SUMMARY: For decades, tenured professors held some of the most prestigious and secure jobs in the U.S. Now, their status is under attack at public and private colleges alike.
In states facing budget pressures such as Missouri, North Dakota and Iowa, Republican lawmakers have introduced bills for the current legislative sessions to eliminate tenure, cut back its protections or create added hoops that tenured faculty at public colleges must jump through to keep their jobs. University administrators, struggling to shave their costs, are trying to limit the ranks of tenured professors or make it easier to fire them.
The institution of tenure-which provides job security and perks like regular sabbaticals-began in the U.S. early in the 20th century as a bulwark against interference from administrators, corporate interests and politicians who might not like professors' opinions or agree with their research.
Attacks on tenure have become commonplace in the wake of the recession as reductions in public support for colleges led to steep tuition increases that have driven up student debt and magnified scrutiny on the business practices of universities. Conservative lawmakers also have expressed mounting displeasure with university professors, saying they indoctrinate impressionable students with a liberal point of view. In 2015, the Wisconsin Legislature voted to weaken a state tenure law and cut $250 million from the university's budget.
The Wisconsin university board of regents last year instituted "independent and substantive reviews" of tenured faculty every five years. If deemed lacking, they have three or four semesters to improve or are shown the door, said James Schmidt, chancellor of University of Wisconsin, Eau Claire.
Republican Gov. Scott Walker recently announced plans to cut tuition by 5% across all University of Wisconsin System schools while at the same time instituting a faculty accountability policy that would monitor the how much time professors spend in the classroom. Faculty at State College of Florida hired after July 2016 no longer qualify for tenure-like protections. In North Dakota, the state board of higher education is considering reducing to 90 days from 12 months the amount of time administrators need to give tenured faculty before they can lay them off. The state's 11-school college and university system is bracing for steep layoffs this year after cutting about 500 full-time positions last year.
A Missouri bill would prohibit any public institution of higher education from awarding tenure after Jan. 1, 2018. "I just don't think if you're being paid with tax dollars you should be guaranteed a job for life," said Iowa state Senator Brad Zaun, a Republican who filed a bill for the current legislative season that would eliminate the possibility of tenure for new hires and strip it from holders of tenure alike at the three regents universities in his state.
Bruce Rastetter, president of the Iowa Board of Regents, and a leading state GOP donor, doesn't support it. "We recognize the concern about merit-based evaluations addressed in the bill," Mr. Rastetter said in a statement. "However the Board of Regents understands the role of tenure. We oppose this bill, and I look forward to meeting with Sen. Zaun to hear his thoughts," he said
CLASSROOM APPLICATION: Universities are being criticized for providing lifelong tenure to professors who meet criteria related to publishing, teaching and service. Some states are considering doing away with tenure, as well as specific schools that have abolished tenure. There is a question about freedom of speech and engage in research that may not be deemed appropriate by some stakeholders. State budget crises are to blame for these cuts and significant modifications to a institution in higher education. Students can discuss the pros and cons of eliminating or modifying the current tenure system.
QUESTIONS:
1. Wisconsin is now reviewing tenured faculty every five years and they can be terminated if they do not meet the stated standards. Is it fair if the faculty were promised tenure for life, to now be put under a systematic review process?
2. If faculty are not given tenure, is there a danger that they can be politically targeted by administrators who do not like their perspective and their jobs eliminated?
3. What do you see as the real potential negative outcome for universities and professors if tenure is abolished or significantly altered?