Dear Faculty Relations – I find my department’s faculty meetings irksome. The chair never calls on those of us who are pre-tenured, and as a result, only the senior members of the department shape important policy decisions. My other junior colleagues say, “Why talk? Someone will hold it against you when you come up for tenure.” Are they right? I am frustrated at being seen but not heard. – Seen but not Heard
Dear Seen but not Heard – I hear you. Your frustration and the anxiety of your pre-tenure colleagues are understandable. That being said, I don’t think you ought to sit tight and remain silent for seven years before sharing your thoughts about how your department functions.
You can contribute effectively to your department’s conversations without running the risk of antagonizing your senior colleagues by seeking advice, finding allies, and reaching out directly to your department chair. Because every departmental policy discussion has a back-story, try to find out what that back-story is. Ask a trusted senior colleague for insight: who has favored (or opposed) this policy in the past, and why? If asking a colleague these questions puts you in an uncomfortable position, it’s always possible to seek outside advice. A consultation with the Office of Faculty Relations will help you navigate issues like this. In the longer term, you could sign up for the ACUMen mentoring program to work with a senior mentor from outside your department. Their advice will help you think through challenging departmental dynamics.
You should also consider the benefits of chatting with your department chair to share your ideas about departmental policy. Stop by her office and say, “I’m excited that we will be discussing grad student recruitment at our next meeting. I think this is a great opportunity for us to expand and re-think how we recruit students to our programs. I have been reading about this and I would love to participate in a real conversation of how we can accomplish this.” She will be impressed by the care with which you have thought through this issue and will be much more likely to call on you at the meeting.
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Written by Martha Hanna, PhD, Director of the Leadership Education and Advancement Program (LEAP), Office of Faculty Affairs; Professor of History, University of Colorado Boulder, September 2021