These kinds of institutions are becoming more popular, because they’re critical for addressing complex global problems like climate change or emerging infectious diseases. They get lots of foundation money, and hire bright, creative faculty trained to work across disciplines.
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Because of how tenure works, such faculty typically have an appointment in the center and a departmental home in a traditional academic unit (Biology, Political Science, etc.). The faculty peers who evaluate them are often trained in single disciplines, especially in new centers.
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When it’s time to evaluate these faculty for tenure, they’re inappropriately compared to their single-discipline peers. They’re criticized for not being focused enough, for collaborating too much, or doing too much “social science” by biological or physical scientists.
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Sometimes, they have two peer committees, one in each discipline (e.g., Biology and Political Science). Each has maybe even been giving conflicting feedback on tenure expectations. Or peers don’t “get” how interdisciplinary research works, how it’s funded, where it’s published.
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If you’re on the job market, split positions between departments or cool interdisciplinary institutions can seem like dream jobs. They’re designed to do exactly what so many of us want to do: build bridges, solve problems, engage with diverse peers. But be very, very careful.
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When you interview, ask very direct questions about the tenure and evaluation process. Ask how peer committees are comprised. Ask how many people have successfully gotten tenure. Talk to other people in the center or with similar joint appointments. Don’t be shy about this.
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What’s especially frustrating is that there ARE good models for universities that support interdisciplinary work. It was one of the reasons I was drawn to UMaine, where we’ve been doing this for over 40 years. It’s not hard.
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My job is 50% School of Biology and Ecology (tenure home), 50% Climate Change Institute. My search committee and peer committees are made up of a mix of both, and there’s a strong culture of respecting the work we all do across disciplines and what that looks like.
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Collaborative research is seen as a strength, not a weakness; it’s central to what the Institute is trying to do. Ditto to outreach (we’re a public Land Grant university). Problem-based research and partnerships with local, state, national, and international entities are valued.
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So, if you’re involved with such a center, or are about to start a cluster hire to bring on a bunch of shiny new interdisciplinary faculty, make sure you bake fairness, transparency, equity, and support for junior faculty into your model.
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Make sure service loads are fair, too (they should be half the 100% faculty in your departments; remember that faculty may be teaching or doing service for both their homes; it’s twice as likely to overcommit). Make tenure expectations clear to peer committees and letter writers.
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And for goodness’ sake, if you lead such an institution or chair faculty with joint appointments, reach out to the established institutions who figured this out long before interdisciplinary, convergent research was cool (geography departments also get this).
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