Faculty in the Middle Years: Illuminating an Overlooked Phase of Academic Life

Abstract

This explanatory study employs developmental theory and NSOPF-99 data to illuminate the middle years of faculty life, an ill-defined and largely unexamined portion of the academic career. The study's findings suggest that the middle years of faculty life have distinctive attributes, pose speical challenges, and deserve systematic investigation by scholars. The study lays a foundation for research needed to fill a gap in our knowledge and understanding of the faculty life cycle.

Invisible but Essential: The Role of Professional Networks in Promoting Faculty Agency in Career Advancement

“…Likewise, on-campus colleagues are vital to negotiating the tenure process (Pifer and Baker 2013). Yet professional networks may be even more important for associate and full professors to sustain research momentum and professional growth post-tenure (Baldwin, Lunceford and Vanderlinden 2005;Neumann 2009). A number of studies have shown that associate professors at research universities are least satisfied with their on-campus networks (Baldwin et al 2005;Trower 2012).…”

“…Yet professional networks may be even more important for associate and full professors to sustain research momentum and professional growth post-tenure (Baldwin, Lunceford and Vanderlinden 2005;Neumann 2009). A number of studies have shown that associate professors at research universities are least satisfied with their on-campus networks (Baldwin et al 2005;Trower 2012). Pre-tenure faculty members, however, are particularly vulnerable in their positions (Tierney and Bensimon 1996) and may struggle with conflicting advice from senior colleagues and unclear tenure expectations (Austin 2010).…”

Faculty Agency in Applying for Promotion to Professor

“…Certainly, not all who apply are successful; nor should they be. At the same time, a sense of "stigma" and "second-class citizenship status" has been attributed to those faculty who either fail to earn promotion or who are "frozen in rank" (Blackburn & Lawrence, 1995), giving rise to myths about faculty "deadwood" and a concern about the lack of vitality of senior faculty (Baldwin, DeZure, Shaw, & Moretto, 2008;Baldwin, Lunceford, & Vanderlinden, 2005;Bland & Bergquist, 1997;Rice & Finkelstein, 1993). And, while there are certainly a significant number of associate professors who are happy to remain at their current rank and continue to do what matters most to them (Bland & Bergquist, 1997;Jaschik, 2010), the level of dissatisfaction measured by institutions across the U.S. at this rank (Trower, 2011a(Trower, , 2011b points to concerns worthy of examination.…”

Científicos Y Políticos Ii: La Crisis De La Media Vida Académica/Scientific and Political Ii: The Academic Mid Life Crises

“…Sin embargo, posee más connotaciones negativas que positivas, pues implica estar a mitad del camino o ser ubicado en la medianía (BALDWIN; LUNCEFORD;VANDERLINDEN, 2005).…”

“…Aunque ha sido catalogada como un mito, se trata de un asunto de interés para diversas disciplinas, no obstante que los estudios pioneros hayan encontrado pocos cambios significativos en la personalidad durante esa etapa (BRIM, 1982), o que los resultados de estudios más recientes muestren que se trata de un evento aislado (BALDWIN; LUNCEFORD;VANDERLINDEN, 2005;WETHINGTON, 2000).…”