Appalachian Colleges Collaborating for Equity (ACCE) hosted its second professional development webinar. Faculty members across the consortium joined Jeff Perry, Associate Professor of History at Tusculum University, to discuss strategies for successfully navigating the promotion and/or tenure process. Given his unique experience as chair of Faculty Affairs at Tusculum, Perry provided participants with tips to make the promotion experience more efficient and successful and discussed the specific challenges faced by female faculty and those from underrepresented groups. In reflecting on the presentation, Perry shared, "I hope attendees see promotion as a process which begins as soon as you're hired and not simply a task for the weeks and even months before their promotion materials are due." He continued, "No matter their career, people wanted to be promoted. Preparing yourself for that opportunity is essential not only for our individual development, but for the continued well-being of our institutions."
Conversations were frank and a stark reminder of why ACA established the ACCE—there is still equity progress to be made. ACA's President, Beth Rushing, reflected, "It’s clear that faculty members at many institutions are eager to learn more about how to prepare for promotion and tenure, and that some are concerned about how to navigate potential departmental or institutional roadblocks in that process. We look forward to offering more opportunities for faculty to prepare themselves and for institutional leaders to clarify their processes for this critical juncture in faculty members’ careers."
A recording of Perry’s presentation is available for those who missed this timely professional development session.
Two webinars remain in the Spring 2024 professional development series. All ACA faculty are invited to register for Shinjini Goswami's, Associate Prof. of Biology and the Assistant Dean of Natural and Health Sciences at Lees-McRae College, presentation on supporting your undergraduates who are excited to conduct research (March 20, 2024) and Jennifer Brigati's, Chair for the Division of Natural Sciences and a Professor of Biology at Maryville College, strategies for maintaining, re-starting, or shifting gears in research (April 9, 2024).
Funded by the National Science Foundation (NSF) ADVANCE Program, Award #2304868 aims to address the significant challenge of hiring and retaining women and underrepresented minorities in STEM faculty positions, particularly at small rural institutions in the Appalachian region. As a non-profit consortium of 33 private four-year liberal arts institutions, the Appalachian College Association (ACA) serves Appalachian communities through the transformational work of its faculty, staff, and students. The National Science Foundation’s ADVANCE program is aimed at increasing the participation and advancement of women in academic science and engineering careers, thereby developing a more diverse science and engineering workforce. Any opinions, findings, conclusions, or recommendations expressed are those of the authors and do not necessarily reflect the views of the NSF.
