Tenure-track faculty numbers on the rise

University expects to return to longterm average soon

By SAMANTHA POWERS the daily northwestern

In March 2020, the University granted professors an automatic one-year extension to their “tenure clock,” leading many to delay the process to 2021 or later.

The extension, granted to any tenure-track faculty whose review process had not yet begun, allowed professors like Political Science Prof. Chloe Thurston to make tenure despite COVID-19 pandemicrelated setbacks.

“It’s been a really challenging and uncertain time,” Thurston said. “So, in some ways, I’m just very relieved that my research, at the time that I was going up for tenure, wasn’t tremendously set back by that. That’s a matter of luck, really, that the timing worked out.”

Tenure guarantees employment for professors who have progressed through a six-year track and demonstrate the “highest standards” of professional achievement in their respective fields, according to the Office of the Provost’s website. Northwestern professors must pass multiple rounds of evaluation to receive tenure.

The number of tenured faculty decreased from 32 to 18 between 2020 and 2021 due to the COVID-19 pandemic, according to University spokesperson Hilary Hurd Anyaso.

But, that number increased by 24 between 2021 and 2022.

“We expect the numbers to return to the long-term average in the next two to three years,” Anyaso told the Daily.

Now, Thurston, a mother of a young child, said she can relax and not worry about moving since she has received tenure.

“It means you don’t need to look for another job,” Thurston said. “You don’t need to upend your life or your family’s life. I think the other aspect is that it gives you a greater stake in and sense of belonging in the community.”

She said receiving tenure also gives her a heightened sense of security — before, she felt stressed about trying to meet external standards.

However, Thurston said she has learned that imposter syndrome can persist even with greater job stability.

“It turns out that everything

» See TENURE , page 6

White light therapy combats SAD

Students with seasonal affective disorder find solutions on campus

By EVELYN DRISCOLL daily senior staffer @ evdriscoll7

Bienen and Weinberg sophomore Eloise Brotzman, a California native, did not anticipate the impact the darker Evanston winter and fall months would have on her mental health.

Brotzman noticed that her depression symptoms became more extreme in the winter, but she said using a HappyLight therapy lamp has helped ease her symptoms.

“I use that every morning, usually when I’m getting dressed and when I’m doing my makeup,” Brotzman said. “I’ll just turn it on, and I found that (it) really helps.”

Brotzman is one of many students who use light therapy to counter diagnosed seasonal affective disorder, depression or a general lack of energy based on season.

Feinberg Prof. Dorothy Sit described SAD as recurring episodes of depression that typically begin in the fall and winter and resolve in the spring. Symptoms include lack of motivation, oversleeping, exhaustion, low energy and loss of interest in activities.

Sit led a study that found that individuals with bipolar depression who used white light therapy experienced a greater positive effect than those who did not.

Though Sit supports the use of psychiatric medications to treat seasonal depression, she added that research on light therapy is part of a necessary effort to create more non-drug depression treatment options.

“We can’t have a onesize-fits-all for treatments,” Sit said. “They really need to offer varieties in order to help more people recover from depression.”

One student, who wishes to remain anonymous due to privacy concerns, has been diagnosed with SAD.

They said their non-seasonal depression symptoms increase during the fall and winter months, and that the increase in intrusive thoughts and anxiety can make it difficult to remain present.

“There’s a general sense of lethargy that I notice when it’s cold or gloomy outside,” the student said. “Like, my brain is not really active or awake, which can be in and of itself a bit anxiety-inducing.”

They tried light therapy once but said it was not effective for them because they had “already decided that it wouldn’t work.” However, the student said they were able to manage their symptoms this academic year by creating an exercise routine, practicing intentional eating, breathing and meditation.

The student said they believe preparing early for less light exposure in the fall and winter has helped limit the effects of SAD.

“My first winter here was a huge adjustment (because) I didn’t really recognize that this was seasonal depression,” the student said. “Not being aware of what it was kind of created a formula to exacerbate it far worse than it had

» See SAD, page 6