Tenure hacks: The 12 secrets of making tenure

by Russell James

Tenure Hacks: The 12 Secrets of Making Tenure

A brutally Machiavellian guidebook on how to make tenure for the current or aspiring assistant professor, this irreverent treasure trove of tips and tricks pulls back the curtain on the tenure game and how to win it.

Chapters
1.It's a (money) game: Follow the money, know the game
2.Winning doesn't always matter: It's the CV, stupid
3.Why you won't be told the truth: Conflicting interests
4.Focus, focus, focus: DON'T follow your passion
5.It's all about timing: The clock is 3 years, not 6
6.The right publishing mindset: It's fishing, not baseball
7.The right publishing practices: Watch the clock
8.Suck at teaching: Escape the time sink
9.Win the student evaluation game: Gaming the system
10.The real purpose of conferences: Not what you think
11.The potential poison of early grants: Not all that glitters is good (for you)
12.Politics & service: Join the silent minority
Bonus section: The job hunt - Getting to the tenure track in the first place

Genres: Academia, Nonfiction

152 pages, Paperback

First published January 12, 2014

About the author

There is more than one author by this name in the Goodreads data base.

Reviews

[Abigail · Rating 4 out of 5]

Sobering, depressing, but absolutely fair and accurate. Like Karen Kelsky's book, this slim volume might be thrown against a wall or outright defenestrated. But you should retrieve it from the lawn and keep reading, because as much as it pains me, and as joyless as life would be if I led it this way long-term, I think these hacks are spot on for the first 3-4 years of the tenure track. If there's a single most valuable take-away, it is: the tenure clock is under 3 years, not 6, because peer review and publication takes far more time than anyone anticipates. (Having had an article under review for 9 months now and still crickets, I can attest to this.) Meanwhile, those first 2.5 years correspond with a dozen new teaching preps (for teaching-heavy humanities fields like mine, at least). So the only way to survive those first few years is to adopt brutally Machiavellian thinking, as much as we may hate it. Perhaps the real message of the book is that we must hold our humanity, sociability, and genuine curiosity about the world that got us here in the first place, for after tenure. It is a sad philosophy, and it's ok to feel sad about the truths this book holds. It's a sign we're still human deep down.

[Douglas Smith · Rating 5 out of 5]

For the most part, I think this book is spot on in its advice. However, there are times I would quibble with his framing and argument. For example, the tenure process he describes doesn't fit my university so tenure-track folk and potential job seekers need to check that system at the schools they apply to. But it is true to its advertisement. It is brutally Machiavellian. I plan to recommend this smart, unsettling book to several people.

[Sarah Lillo Kang · Rating 4 out of 5]

Wish I had picked this book up earlier in my journey (would have been useful while on the job hunt). As a new tenure-track faculty member, it's helpful to hear others' insight and perspectives, as so many of the "rules" are unspoken. This book is mostly geared towards R1 contexts. However, James still offers tips that are likely relevant for many university settings.

[Maria · Rating 4 out of 5]

Cynical, but worth a read for every assistant professor. You have to know the rules before you decide how you want to play the game.

[Clive Forrester · Rating 5 out of 5]

Required reading for academics junior to senior

This is a practical and straightforward guide to developing the necessary discipline needed to take your research from concept to publish amid the myriad distractions in the life of an academic. The most time consuming of which is teaching. The work is short enough to be read in a couple sittings and written in plain language so you won’t get bored along the way. Highly recommended.

[Zhiqian Chen · Rating 5 out of 5]

It is not only for tenure track professors but also for any workers in academia including Ph.D. students. This book illuminates the game rules in academia, and fully understanding the rules definitely helps reading the message in the collaboration, in the conference, the service or teaching. I wish I would have read it before I entered academia.

[Cathy Wu · Rating 5 out of 5]

Short, sweet, and to the point.

[Alice · Rating 5 out of 5]

Wish I had read this one way sooner.

[JoAnn Wilson · Rating 5 out of 5]

Excellent resource for tenure track professors

Being new to the tenure track game I had no idea what was needed to gain tenure. Russell James breaks it down and gives productive ways to get to the goal of tenure.

[Beiyu Lin · Rating 5 out of 5]

Good

Good. Learned lots Good. Learned lots Good. Learned lots Good. Learned lots Good. Learned lots Good. Learned lots Good. Learned lots Good. Learned lots Good. It’s a good book

[Sara Johnson · Rating 4 out of 5]

Brutal, but I think that's because I really needed to hear every single word.