Elizabethtown College recognized four newly-tenured and promoted faculty members at the College’s annual Convocation ceremony Friday, Aug. 28. Drs. Conrad Kanagy, Jeffery Long and Gabriela Sanchis were promoted from associate professors to full professor positions, while Dr. Charla Lorenzen was granted tenure as well as a promotion from assistant professor to associate professor.
According to a press release from the College on Aug. 31, “a [professor’s] scholarly work, teaching and service to the College and community over several years are reviewed by a faculty peer committee, the provost, the president and the Board of Trustees.”
Long, professor of religion and Asian studies received tenure six years ago but described the process of applying for tenure and promotion as intensive. “During our first six years, our contract is renewed every year,” he said. Long explained that when first hired at the College, professors are ranked with the title of “assistant professor.” After their sixth year, professors can apply for tenure and promotion to the rank of “associate professor.”
Lorenzen teaches Spanish and earned tenure last spring. “The main idea of tenure is that the professor will be able to teach at the institution for the rest of his or her academic career,” she said. Being able to pursue and share knowledge with students in any area of study (even controversial ones) without the fear of being fired is a major component of tenure, according to Lorenzen. “Tenure does not exist in the majority of occupations, and I realized that I am privileged to have the job security and academic freedom that come with being a tenured professor,” she said.
Kanagy teaches in the sociology and anthropology department and received tenure in 1999 but was promoted to full professor (from associate professor) this spring. Kanagy said that Dean of Faculty Fletcher McClellan introduced the newly-tenured and promoted faculty at the Convocation ceremony and described each of their accomplishments. “Promotion to full professor is an honor because it represents the highest ranking for a university professor,” he said.
He described the promotion as being an acknowledgement by peers both in and outside the College of one’s achievements in the classroom, in service to the College and surrounding community and in scholarship. Kanagy has been at Etown for 20 years and said that he feels tremendously blessed to be part of the community.
Regarding the ceremony, Lorenzen said, “For me, having our accomplishments recognized at Convocation was validation of our hard work, and seeing my colleagues be promoted to full professor motivated me to want to follow in their footsteps.”
After she attended progressively larger institutions that were much more research-oriented, Lorenzen said she subsequently applied for jobs at schools with less than 5,000 students. She described wanting to work at a smaller school with more faculty-student interactions. “Etown was a perfect match for me because I get to interact with our students at a level or depth and breadth that would not be possible at a large, impersonal institution,” Lorenzen said.
Long and Lorenzen both explained the process of applying for tenure and promotion as rigorous. “The person seeking promotion basically has to make the case that they deserve it,” Long said.
Demonstrating excellence in teaching and advising, high quality service and professional development are all aspects of applying for advancement. Professors must submit extensive paperwork and letters to the College administration and faculty committee in charge of decisions regarding these matters. Lorenzen said professors must submit things like their teaching philosophy statement, advising philosophy statement, letters from colleagues, timelines or chronological lists of committees or boards on which they have served.
Despite the arduous task of applying for tenure and promotion, each professor recognized that receiving either is an honor. “I feel honored and also relieved to have promotion to professor and to have had my work recognized in this way,” Long said. “It’s a great compliment and affirmation of the work I have done and continue to do at Elizabethtown College.”
For Lorenzen, the support she received from her family during the entire process was also particularly rewarding. “My husband brought our 9-year-old daughter to the Convocation, and it meant the world to me to have them included in the celebration,” she said.