The Tenure System in Education

Paper Summary:

This paper discusses issues surrounding tenure, a system of professional employment whereby an employee achieves permanent status pursuant to which continued employment is guaranteed, largely without regard to critical evaluation. The paper points out that, historically, the purpose of tenured academic faculty was to ensure the academic freedom to teach material and promote critical insight that could otherwise expose educators to reprisals and intellectual coercion for teaching or promoting views that were controversial or that contradicted the philosophical, religious, or political positions of the government or academic institutions. In principle, the paper adds that academic tenure was designed to promote lifelong devotion to teaching. The paper explains that of the institution of academic tenure is criticized because, in reality, it promotes an initial period of intense career focus and achievement intended more to achieve tenured status than anything else, followed by professional mediocrity for the duration of an educator's professional career. Ultimately, the paper suggests that educational tenure should instead provide appropriate rewards and privileges in conjunction with standards that promote continued performance.

Outline:
Background and History
Conflicting Issues and Criticism of Academic Tenure
Re-evaluating Educational Tenure in Contemporary Society
Conclusion

From the Paper:

"In academic institutions, professors are initially hired as associate professors or adjunct professors and only considered for tenured professorships after a term of employment in that capacity; generally, academic tenure is awarded after 5 - 7 years of employment as an associate or adjunct professor. The evaluation for academic tenure usually includes a formal review of an educator's performance, as measured by published research and academic writings, as well as a review of feedback solicited anonymously from a candidate's current and former students (Hohm & Shore, 1998)."

Sample of Sources Used:

• DeGeorge, R.T. (2003) Ethics, Academic Freedom, and Tenure. Journal of Academic Ethics, (Vol. 1, No. 1).
• Hohm, C. F., Shore, H.B. (1998) The Academy under Siege: Informing the Public about the Merits of Academic Tenure. Sociological Perspectives, (Vol. 41, No. 4).
• Levitt, S.D. (2007) Let's Just Get Rid of Tenure (Including Mine). The New York Times; (March 3, 2007).

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