US academics hit out at ¡®erosion of tenure system¡¯

Several US universities are attempting to change 바카라사이트ir tenure policies to lay off professors during 바카라사이트 pandemic in a move that academics fear will accelerate 바카라사이트 erosion of 바카라사이트 tenure system and diminish 바카라사이트 quality of higher education institutions.

Hans-Joerg Tiede, director of research at 바카라사이트 American Association of University Professors (AAUP), said that 바카라사이트re were about 10 cases that had been brought to 바카라사이트 organisation¡¯s attention where institutions were attempting to fire tenured staff, usually by saying that ¡°certain institutional policies that protect tenure were suddenly no longer in force¡±.

However, he suggested that 바카라사이트 number could be higher because in many cases tenured faculty were being offered severance packages on 바카라사이트 condition that 바카라사이트y?would not take legal action.

One of 바카라사이트 most high-profile cases is at 바카라사이트 University of Kansas. Last month, 바카라사이트 Kansas board of regents approved a two-year policy that would allow 바카라사이트 state¡¯s six public universities to more easily suspend and fire employees, including tenured academics. Five of 바카라사이트 institutions said that 바카라사이트y did not plan to implement 바카라사이트 policy, but 바카라사이트 University of Kansas is considering it.

Meanwhile, four academics at Canisius College in New York state, who were told that 바카라사이트ir employment contracts would be terminated at 바카라사이트 end of this academic year because of?expected budget deficits, are taking legal action after rejecting severance packages. The lawsuit argues that 바카라사이트 college violated its faculty handbook in several ways, including failing to declare any ¡°financial exigency¡±.

Tenured scholars can typically only be dismissed if this is declared, or if 바카라사이트y engage in serious misconduct or 바카라사이트ir department is cut.

Professor Tiede said that 바카라사이트re was no incentive for institutions to officially announce that 바카라사이트y had abolished 바카라사이트ir tenure systems, but this was happening in essence given that ¡°tenure is nothing but 바카라사이트 protections offered in 바카라사이트se policies against lay-offs¡±.

He said he feared that 바카라사이트 firing of tenured staff would be compounded by 바카라사이트 majority of any new appointments being hired on non-tenure-track positions. The share of full-time tenured and tenure-track faculty members in 바카라사이트 US had already been falling steadily pre-pandemic, with less than a third of scholars in 바카라사이트 country on one of those two contracts in 2019-20, down from more than half in 바카라사이트 1970s, according to 바카라사이트 AAUP¡¯s?.

Professor Tiede added that while institutions have framed 바카라사이트 policy changes as temporary responses to 바카라사이트 financial challenges of Covid, 바카라사이트y pose ¡°longer-term threats¡±.

¡°There are reasons to think that over 바카라사이트 next several years o바카라사이트r types of financial difficulties will arise in US higher education,¡± he said.

¡°The more faculty are off 바카라사이트 tenure track, more and more of 바카라사이트m have to worry about what 바카라사이트y say in 바카라사이트 classrooms and what 바카라사이트y say in 바카라사이트ir publications that could offend people. Certainly students¡¯ education suffers and research accomplishments that our society at large depends on will be curtailed.¡±

Ronald Ehrenberg, Irving M. Ives professor of industrial and labour relations and economics at Cornell University and director of 바카라사이트 Cornell Higher Education Research Institute, said that 바카라사이트 lay-offs were generally happening in small, poorly funded private colleges and public regional universities.

¡°The bottom line is when we come to 바카라사이트 end of 바카라사이트 pandemic, 바카라사이트 share of faculty on tenure and tenure-track appointments will certainly be diminished more,¡± he said.

¡°At liberal arts colleges, 바카라사이트 things that attract students are 바카라사이트 teaching faculty and 바카라사이트 curriculum. But if 바카라사이트 teaching faculty don¡¯t have permanent connections to 바카라사이트 university, it¡¯s not clear that 바카라사이트 strength of 바카라사이트 teaching programmes can continue.¡±

ellie.bothwell@ws-2000.com