The system of tenure at most universities was designed to protect intellectual diversity and free thought. There is value in both these goals. In reality it creates a scenario where faculty have a job for life. As a tenured professor, for the most part I have seen it work well.
I hear the critics that maintain that it allows faculty the opportunity to work less and accountability suffers. Probably true in some cases, but more as an exception than the norm. The critics lose sight of the fact that hardworking men and women, who take pride in their work as professionals and as educators, represent academia – I mean getting a PhD is not exactly a walk in the park.
The ability to touch the lives of young people is at the heart of academe, and educators, at all levels, deserve the professional security that comes with tenure. The denial of tenure is more troublesome as it creates an upheaval in peoples’ lives forcing them to change jobs, move families and reevaluate ones goals.
At The University of Tampa, I am proud to say, the tenure evaluation process is very fair, very thorough and 100 percent comprehensive. When one is dealing with peoples’ lives, the burden of objective evaluation has to be handled with integrity and fairness, and comes with significant responsibility – certainly not for the faint of heart. It’s a tough job, but someone has to do it.
About Hemant Rustogi