I had my post-decision debriefing meeting with our Reappointment, Tenure and Promotion (RP&T) Committee this week (I got promoted to associate). This was my first RP&T meeting since I started blogging so I was interested in getting the committee’s take on it. Without a doubt it is favorable. In fact, to my surprise the committee consensus was that my blogging can count as scholarship, teaching and service for tenure purposes. It is up to me to make the case in my tenure materials as to why it should count. I plan to do so.
Now, I’m under no illusion that I can blog my way to tenure; I still intend to continue to crank out traditional scholarship. But it’s nice to know that blogging can help. And I think it’s a smart move for law schools, especially regional law schools like mine, to encourage faculty blogging—many of the benefits that flow to the blogger also flow directly or indirectly to the blogger’s school.