Arguments Against Tenure
Tenure is most commonly associated with research institutions, and that is where tenure affects the most people. At a research institution such as Georgia Tech, tenured professors provide the backbone of the prolific research programs that the school offers and receives numerous grants for. Without the time afforded to those researchers through tenure, wouldn't the research programs crumble? The answer may not be so obvious, as it turns out that tenure might not guarantee that any actual research happens with that extra time. Originally, tenure was created with a great emphasis on academic freedom; professors should not be fired just because they don't teach something the way that the board of directors wants. However, it is possible that tenure might not be the sole provider of that freedom and may be, in fact, stifling professors from teaching the concepts that they feel are most important. In addition, tenure has created a division between the nontenured lecturers and tenured professors at many universities. In some cases, nontenured lecturers are treated almost as second class citizens, transforming the issue into one not only of academic freedom and funding, but also into an issue of civil rights.
A Nontenured Perspective
John Boe, a nontenured professor at the University of California, gives his opinion on the topic of tenure and provides a comprehensive idea of the social differences between tenured and nontenured professors. His personal experiences of the tenure track system and interactions with the tenured faculty at his university provides an interesting look into the civil rights afforded to tenured professors and how nontenured professors may be treated differently because of this. In particular, Boe mentions that political decisions within his university are almost exclusively left to the faculty who have acquired tenure. “When we hire new faculty, my recommendations are considered, and I have sat on the hiring committee, but despite my status as an award-winning teacher my vote there finally does not count" (Boe).
Is Tenure Justified?
A study by Frank Farley of Temple University asks the question, "Is tenure justified both financially and academically?" In his debate, Farley talks about real-life cases of tenure, mentioning the term "dead wood" in reference to professors who "do little scholarly work post-tenure and who are nearly impossible to get rid of" (Farley). Not only does this appear to fit the stereotype of professors who become useless after tenure, but also indicates that there are indeed issues with the tenure system itself. Farley himself states this perfectly when he says, "Systematic research on pre-tenure versus post-tenure innovation and scholarly risk-taking is needed. The protections of tenure fall mostly on political or values issues, which arise rarely on most campuses. Is an expensive system like tenure appropriate for such rare events? Most university scholarship does not rise as far or even come close on the scale of controversy to what one finds by running one’s remote through television talk shows or on the Internet in a society cathected on controversy and extreme behavior" (Farley).
Academic Freedom
The main issue and reason for tenure is academic freedom. As mentioned earlier, it is paramount that professors be allowed to teach what knowledge they feel the rising generation requires. Indeed, there is substantial legislation to support this, not the least of which is the 1st Amendment. However, it is possible that tenure does not protect academic freedom, but can possibly be stifling it. Apryll M. Stalcup indicates that a lack of academic freedom may be created from the process of granting tenure. She mentions that members of the scientific community can experience great difficulty in becoming tenured if they don't support the mainstream theories that are accepted at the time (Stalcup). Radical ideas are not as welcome as the academic world may wish everyone to believe. Part of this problem is the comparison between the expectations and reality of a flawed system. As Stalcup mentions, "Historically, many departments have tended to leave new faculty to their own devices once hired, expecting junior faculty to instantly become expert teachers, adopt innovative teaching methodologies, revitalize the curriculum, navigate various administrative hurdles, bring fresh ideas to every onerous departmental committee imaginable, and to publish. From research-intensive institutions to small liberal arts teaching colleges, new faculty are also expected to essentially become independent entrepreneurs, writing competitive research proposals. At research-intensive universities, the expectation is that they will establish a vibrant and internationally acclaimed research program. Furthermore, the demographics of new faculty hires are changing. Many new hires are part of a professional couple, which impacts the spousal support that previous generations took for granted" (Stalcup). Academic freedom might not be as prevalent as previously thought within the tenure system.