Career Development of Assistant Professors

There should be a major plan worked out with every new arrival to a unit so that there is an orderly progression to a stated goal, in this case, promotion, within a reasonable time. Participation should be offered in a number of activities, and help and assistance given as needed. A coordinated plan of development suited to the academic unit and the candidate concerned should be devised and updated annually.

In units that have a considered plan for their members, this progression is worked out in great detail with allowance for an orderly development in all of the three categories that are concerned in promotion. Teaching functions and the setting up of courses should take priority. Then, in those units where scholarly output is heavily weighted, a research program should be mounted and, finally, some shouldering of service responsibilities should be undertaken. A new assistant professor should not be heavily laden with service commitments in the first year. The entire commitment should be under the guidance of senior people who should take an active role in career development.

March 23, 1995