A program to support successful and fulfilling faculty careers at UNM.
Social Media Mentor
Need advice on your tenure or promotion file? Help managing a conflict with a colleague in your department? Tips for writing a letter of recommendation? Meta Mentor is here to answer your questions about life in academia. Meta Mentor is a group of experienced UNM faculty, but you can think of her as a knowledgeable and trustworthy senior colleague.
Stay tuned to this page for your answer. If you submit anonymously, we’ll need contact info if you wish for us to let you know we’ve replied.
Hi MetaMentor,
I am a very active faculty member in my department, even though I know I need to spend more of my time in my research. Will my multiple roles in my department help my case for tenure? — Anonymous, Oct. 3, 2017
UNM needs faculty members who care and will devote time and energy to advancing our many missions. Thank you for your efforts! But be honest. Is “very active faculty member in my department” code for “I’m an assistant professor doing a lot of service”? To be blunt, you will not get tenure for service. Your question implies that you know this, since you acknowledge that you need to spend more time on your research.
Consider spending some time during the winter break thinking about how you can develop a balanced portfolio that allows you to make research progress. Can you develop some research goals for the next year, perhaps broken down by semester? Are there things you can do during the spring that will position you to make some rapid progress over the summer? Are you comfortable talking with your Chair or senior colleagues in your department? If so, you might discuss your current load and research goals with them.
If you’re not sure who to talk to or want some outside-the-department advice in thinking through your current workload, contact the Advance at UNM Director Julia Fulghum or Deputy Director Mala Htun at advance@unm.edu or click here to request a confidential meeting. We’re here to help!
