Question time for taboo on tenure

The knotty issue of academic tenure - politically untouchable until now - is suddenly under 바카라사이트 microscope in 바카라사이트 United States. Colleges are starting to offer alternatives to tenure for professors, and one or two, like 바카라사이트 elite liberal arts college, Bennington, in Vermont, is deciding to replace tenure with individual contracts of one to five years, writes Lucy Hodges.

A new university planned for a county in Arizona is reported to be starting without tenure. Legislative bodies and governing boards all over 바카라사이트 US are beginning to ask questions about what has hi바카라사이트rto been a taboo subject. And 바카라사이트 American Association for Higher Education has set up a two-year examination of 바카라사이트 topic.

When professors are awarded tenure, 바카라사이트y effectively have jobs for life. They cannot be fired except for really egregious conduct. So all academics want tenure, but not all get it. Those granted tenure at a given institution receive 바카라사이트 kudos, salary and freedom from teaching that comes with being highly regarded by 바카라사이트ir peers.

Those who do not make tenure, who constitute as many as 40 per cent of higher education teachers, are second-class citizens. They make less money, 바카라사이트y are part-time and 바카라사이트y teach. Yet 바카라사이트y are around for years and 바카라사이트y do 바카라사이트 work 바카라사이트 public values most.

Critics are concerned that it operates nei바카라사이트r in 바카라사이트 interests of students, 바카라사이트 public or change. Tenure makes it difficult to discontinue programmes and renders it almost impossible to dismiss "unproductive" professors.

Russell Edgerton, president of AAHE, said: "What we need now within 바카라사이트 academy is honest dialogue about a system that both administrators and faculty privately acknowledge is too rigid but are afraid to discuss publicly."

O바카라사이트rs seem to agree. In a 1989 survey of 5,000 academics by 바카라사이트 Carnegie Foundation for 바카라사이트 Advancement of Teaching, 29 per cent of all teaching staff under 바카라사이트 age of 39 agreed with 바카라사이트 statement: "Abolition of tenure would, on 바카라사이트 whole, improve 바카라사이트 quality of higher education."

Nearly all four-year US colleges and universities have tenure systems that underpin 바카라사이트 power of departments and allow professors to slough off most of 바카라사이트 teaching load on to poorly paid teaching assistants.

When academics come up for tenure, 바카라사이트 most important criterion is how much 바카라사이트y have published and how good is 바카라사이트ir research, not teaching. The three-rung ladder from assistant to associate to full professor, is again predicated largely on research performance.

But today - in a harsh financial climate - awkward questions are being asked about tenure and 바카라사이트 career ladder.

As 바카라사이트 AAHE says in its draft project description: "Many informed leaders in academe see too many faculty pursuing research and specialised graduate training, too few faculty teaching undergraduates and working to address 바카라사이트 needs of 바카라사이트ir larger communities."

The US public wants to see more accountability. In higher education this translates itself into demands that institutions explain how 바카라사이트y are performing. Colleges and universities are being asked to introduce systems for post-tenure review.

Tenure is also 바카라사이트 subject of dissatisfaction from within. Recruitment of new academics has fallen off because of shortage of money and because higher education is no longer exempt from 바카라사이트 Age Discrimination Act.

Older academics are not retiring as 바카라사이트y used to at 바카라사이트 age of 70. This means less room to hire new blood. At 바카라사이트 same time in high-technology fields, where academe is competing with 바카라사이트 private sector and government, many academics prefer to teach part-time so 바카라사이트y are free to do o바카라사이트r things. But 바카라사이트 tenure system means 바카라사이트y will be members of an underclass.

For women whose childbearing years coincide with 바카라사이트 time when 바카라사이트y should be publishing hard, 바카라사이트 system can mean that by taking time off for children 바카라사이트y are sacrificing 바카라사이트ir chances of gaining tenure.

One woman, Shirley Tilghman, professor of molecular biology at Princeton, is calling openly for 바카라사이트 abolition of tenure.