Tenure

Well, my university's board of trustees has decided to ratify the lower committees' decisions and grant me tenure.  For everyone who had a hand in this decision, this one's for you...

Academic immortality

The tenure and promotion committee, along with my dean, have recommended that I receive tenure.  Although there are a few procedural hurdles left this year, this was the big one.  So obviously I am thrilled, and I have already enjoyed some of the Johnnie Walker Blue that my father bought me to celebrate.  The trick now is not to become sedentary as a scholar.

I honestly don't think this is much of a concern.  The process of finishing graduate school, writing a dissertation, finding a job, and then publishing books and a set of peer-reviewed articles is so intense, and the financial rewards for doing so are so modest, that only the most insanely self-motivated people ultimately get tenured.  That is, people who would respond rationally to a lifetime of job security are selected out of the pool.  No guarantees there, of course, but that's my impression.  We'll see.

Now, if you'll excuse me, I have some Star Wars Wii to play.