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[Please don't be cross 'bout my cross posting.]

Late last year, I asked for ideas on how one might create a junior faculty "incubator" within a department so as to increase the productivity and success of junior faculty.  Many people kindly offered advice, and many said they were also curious and so asked that I post my findings.  Attached is a document outlining the approach I'm pushing within my department, based on the advice offered me. 

In speaking and e-mailing with many of you, I found that there's a continuum of perspectives, with a pole at one end that might be labeled, "Let 'em know what it takes to get tenure, give 'em a wide berth, and then judge 'em in a half-decade or so", and a pole at the other end that might be labeled, "Give 'em a punch clock and a PERT chart and let's meet at the end of each day and update it."  The plan I assembled tries to find a middle ground (of course), with some structure and some looseness, and with most of the pressure not from direct oversight from supervisors, but instead from peers. 

I also received quite a few descriptions of intangibles, like strong departmental work ethic, collegiality, and supportiveness.  I don't know where you can buy those things; if you can, I'd advise swiping several healthy doses. The plan I assembled doesn't directly address these things; instead, it focuses on some underlying structures that might work better if these intangibles are in place, or that might foster the growth of these intangibles as a spillover benefit, but there's no silver bullet in here.

Finally, I heard a variety of perspectives on teaching load, service protection, sticks and carrots for publications, what does and doesn't count as a publication, how specific to make one's tenure bar, and so forth.  Given the uniqueness of local conditions, I don't think I can offer any meaningful advice to a general audience.  Thus, I leave these specifics untouched.

I hope it's useful to some degree to at least some folks.

Best,

Mike     

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Michael L. Barnett, PhD

<st1:place w:st="on"><st1:city w:st="on">University of South</st1:city> <st1:state w:st="on">Florida</st1:state></st1:place>

<st1:place w:st="on"><st1:placetype w:st="on">College</st1:placetype> of <st1:placename w:st="on">Business Administration</st1:placename></st1:place>

Department of Management & Organization

<st1:street w:st="on"><st1:address w:st="on">4202 E. Fowler Avenue</st1:address></st1:street>, BSN 3213

<st1:place w:st="on"><st1:city w:st="on">Tampa</st1:city>, <st1:state w:st="on">FL</st1:state> <st1:postalcode w:st="on">33620-5500</st1:postalcode></st1:place>

Phone: 813-974-1727

Fax: 813-974-1734

E-mail: mbarnett@coba.usf.edu

Webpage: http://www.coba.usf.edu/barnett

View my research on my SSRN Author page:

<http://ssrn.com/author=414796>

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