The Four Types of Post-Tenure Professor

After tenure, many scholars fall into one of four categories. That’s according to three professors who have studied midcareer problems on their campuses: Karla A. Erickson, a sociology professor at Grinnell College; Tamara Beauboeuf, a professor of women’s, gender, and sexuality studies at DePauw University; and Jan E. Thomas, a professor of sociology and women’s and gender studies at Kenyon College. The categories, which are below, were based on faculty surveys and interviews.

Coping With Midcareer Malaise

How to assist professors through the post-tenure blues.

Synergistic Citizens

These professors have high career satisfaction and a strong connection to the college. They are reflective, have the ability to reinvent their research and teaching, and choose service opportunities that align with their interests, while still saying no sometimes. They are also recognized by their institutions for their contributions.

Independent Agents

These faculty members are highly satisfied with their careers but have a weak link to their institution. Their commitments are mainly to their disciplines or departments. They seek service only when it helps colleagues or is in their own interest. They often feel like they don’t fit in and usually seek recognition from places outside the institution.

Weary Citizens

These academics have lower career satisfaction than the first two, yet they maintain a strong connection with their colleges. They enjoy service work but often find they don’t get rewarded for their efforts. The service work has become a “trench” and does not lead to promotion.

The Disgruntled and Discouraged

Like weary citizens, these professors are somewhat dissatisfied with their careers, but also lack a strong loyalty to their institution. They have a long-held feeling of being unappreciated or unrecognized. As members of the faculty, they are usually very critical of the administration. They feel stuck and have no plan to move forward, aside from retirement.