Two conferences, four presentations and three large meetings, spread among four states -- all on top of teaching and doing research.
That's a truncated summary of a week in the life of English professor Herman Beavers, who is currently acting director of the Center for Africana Studies. Admittedly, that week was abnormal, probably one of the busiest he has had in a long time, he said.
But even if such a crowded week is unusual, the demands placed on both tenured and junior minority faculty members are often extensive. They are asked to provide extra resources, advice and support for students of color, in addition to having added responsibilities in administrative affairs and initiatives. But, compared to the past, some say, the situation might be improving, at least for junior faculty members.
Some of these activities are self-selected, but others are not. Individual minority faculty members are more often asked to serve on various committees. This trend arises because the University has a small number of minority faculty to draw on, but still aims to have their involvement and input.
"Advising is something that we all do. And mentoring is something that I personally love to do," Beavers said, but added that "when it comes to things dealing with the racial climate at Penn, minority faculty still do the major lifting."
The traditional concern has been that these additional responsibilities detract from scholarship, making it more difficult for junior minority faculty members to receive tenure. The problem is to a large extent historically rooted. In the past, there were few senior minority faculty members to advise junior faculty members and ease their burdens.
According to some professors, the situation has improved lately due to a growing pool of senior minority faculty. Additionally, the hope is that junior faculty who are closely involved with service on campus are now receiving recognition for this work during the tenure evaluation.
"Most junior faculty these days get advised to say no, and departments know they should leave a junior faculty alone," Beavers said. "When I came along in '89, that wasn't the case."
Even when she was a junior faculty member, History professor Ann Farnsworth-Alvear, director of Latin American and Latino Studies, remembered being responsible for the administrative duties that accompanied the program.
"I did it because I didn't perceive anyone else who could do it," she explained. "Our goal now is to try to shield our assistant professors so they have time to do their work."
Others shared similar feelings of isolation when they first came to Penn.
"When I came here, I was by myself," History professor Robert Engs said."Now there is a whole umbrella of full professors across the University. ... They make sure that someone is mentoring [younger faculty], someone is listening to them and trying to help them succeed on the [tenure path] in the University."
Engs recounted that it was in the late '80s and early '90s that the competition to receive tenure became more evenhanded. He attributed the improvement to the growing number of senior minority faculty and a general change in attitude on campus.
