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Tips for moving to a new (type of) institution after tenure?

In our newest “how can we help you?” thread, a reader asks:

I am currently tenured at an R2 university in the US. I recognize I am fortunate relative to many peers, though I also understand that I will probably be stuck here forever if my program won’t be eliminated (fingers crossed). Nevertheless, I still wonder what some potential career possibilities remain open for me within philosophy and how I might pursue them, knowing that most of them will be very unlikely to happen?

For example, is publishing a ton at top journals the only way to make it possible to move to an R1? Given that my current position is teaching-intensive at the undergraduate level, what are practical strategies for carving out more research time? (Even more practically, would it be reasonable for me to not care too much about my teaching evaluations or pedagogical innovations but to spend more time doing my own research, if I would like to keep this possibility open?)

I saw some people did parallel moves from an R2 to another R2 (or lower end R1). How does this sort of career path happen? Would some administrative experience help?

I think I also saw some people moved from R2s to SLACs. In such cases, does research still matter most? Or does a strong undergraduate teaching record carry more weight?

I have already accepted the fact that I will be at my current job for a couple more decades. But knowing some potential ways to be out would still help me understand my situation better. Thank you for your input!

These are all good questions, and I’m not sure about the answers. I have worked at a SLAC for past 16+ years, but did receive an offer from an R1 last year (which I turned down). I’m not sure, but I suspect that publishing in some good places probably helped. At least anecdotally, my sense is that some tenured jobs are looking for people with various administrative & leadership experience, such as experience as department chair or leading public-facing university programming. But obviously, these are just some anecdotes.

Do readers have any helpful tips in response to the OP’s questions?

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3 responses to “Tips for moving to a new (type of) institution after tenure?”

  1. Anonymous

    I think that post-tenure moves are very difficult to make. And especially if you are seeking to “move up” in some way. I did manage to move from a 4 year college to a research university after tenure after many years.
    Administrative work/experience provides some opportunities for moving. But if a university hires you from outside to chair a department you are almost guaranteed that the department is messed up (that is, has some BIG problems). That is the principal reason for externally hiring a chair – the current faculty cannot solve some sort of problem, or get along with each other. And you will have to take on the role of the chair, at least for five years. So it won’t be an easier job.
    Setting that option aside, at the post-tenure level you not only have to publish in good places, your work has to be having an impact. That is part of the reason I got my current job – my work has more impact that anyone else in the department I now work in (and by no small measure). Incidentally, you have far more control on the amount you publish than you do on the impact of your research.
    Here is some advice (take it or leave it). Live your life like you will be at your current institution until you die. (and, as you note, you probably will be there until you die). And do things you enjoy. There are other career possibilities even if you stay at your current institution – you can go into administration. If you are good at it, you can make more money and even help philosophy, the discipline. I considered this option.
    But, if you are set on moving, look at the type of places you would like to move to, and see how the faculty there differ from yourself. If they all have three monographs with OUP and CUP, then get writing books.

    Reply
  2. Anonymous

    I second the previous comment when it comes to moving over as chair: I saw someone go from an R2, mid-size private university to an R1 with prestigious undergrad admissions, albeit a mid-ranked Leiter department. He came to serve as chair.

    You may have better luck at schools that are prestigious and have selective undergraduate admissions but are outside the Leiter rankings. To my knowledge, Dartmouth has never ranked highly with Leiter, but teaching there is probably bucolically awesome.

    I also agree about “impact.” Publishing in high ranked journals is important but not sufficient. It’s equally as important to become famous within the discipline and for people to be citing your stuff. I’m thinking that the key here is conferencing, emailing, making friends with the right people in the discipline, getting on Twitter/Bluesky and email lists.

    I hate that this is true, but when it comes to impact, the mercenary play could be to “brand” yourself. Focus your publishing and Twitter self-promotion on the development of a high concept scholarly identity, the way that Brene Brown became the shame psychologist.

    As for minimizing your teaching load, are you making maximal use of TAs? If you don’t have graduate students in your department, can you get them from other departments? Can you use undergraduate TAs, e.g., the best senior philosophy majors? If you have some independent source of income (e.g., family money), you could try to pay for help out of your own pocket even if this just takes the form of $500 gift cards, free dinners, etc., doled out to your undergraduate helpers.

    Also on teaching, be skeptical of what people who focus on pedagogy say. What undergraduates care the most about is charisma of lectures and grades. Using a simple three-test grading structure is enough. Don’t be afraid to use some multiple-choice tests. Don’t be afraid to reduce the scope of your syllabus and build in more time for review. Don’t feel like you have to “engage multiple learning styles” or try other fads popular with the pedagogy enthusiasts. I am not saying to abandon rigor but be aware that you can structure and scaffold the whole experience to make the relationship between lectures and tests flow smoothly for students who apply themselves.

    Reply
  3. Michel

    Just a note for anonymous above: Dartmouth has never been ranked by Leiter because it doesn’t have a PhD program, and the PGR is only a ranking of PhD departments, not undergrad institutions.

    Reply

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