Hey #AcademicTwitter are you ready to discuss why I am leaving a tenured faculty position the summer before going up for Full Professor for a term faculty position. No? Ok, here we go anyway... #AcademicChatter
In 2012 I started a tenure track faculty position & earned tenure in 2018. For the last 9 years, I have committed my career to a community of scholars (students and faculty) that I care about dearly.
Recently my wife landed a Tenure Track faculty position at University of Toronto and accepted it!!!!!!!! And I am beyond proud and excited for her. Yet, the most common question she got asked when making the decision was "well what about J's job?"
I get it, when your spouse already has a tenured faculty position, the expectation is that the other partner needs to cozy up and find a job nearby. But honestly, where is the equity in that?
Now some may say, well where is the equity in me leaving my job right before going up for full. From my perspective, it made more sense for me, as an established scholar, to leave my institution so that my wife can fulfill her own dreams of earning tenure.
I am sure I can land another TT job somewhere (not being arrogant its just easier for someone with experience to land a job). But how often does someone who is ABD, earn a TT line, as a new mom, during a pandemic?
The best advice I got over the last few months is, "don't be [bound] to tenure" and that really grounded me in prioritizing what really matters. Too often we let tenure keep us somewhere, when what is best for our family, is somewhere else.
So let me reintroduce you to the Garrett-Walkers! Here we come University of Toronto!
I really didn't expect this thread to get this much traction! Thank you all for such positive responses!!
You can follow @j_garrettwalker.
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