Tenure, tenure, tenure, tenure, tenure

A colleague of mine got tenure yesterday. This is a good thing, for sure. It was also interesting to me to observe because she has been very outspoken against our chancellor and other authorities on campus on political issues. The committee that granted her tenure probably doesn't know about it. The chancellor will have to rubber stamp her tenure, but since the committee's vote was positive there's pretty much no way the chancellor can go back on it.

My colleague came in the same year I did. She also had 2 kids.

So, one, I am feeling lame again. Like that slow-tracked 5th year senior. She had 2 kids on the tenure track but still managed to go up this year, unlike me. But it's okay. I've mostly dealt with that. She works 7 days a week, and I only work 5. She deserves it.

I have been looking at the cases over the past 3 years that have been smooth cases - unanimous or nearly unanimous. I've been comparing those to the failed cases and the troubled cases (the ones that got through, but just barely). The smooth ones have been, bar none, quantitative researchers. The troubled ones have been, bar none, qualitative or non-empirical researchers.

So...where does this put me? I think it puts me in between A and B. I am in a grant-getting field and have gotten grants. That helps. On the other hand, my research is qualitative. That doesn't help. On the third hand, my research is mathy. That helps. On the 4th hand, my Ns have been small and some of my work isn't designed with generalizability in mind. That doesn't help.

My guess is, just following the trend, that hopefully my tenure will be granted, but it won't be a slam dunk. Of course, in the end, you don't need a unanimous vote. All you need is a majority.