It has been three months since we welcomed our first child, Mackenzie, into the world; I have become an Academic Mother. I am also two years into the tenure process at a comprehensive university with a partner who is also an academic starting the tenure clock. We made a conscious decision to have a child at a fragile point in our careers and because of this we have an important experience to share.
What amazes me is the lack of information, the confusion, and the heartfelt concern that women and men who are on the tenure-track feel when it comes to childbearing. Since my pregnancy became obvious (who can really hide a belly the size of a basketball?), I have become a defacto mentor, information source, and role model for those individuals who are considering having a child on the tenure-track or who are in graduate school working toward faculty work aware of the coincidence of their biological clocks and the time to tenure. People are confused about their rights, wondering if they are committing career suicide, considering forgoing motherhood/fatherhood altogether...we have a problem, maybe even a crisis.
I started this blog to share my story (and I hope to get others to share their stories) about the experience of being a tenure-track faculty member and having a child. There is much information in research journals and books about being an academic mother, but I have consistently felt as if those writings to do not necessarily apply to those of us on the tenure clock, are not as candid as I would like, and do not provide enough of the "how to" that is needed to be successful as both a faculty and a parent.
My goal is to provide information, spark debate, create awareness, and maybe even promote activism to help all women and men feel as if they have the option of child rearing while also having the support and confidence to have a successful career. If I have learned anything since our daughter's birth three months ago, having a child is a wonderful experience and is even harder than writing a dissertation!
For Those on the Tenure-Track
This blog is a compilation of shared experiences and information for academic parents who are on or aspire to be on the tenure track. Our goal is to provide information, spark debate, create awareness, and maybe even promote activism to help all women and men feel as if they can be successful academic parents.
1 comment:
Jaime, many kudos to you for starting this blog and initiating this very important conversation! I can say that as a relatively new mom who is untenured (I go up in 2010), life is complicated. There's certainly a lot to be said and the more open we can be, the better for the next generation of faculty. I look forward to commenting and also posting as this blog grows.
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