Unfinished Business in the Academy: Women, Men, Family, Tenure, and Promotion

• In Event: 35.020 - Women in Academia: Alternative Narratives and Methodologies Creating Space for Diverse Gendered Perspectives

Abstract

As an experienced teacher educator I have been actively involved in the self-study of teacher education practices, which has influenced the way that I examine my practice and my life as an academic. For this particular study, I have been taking note of recent literature on the challenges professional women face in finding a productive and healthy work-life balance while closely observing the realities of several colleagues as they navigate the tenure and promotion process at my university. This study questions the expectations of new professors in the academy within the Canadian context as well as current tenure and promotion processes. I reflect on the effects of these processes on the lives of early-career professors, and propose that, when considering tenure and promotion, universities take note of recent publications that critically examine the experiences of women in the business world and offer alternate visions of recognizing talent and experience along with the need for caregiving in our society. This session will be important to scholars who are questioning current practices of recognising and valuing the work of academics in light of new insights on the topic of promoting a healthy work-life balance.

Author

• Lynn A. Thomas, Université de Sherbrooke