish that), the employment and geographic security are both excellent excellent things to have as we try to raise Miss T. I can't imagine pulling it all off pre-tenure, while trying to write a real book (or two), or to build up a real reputation.

Comments

[cherylc]

It sounds to me like they are saying it is still fine for men to work at a "tenure-track career...inconsistent with a meaningful and full family life." Realistically, women may want this more than men, but I bet lots of men would like the meaningful and full family life also.

[KF]

I agree completely with your last statement. I would love to be out of this academic rat race, but I do like the employment and geographic security that this job provides as I raise my daughter. And I just got tenure, so it's a life sentence perhaps.

[Rachel]

I've been reading your blog for a couple of years and it's so weird, because now this is my thing I have to decide! I'm in an academic appt. but interviewing for the same position in a tenure track appt. All would be systems go for the tenure position, but now I've met this guy and things are good and babies could be in the future. Do I give up tenure for family? But I also give up the 9 month faculty contract for the 12 month academic contract.