Digital Commons Network^™

The Road To Tenure: Obstacles For The Media Adviser, Jeffrey M. Demas

Communications Faculty Scholarship

Tenure has been the topic of various journal articles, but few have examined the process from within specific disciplines. This study surveyed 136 advisers of campus radio and television stations to ascertain what obstacles to tenure were associated with this position. Respondents reported that 1) advising a media outlet takes time from teaching and research; 2) advising the station and producing programming is not highly valued by tenure committees; 3) tenure is essential to job security because students tend to push the envelope in on-air activities, and; 4) tenure is an archaic concept and they have no interest in pursuing …