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We are in an era of sad news and I got devastating news yesterday. My university/department denied me tenure and coming May 31, my contract with MGA ends. I am still trying to process this. #deniedtenure 1/8
I have consulted an AAUP referred lawyer, but since no discrimination or breach of contract existed, there is no legal case. Being an @$$ is perfectly legal. I will appeal on the university- and system-level, but I am not very hopeful. 2/8
This was not the first time my department head has thrown me under the bus, and I do wonder if this will also not be the last time. He had all but excluded me from the future class schedule. We shall see if he has any human decency and that I retain my two summer classes. 3/8
It is saddening to be told that you do not understand students when you have colleagues who deduct 20% for a misplaced comma in a footnote or who assign dozens of articles per week but show nothing but documentaries, but you spend hours crafting lectures using the best books. 4/8
Even more annoying is that not even one of my MGA colleagues has ever observed my teaching, yet they claim I am not doing enough. I met or exceeded expectations on my four annual evaluations for teaching. My service met or exceeded expectations. Apparently, that was not true. 5/8
I put in place an innovative and for students extremely rewarding domestic study program. However, with a decline in history majors, decreasing financial support, and little support for recruitment, the program shut down after 3 trips, but for some reason, it is my fault. 6/8
In my 7 years at MGA, I published 2 books, contracted for 2 more, published 9 articles, 17 blogs, 3 newspaper op-eds (two in the Washington Post), and 25 conference presentations. I got my department 7 new internship positions; I am not sure any of them still exist. 7/8
I do not know what the future holds. I applied for over 100 jobs this year, I have considered non-academic positions. I love teaching and greatly enjoy working with students, but this has me utterly disillusioned and dejected about academia and the career path I selected. 8/8
