SIOP’s Junior Faculty Keep Coming Back for More: The Fourth Annual Junior Faculty Consortium Report (2009)
Mark C. Frame
University of Texas at Arlington
The Fourth Annual Junior Faculty Consortium (JFC) was held on Wednesday, April 1, 2009. Twenty-six participants (up 8% from 2008) learned about building a fundable program of research, enhancing their publication efforts, staying sane during the tenure process, and finding an institution that is the right “fit.”
The JFC started with an informal networking session followed by a panel that focused on building a program of research and obtaining extramural funding. Three SIOP award winning researchers, Walter C. Borman, Michele J. Gelfand, and Gilad Chen, discussed developing a program of research, provided insight on sources of extramural funding, and discussed the challenges they experienced along the way. After lunch, the JFC attendees were treated to the editorial insights of Walter C. Borman, Steven Rogelberg, John M. Schaubroeck, and Chockalingam Viswesvaran. The editors discussed the review process, submission processes, submission statistics for their respective journals, and answered questions. The “How I Managed the Tenure Process and Remained Reasonably Sane” panelists, Stephanie C. Payne, Sylvia Roch, and Adrian Thomas, discussed the support provided, the mentoring received, and the decisions they made along the road to earning tenure. This year, this JFC tradition included the first presentation by a SIOP JFC alumnus. The panelists provided tips regarding some of the dos and don’ts of being a junior faculty member, and more importantly, they reminded attendees of the need to keep things in perspective and find the right person–job fit. For the final event of the 2009 JFC, participants were provided with snacks and beverages and discussed their careers, their research, and plans for 2010 JFC.
The postconsortium survey revealed that 2009 JFC participants were pleased with the panels, and more than 77% reported that they would attend similar panels at future SIOP conferences. Over 92% of those who are likely to attend the SIOP conference in 2010 said they would “consider participating in the 2010 SIOP JFC.” Attendees appreciated hearing about the personal experiences of recently tenured faculty “talking about their tenure process.” One attendee reported that it was “Nice to meet others in the same boat.”
In 4 years the SIOP JFC has become a learning opportunity that pretenure faculty choose to attend on multiple occasions. The 2009 JFC attendees provided several suggestions for 2010, and some volunteered to assist in planning the event. On behalf of the all of the 2009 JFC attendees, I thank the panelists for their time, effort, and tutelage. Thanks also to Jessica Bagger, Wendy S. Becker, Joyce E. Bono, and James L. Farr for the time and effort they put into the first three SIOP JFCs. I’m not certain that I would have been able to organize and host the 2009 SIOP JFC without the help of the great people in the SIOP Administrative Office and my graduate student/JFC assistant Ryan Phillips. I am looking forward to a positively peachy time during the 2010 JFC in Atlanta!