Cardinal Points

Issue date: 4/13/07 Section: News

Susan Spissinger

John Ettling

Bob Golden

In colleges across the nation there is a lack of full-time tenure professors.

At Plattsburgh State, however, the university finds itself well above the national average of employed full-time tenure professors.

There are around 500 people in total who teach at PSUC. According to Associate Vice President of Academic Affairs and Research Susan Spissinger, 296 of those work full-time, an increase of 14 from last year.

A little more than 250 of those 296 either have tenure or are currently on tenure track.

The process of someone receiving tenure at PSUC is long and demanding.

The school advertises nationally in journals, online advertisements and education-related periodicals to find those looking for a job in education.

Depending on the department, there may be as few as five to 10 applicants, or as many as 200 to 300, Provost Bob Golden said.

Out of all the applicants, usually three or four are chosen to begin the tenure probationary period that lasts for six years.

In the first five of the tenure procedure teachers are required to meet certain expectations of the university, PSUC President John Ettling said.

Ettling also said of those expectations there are three main things candidates must perform during their tenure probationary period. They consist of how one teaches, their scholarship and how they perform service.

"These aren't just three legs on a stool we created," Ettling said. "They're standard among other colleges."

Scholarship teachers are evaluated on research and other scholastic contributions they may achieve during their probationary tenure process. With service, teachers are expected to show interest and perform service for and within the school, their department and the community.

Tracie Church-Guzzio, English assistant professor, just went through the tenure evaluation and promotion process.

"It was arduous, and I am glad it is over," she said. "But once it is done it is a little like childbirth - you do not remember the pain so much as you take pleasure and find joy in the result of the experience."

After the six years of tenure probation end, teachers are evaluated on several different levels, Ettling said.

The levels start with the applicants department and colleagues and then the department chair votes on whether they believe the teacher achieved the proper requirements to advance.

From the department the evaluation goes to the dean, then to the provost and finally to the president's office, where Ettling makes the final decision on whether the applicant will continue their teaching career here.

If an applicant is rejected from receiving tenure, they are granted an additional one-year contract while they find another job.

For applicants who do receive tenure, a promotion is usually in hand from assistant to associate professor, which comes with a slight salary increase, Ettling said.

Golden said he is hopeful about increasing the number of full-time tenure teachers at PSUC. The number of teaching slots has increased over the past four years. The school has about 60 percent of their teachers working full-time and with tenure, Golden said.

"If things go the way we like, we will see an increase," he said.

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