The board of trustees failed to offer tenure to Assistant Professor of History and Asian Languages Kim Brandt. According to Dean of the Faculty Gregory Call, a professor who does not receive tenure is offered a contract for one more year of teaching at the College.
Brandt accepted the offer of an additional year at the College, although, she said, she is also considering some other possibilities.
The newly-tenured professors are pleased with the knowledge of their tenure. "I'm delighted, of course," Corrales said. "I got the phone call on December 22. It was a very brief call, so brief in fact, that a few hours after it happened, I was starting to doubt that it had actually happened."
Corrales has a number of plans for the future. "My ... plan is to work closely with all my colleagues who are interested in strengthening international studies. This means working not only with humanists and social scientists, but also natural scientists. Many of our science majors profit enormously from the opportunity to study other countries," he said. "As for research, I am working on many small research projects, some focusing on contemporary Latin American politics, others focusing on more general questions of development, such as education expansion."
Professor Goutte's entire family joined in her celebration of her tenure. "My nine-year-old daughter Jessalyn composed a tiny piano piece for me entitled "Tenure"-it starts out with the suspenseful ring of the telephone when President Marx called to announce the decision," Goutte said.
Goutte plans to continue her research in the upcoming year. "I will be on leave next year and will use the time to get back to experiments in my lab. During the academic year there are usually so many obligations that keep me sitting in front of my computer instead of my microscope, and frankly I miss my worms," she said. "I live vicariously through the discoveries of my research students, but now it's my chance to roll up my sleeves and get back to the beauties of 400x magnification!"
Goutte's co-workers in the biology department have a great deal of praise for her work. "She has a wonderful way with students," said Professor of Biology David Ratner, chair of the biology department. According to Ratner, students gave extraordinary reviews of Goutte's teaching starting with her first course at the College. He explained that during one of Goutte's lectures, both students and biology faculty members felt that she was addressing their own questions and concerns. "Caroline [Goutte] works on many levels," said Ratner. "Having her as a colleague in the department has been a wonderful experience."
Professor Sanderson has expressed an avid interest in teaching a first-year seminar and developing new interdisciplinary courses. "I'll be working in the near future on continuing my research on the predictors of disordered eating, factors influencing relationship satisfaction, and the errors people make in seeing the social norms of their groups," she said. "I'm also writing a social psychology textbook, which is an interesting opportunity."
Professor of Psychology Buffy Aries, chair of the psychology department, praised Sanderson's dedication to the College. "Professor Sanderson is a wonderful addition to our department. She has taught practically half of the College in introductory psychology. Catherine has been incredibly generous with her time," said Aries. "She has played a very active role in discussions of our department ... [and] to the entire College. It's been great having her."
Before the Committee of Six can consider a faculty member for tenure, the professor must teach at the College for six years. "When a tenure-track assistant professor is hired at the College, they generally receive a three-year contract," Call said. "In their third year, their teaching, scholarship and service to the College are reviewed and, if they are reappointed, they are then given a second contract of four years. Under this schedule they come up for tenure in the fall of their seventh year at the College."
A faculty member's department must first recommend that the Committee of Six consider an assistant professor for tenure.
"Over the years, and long before a tenure-track assistant professor comes up for tenure, his or her department regularly collects evidence about his or her teaching, research, and community service," said Professor of German Ute Brandes, a member of the Committee of Six. "This is to help the junior colleague adjust and improve his or her teaching and other professional skills and to integrate them into the Amherst College culture,"
"During the months before tenure deliberations, recommendations from leading scholars and experts in the candidate's field of research are collected. All this material, together with the candidate's publications, forms the basis for the departmental recommendation. It is then submitted to the dean of faculty, for consideration by the Committee of Six," Brandes added. Student evaluations also play a large role in the Committee's consideration of an assistant professor.
"Once the [Committee] has received all this information, it deliberates," said Associate Professor of Law, Jurisprudence and Social Thought Martha Umphrey, a member of the Committee of Six. "We read the whole file-all the letters, all the writings, and so forth-and ultimately vote on whether or not to recommend that the president grant tenure. The president and dean of faculty are present in those conversations and read everything, too, but do not vote."
According to Marx, the Committee examines a candidate for a combination of skills prior to granting tenure. "[They look for] balance and great accomplishments in both teaching and scholarship," he said.
Tenure means both personal and financial security for professors. "The meaning of tenure is literally having a contract with the College without term or, in other words, a prescribed end date," said Call.
"This decision obviously means that I don't have to find a new job, and hence move, so that has simplified my future plans," said Sanderson.
Corrales said he felt honored to have received tenure. "It's a privilege and a responsibility to have tenure, and I hope I never forget that," said Corrales. Goutte echoed Corrales sentiment. "I feel very fortunate to have been awarded tenure at an institution that values both research and teaching in a single job."