e-mail me at billdeg@umich.edu

5/16/2009

insert a clever subject line here...

Only, I can't think something clever to call a post whose purpose is to say that I received tenure. Thank you, University of Michigan Regents. I've taken much joy from my job here and I've never felt I had to somehow compromise the things I really want to. But having said that, I hope tenure changes things. I hope that fewer constraints means more creativity and more risk. At any rate, tenure means more security and I'm profoundly thankful for that.

I briefly considered a career in journalism and during a summer internship at city hall I tossed around the idea of political communication and speechwriting. But for the most part, becoming a tenured academic has been a dream since I left the seminary. For all the moaning, however justified, this is a great life. I can be part of it for the next thirty+ years.

6 comments:

Unknown said...

congratulations!

Michael Faris said...

Yay, congratulations!

Nels P. Highberg said...

You go, tenure buddy!

bonnie lenore kyburz said...

very cool. congratulations!!

Kenny said...

Congratulations!!!!

Seth Kahn said...

I'm not sure how I missed this. Great news, Bill. Richly deserved. Now let the real fun begin!