The Chronicle: Worthy of rank?
At four-year colleges and universities, promotion to full professor seems pretty straightforward. You need an established record of scholarship, teaching, and service to the institution and the community.
Sure, some promotions run into trouble as a result of personality conflicts, political feuds, or technical disputes. But faculty members at four-year institutions all start on a level playing field in at least one respect: Because a Ph.D. is a requirement for being hired in the first place, all applicants for promotion can claim that achievement.
That’s not the case for faculty members at community colleges. We are a tremendously varied breed, as is reflected in our academic pedigrees.
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