Your Career: How to regain your footing when your "at will" appointment ends abruptly

What to expect in a “serving at the pleasure of” administrative position. ADVERTISEMENT [Your Career Logo]( You can also [read this newsletter on the web](. Or, if you no longer want to receive this newsletter, [unsubscribe](. What to expect in a “serving at the pleasure of” administrative position Higher education is rife with organizational structures that seem inscrutable. One such source of mystery is captured by the phrase, “I serve at the pleasure of,” which characterizes a distinct relationship between a major power holder (e.g., a dean, a provost, a president) and an appointed underling. In campus HR offices, such jobs are sometimes referred to as “at will” and often include an “associate” or “assistant” designation. These appointments are indefinite or open-ended rather than secured with specific or renewable time limits — i.e., you have the position so long as the leader remains in a pleasant state of satisfaction with your work. When the leader is displeased, you have few protections from being unceremoniously terminated. When the cause for your dismissal is not obvious, the underling may never know what sins prompted the leader’s change of attitude. It may represent cumulative dissatisfaction over a variety of small infractions and some final disappointment. Or the rationale can be as simple as not liking the personality of an inherited underling. In such cases, public dissection of the demotion will provide lots of alternative explanations. Clearly this lopsided power relationship entails plenty of potential quagmires for your career, but there are benefits, too. Continue reading: “[What to Expect in a ‘Serving at the Pleasure of’ Post]( by Jane S. Halonen and Dana S. Dunn Share your suggestions for the newsletter with Denise Magner, an editor at The Chronicle, at denise.magner@chronicle.com. If you’d like to opt out, you can log in to our website and [manage your newsletter preferences here](. SUBSCRIBE TO THE CHRONICLE Enjoying the newsletter? [Subscribe today]( for unlimited access to essential news, analysis, and advice. NEWSLETTER [Sign Up for the Teaching Newsletter]( Find insights to improve teaching and learning across your campus. Delivered on Thursdays. To read this newsletter as soon as it sends, [sign up]( to receive it in your email inbox. LATEST CAREER ADVICE, OPINION, AND NEWS ADVICE [Associate Professors and the ‘Second Book Problem’]( By Danielle A. Macdonald and Laura M. Stevens [STORY IMAGE]( How a new writers institute aims to help faculty members complete book two and earn promotion. SPONSOR CONTENT | Queen’s University Belfast [Changing the Future of Food]( PAY UPDATE [How Much Has Faculty Pay Changed Over Time?]( By Brian O’Leary [STORY IMAGE]( See the latest federal data on compensation for all ranks of the profession at thousands of American colleges. HIRING AND RETENTION [One Way to Stop ‘Passing the Harasser’? 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[Let me know](mailto:denise.magner@chronicle.com?subject=Your Career feedback). - Research in the the Harvard Business Review on he [benefits of daily workplace rituals]( especially those created by employees rather than management. - A [first-person essay]( in The Wall Street Journal chronicles a writer’s experience during a stay-at-home sabbatical. - In The New Yorker, [a report]( on the resurgence of “dumb phones” among people “desperate to escape their screens.” MORE CAREER RESOURCES [The Student-Success Journey: Amping Up Orientation]( [STORY IMAGE]( UPCOMING: April 17, 2024 | 2 p.m. ET. Orientation can promote inclusion and respect on campus and showcase a college’s values. Join an expert panel on what worked and what didn’t when updating orientation. With Support From Mongoose. [Register here.]( DATA [How Much Are Public-College Presidents Paid?]( [STORY IMAGE]( Base pay, bonuses, and benefits for 195 chief executives at public doctoral universities and systems in 2022. 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[Reserve your spot today!]( JOB OPPORTUNITIES [Associate Director of Business Operations, Housing Operations Hybrid]( University of Cincinnati [College President]( Pitt Community College [Search other jobs.]( CAREER RESOURCES [April article collection about salary negotiation] [Read the April collection]( to learn strategies on salary negotiation. Dive into our topics on why negotiating every offer matters, what to do if you were lowballed, and more! NEWSLETTER FEEDBACK [Please let us know what you thought of today's newsletter in this three-question survey](. This newsletter was sent to {EMAIL}. [Read this newsletter on the web](. [Manage]( your newsletter preferences, [stop receiving]( this email, or [view]( our privacy policy. © 2024 [The Chronicle of Higher Education]( 1255 23rd Street, N.W. Washington, D.C. 20037