And then as we sat and had a first "mentoring" meeting, I discovered my mentee had been hired further along the tenure track than me! She's going to be up for tenure before I am.
Q: Do I sabotage her? (Not really.) Do I still think this shows the department chair likes me? Did I draw the short straw? Is there a silver lining to any of this?
I remember thinking that getting tasks from higher-ups was a good sign. I remember puffing out my chest. Does it show the department chair likes you? No, Marlon, it shows that you don't have tenure yet, and so the department chair can still give you the tasks no one else wants.
ReplyDeleteDid you draw the short straw? No, you're just the low person on the totem pole.
Is there a silver lining? Sure, your mentee is still newer to the campus culture than you are. Guide her well, and when she gets tenure first, you'll have an ally. In fact, you two someday may be the senior members of the department, and it's never too early to build an alliance.
Accomplishments: Successfully guided fast-track Fanny through her tenure review.
ReplyDeleteI was hired at the same time as a colleague who hadn't yet finished their doctorate (grrr, personal pet peeve). Our contract stipulates a higher standard for promotion than tenure, and while we were both on the same track for tenure, someone in my department suggested that my fellow hire go up for promotion after only three years...and which they were rewarded with. Meanwhile, I had missed the deadline (mainly because I had no idea such a thing was even possible).
ReplyDeleteLong story short - this guy was promoted even though he was ineligible for tenure due to not finishing the doctorate. He took a job at a private college the next year, and I don't know if he ever actually finished.
Just because she's going up before you doesn't mean she can't use a friendly source of help with dept/campus politics. Asking you to help her get there does seem like a vote of confidence to me.
ReplyDeleteI had something similar happen, though the person hired after me didn't enf up further down the tenure track, he did get hired in at higher level (was given rank for X number of years of equated experience). The kick in the pants to me was that I had the SAME number of years but I was a rank lower. It took several years, but it is finally fixed. Anyway, it is important not to be mad at fast track Fanny, I was careful not to be mad at Higher Rank Harry, because it wasn;t his fault, he got hired and they offered him money and he took it. If you think something unfair may be going on or that you were not given the same considerations as the newbie, you might ask HR about it.
ReplyDeleteBuild a relationship with your mentee so that you help her now and she helps you when you prepare for tenure later. That information could be valuable to you and your mentee may be the best source.
ReplyDeleteIt's not her fault that she got a better deal, but the more friendlies on your side, the better!
ReplyDeleteIt breaks my heart to hear of someone contemplating sabotage. We should be better than that!
ReplyDeleteFrom Marlon:
ReplyDeleteFor such a wonderfully irreverent site, these suggestions are so wise and great. I can't thank you all enough for the advice. I am going to follow through as many of you have noted. Thank you!!