Reflections on tenure, the two-body problem, and retention in the 21st century academy

ABSTRACT

Academics rarely discuss work/life balance, or our lack thereof. In this symposium article, we confront the normalization of imbalance on the tenure-track that pervades 21st Century institutions. Our autoethnographic approach includes three personal vignettes based on each author’s experience, supported by extant research, to highlight the issues faced by a growing cadre of early career scholars. First, we discuss working within the volatile higher education environment. Second, we note financial, social, and health-related costs of life in long-distance, commuter relationships. Third, we consider whether work/life balance is possible given these trends, which adversely impacts retention, particularly for womxn faculty. In closing, we contend that the four pillars of public administration offer a useful framework for confronting these issues and pose recommendations at the individual, department, and institution level to improve work/life balance in an era when the goal posts never stop changing.

KEYWORDS:

• Balance
• tenure
• retention
• reform

Notes

1. We use the term “womxn” as an approach to gender inclusive language. Kunz (2019) explains: “‘Womxn’ is an intersectional concept that seeks to include transgender womxn, womxn of color, womxn of Third World countries, and every personal identity of womxn” (p. 2). See Lou (2018) for more information on development of the word “womxn” at the University of California – Davis.

Additional information

Notes on contributors

Samantha June Larson

Samantha June Larson is an Assistant Professor of Public Administration at the University of Wisconsin – Oshkosh. She joined the Department in Fall 2017 after completing a PhD in Public Affairs at the University of Colorado – Denver. Sam has 15 years of prior experience in the public and nonprofit sectors, particularly in rural, environmental, and educational settings. Her research focuses on policy implementation, program evaluation, and performance measurement through a social equity lens. She currently serves on the Midwest Public Affairs Conference Advisory Board, the Oshkosh Food Co-op Board of Directors, and chairs the Equity, Diversity, and Inclusive Climate Committee in the UWO College of Letters and Science. Some of her previous honors include the 2017 PA Theory Network Fellowship and the 2015 ASPA Founders’ Fellowship.

Annie Miller

Annie Miller is a Senior Instructor at the University of Colorado Denver School of Public Affairs and leads Collaborative Management Consulting LLC. She is an active board member at the Laboratory to Combat Human Trafficking, and the co-PI for the Colorado Project to Comprehensively Combat Human Trafficking. Formerly, she was an Assistant Professor at Washburn University, a Research Assistant Professor at the University of Denver in the International Disaster Psychology Department and served as Co-Director of the Colorado Resilience Collaborative. Her scholarship focuses on the effectiveness of networks and collaborations seeking to combat human trafficking, trauma informed public management, and capacity development at the community and network levels to end wicked problems. Her research and community-based efforts focus on supporting communities to reduce hate, discrimination, bias, and identity-based violence by enhancing protective factors locally and globally. Annie holds a M.S. in Higher Education Administration, a M.A. in Political Science, and a doctorate in Public Affairs from the University of Colorado Denver.

Ida Drury

Ida Drury, PhD, MSW is an Assistant Professor at the Kempe Center for the Prevention and Treatment of Child Abuse and Neglect. Ida has over 15 years of experience in the human services field, most of which has been in a public child welfare setting. She serves the Colorado Child Welfare Training System as an Associate Director of System Support. She also participates in multiple research and evaluation projects and consults nationally related to child welfare systems and practice. Before joining the Kempe Center, Ida worked for the Colorado Department of Human Services where she led a research and implementation project on differential response in Colorado. Her early career was on the front line as a child welfare caseworker.