Author: Cordelia Kenney
Five professors will be tenured or promoted this semester, including Professor of Urban and Environmental Policy Martha Matsuoka ’83, Professor of Sociology Richard Mora, Professor of Psychology Andrew Shtulman, Professor of Spanish and linguistics Michael Shelton and Professor of Mathematics Eric Sundberg. Dean of the College Jorge Gonzalez hosted an event at the Collins House Patio on Oct. 29 to celebrate the new appointments of these faculty members.
Each professor cited the important role both their students and the college have played in their success and happiness as educators. Shtulman, who will be tenured and promoted to the position of associate professor of psychology, described the invaluable contributions his students have made to his career.
“In the six years I’ve been at Oxy, I’ve worked with 36 students on various research projects in my lab, and all 36 have been wonderful,” Shtulman said via email. “My productivity as a scholar has been entirely dependent on their help, and they have taught me so much in the process.”
Shelton, who was also tenured and promoted to associate professor of linguistics, expressed a similar sentiment.
“This in an institution that values both teaching and research of high quality,” Shelton said via email. “The students are motivated, demanding, and expect a close working relationship with their professors, which I enjoy. I also enjoy working in an institution that values diversity and interdisciplinarity.”
Newly-appointed associate professor of sociology Mora spoke about the social consciousness of the Occidental community as well as conveying his gratitude for the people at the school.
“I’m thankful for all my colleagues and students who have contributed to my development as a teacher, researcher and academic writer,” Mora said via email. “And, I am glad for the folks on campus who are committed to making Oxy and our society just.”
Professors on the tenure and promotion track must undergo careful review by their peers as well as their students. According to Shelton, professors are judged based on their teaching, outside academic work and service to Occidental. Over the course of several years, professors submit various materials for review to their departments and the college’s Advisory Council, according to Shtulman.
“Oxy wants to keep the best faculty it can, and this process allows junior faculty to exhibit their best work, with support and guidance from senior members of the faculty,” Shelton said.
In addition to course evaluations from students, professors are evaluated for tenure by their peers and the administration based on their publications, curriculum vitae and a description of their academic development over the course of their time at Occidental, according to Shtulman.
“The other two components of the tenure evaluation process are research and service,” Shtulman said. “Our research productivity is measured mainly in terms of publications and grants but other activities count as well. Our service to the College is measured in terms of how active we are on the Oxy campus, doing things like serving on committees, organizing events, mentoring student research, advising student organizations and hosting outside speakers.”
Professors hoping to get promoted display their competence in various ways, Shelton explained.
“The scholarship area differs by faculty member, depending on the professor’s area of expertise, but all tenure-line faculty members at Oxy are engaged in research and/or creative production with expectations of publication or public display,” he said.
Both Shtulman and Shelton actively do research when not teaching classes at Occidental. Besides the numerous responsibilities to the college, Mora, for example, has been teaching a creative writing workshop at a juvenile detention center with associate professor of Critical Theory and Social Justice Mary Christianakis over the past four years.
Along with being able to engage in work outside of the college, Shtulman appreciates how Occidental places importance in both teaching and research for professors.
“I value teaching as much as I value research, which makes working at liberal arts institution like Oxy a rewarding experience,” Shtulman said. “Larger institutions, like the UCs, typically value research over teaching, which disincentives faculty from spending much time on their teaching. I’m glad to be at an institution where my time spent on teaching is not viewed as subordinate to my time spent on research.”
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