questions=
- What consideration should the promotion and tenure committee give to Shen's leave of absence? Her term of modified duties? Her post-childbirth medical issues?
- Discuss how variations in performance over a period ought to be considered in tenure and promotion decisions. Which aspects should be considered in making this judgment?
- Productivity over a particular period and/or average annual productivity? Achievements during one's career and/or one's employment at the university?
- Cumulative achievements? Individual productivity related to comparable peers at the university and/or in the discipline?
- High productivity in the 1-2 year period just before the decision?
- What assumptions related to Shen's parental status influenced your reading of this case?
- How might considerations related to parental status have affected arguments presented by Shen's reviewers? Identify positive and negative considerations.
- Do you consider that gender and family responsibilities are coupled? In other words, is there a difference between considering family responsibilities for cases of male and female faculty members? If so, how do they differ?
- What considerations related to parental status affected perceptions of Shen's performance? Identify positive and negative considerations.
- Consider the chair's role in advising Shen about when to come up for promotion and tenure. What responsibilities (if any) does the chair have to guide Shen's case toward a positive outcome?
- With regard to mentoring, do young faculty need mentors? When? Who? How? Why? What kind? What kind of variation can you envision in both the receptivity of mentoring and guidance offered?