Identities, academic cultures, and relationship intersections: postsecondary dance educators’ lived experiences pursuing tenure

ABSTRACT

The political hierarchies and assumptions built around tenure and promotion processes across U.S. postsecondary institutions are fraught with complexities and have a significant effect on eventual outcomes. A tenure case’s success or failure could depend on many factors, possibly including circumstances out of a candidate’s control such as the institution’s geographical location, dominant cultures and systems in operation, ineffective mentorship, unclear policy, and, most relevant to this article, faculty members’ identities. Faculty who hold minority or underrepresented status in relation to race, ethnicity, gender expression, sexuality, social class, age, or ability can face marginalization, bias, and work responsibilities unrelated to professional goals and personal needs. In this article, I describe how tenure-track dance faculty perceive their experiences working toward tenure through analysis of 50 participant survey responses. The participants’ interpretations of how power, privilege, and identity affect(ed) their paths to tenure highlight problematic, sometimes discriminatory practices in academia and provide rich ground for cultivating improved mentorship practices and creating institutional and departmental policies that promote diversity, inclusion, and equity, while also supporting each individual’s strengths and goals. Further, the participants in this study offer useful strategies for understanding and/or establishing work–life balance, setting boundaries, and prioritizing tenure responsibilities.

KEYWORDS:

• Postsecondary
• faculty
• tenure
• identities
• mentorship

Disclosure statement

No potential conflict of interest was reported by the author.

Additional information

Notes on contributors

Ali Duffy

Ali Duffy is a President’s Excellence in Teaching Professor, Associate Professor of Dance and Honors, and Graduate Dance Director at Texas Tech University. She is the founder and Artistic Director of Flatlands Dance Theatre (www.flatlandsdance.org). Her writing has been published inResearch in Dance Education, the Journal of Dance Education, Dance Education in Practice, and the Journal of Emerging Dance Scholarship. Her book, Careers in Dance: Practical and Strategic Guidance from the Field, was recently released. Her new book, Dancing Motherhood, is in progress and under contract with Routledge. Dr. Duffy has been invited for national educational and artistic presentations and residencies including at Virginia Tech, University of South Florida, Lindenwood University, Colorado Mesa University, University of Detroit, UNC Charlotte, Austin Dance Festival, and Danca Nova Dance Company, among others. She sits on the Cultivating Leadership Special Interest Group Committee of the National Dance Education Organization and has sat on the board of the Dance Critics Association. Prior to her work in academia, she performed internationally with Stiletto (now RWS Entertainment) and with independent contemporary choreographers. She holds a PhD from Texas Woman’s University, an MFA from UNC Greensboro, and a BA from UNC Charlotte.