First-Generation Scholars Face Networking Gap That Hinders Tenure Prospects

A recent study in *Econometrica* documents that economists whose parents did not graduate from college are significantly less likely to secure tenure-track positions at major research universities and to achieve tenure. Researchers Anna Stansbury and Kyra Rodriguez argue that this disadvantage can exceed the gaps associated with gender or race.

New York Times

Clint Harris entered a Ph.D. program in economics in 2014 and initially focused on earning top grades. After a year, he observed peers advancing by cultivating relationships with faculty and classmates rather than by sheer academic effort. Harris, now a non-tenure-track researcher at the University of Wisconsin, attributes his difficulty networking to his first-generation background, noting that “some people very much seemed savvy.”

New York Times

Stansbury and Rodriguez analyzed hiring data from leading economics departments. Their analysis shows that first-generation scholars have lower placement rates on tenure-track lines and lower tenure award rates compared with peers whose parents hold college degrees. The authors further report that the magnitude of this gap is comparable to, and in some cases larger than, the documented disadvantages faced by women and non-white scholars in the same field.

New York Times

The findings suggest that reliance on informal networking may perpetuate socioeconomic inequities in academia. If hiring committees continue to value faculty-student relationships and mentorship ties, first-generation candidates could remain underrepresented in tenure-track pipelines. The study calls for institutions to develop more transparent evaluation criteria and to provide structured mentorship programs that mitigate reliance on personal networks.

New York Times

• “Some people very much seemed savvy,” — Dr. Harris — Dr. Harris

New York Times