"Faculty Agency in Applying for Promotion to Professor " by Susan K. Gardner and Amy Blackstone

Rising Tide Faculty Scholarship

Document Type

Article

Title

Faculty Agency in Applying for Promotion to Professor

Authors

Susan K. Gardner, University of Maine
Amy Blackstone, University of Maine

Publication Title

Journal for the Study of Postsecondary and Tertiary Education

Rights and Access Note

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Publication Date

2017

First Page

Last Page

Volume Number

Volume 2

Abstract/ Summary

Aim/Purpose: In the United States, faculty who wish to pursue promotion to the rank of professor do so without clear guidance or structure. Even the timing of such a process is nebulous. As such, an individual engages in agentic action to pursue the rank.

Background: This study examined the experiences of faculty members who chose to pursue the application process to be promoted to professor but were rejected or dissuaded.

Methodology: Utilizing a case study of one institutional setting, we conducted 10 in-depth qualitative interviews.

Contribution: Very little is known about the process of promotion to full professor in the U.S. and even less empirical research exists. This study advances knowledge of the process and the experiences of those undertaking it.

Findings: We learned that cues from the social context greatly influenced these faculty members’ sense of agency.

Keywords: promotion, faculty rank, agency

Repository Citation

Gardner, Susan K. and Blackstone, Amy, "Faculty Agency in Applying for Promotion to Professor" (2017). Rising Tide Faculty Scholarship. 1.
https://digitalcommons.library.umaine.edu/risingtide_articles/1

Citation/Publisher Attribution

Gardner, S. K., & Blackstone, A. (2017). Faculty agency in applying for promotion to professor. Journal for the Study of Postsecondary and Tertiary Education, 2, 59-75.