A majority of university presidents said they would prefer to change the faculty tenure system to one of long-term contracts, according to the Chronicle of Higher Education's recent survey of four-year college presidents.
According to the survey, 53 percent of presidents said they would approve of ending the tenure system and 39 percent opposed the idea. Additionally, 72 percent of presidents whose previous position was non-academic supported the move to a contract system, while only 38 percent of those who had taught for more than 20 years supported an end to faculty tenures.
According to Jonathon Knight, director of the Academic Freedom and Tenure program at the American Association of University Professors, an end to the tenure system would mean a limit on the academic freedom of faculty. Knight said academic freedom means professors' ability to teach and conduct research the way they want without having to worry about politics. He said creating a system other than tenure would be difficult to create and might impede professors' academic freedom.
"I know of no university that has adopted long-term contracts as a successful alternative to the tenure system," Knight said.
While a move to long-term contracts would be an effort to increase professor accountability, Knight said that a removal of tenure would decrease the quality of education.
"The premise of the long contracts seems to be that if you lack employment security, you will be a better teacher or researcher," Knight said. "However, the best research is done at those universities or colleges with the most academic freedom, and where you have the best tenure system, you have the best quality of teaching."
Knight also said he believes some college presidents wanted a change in the tenure system for financial reasons because there is a perception that tenured faculty are expensive. He said he believes, however, faculty on contract would demand higher pay, while tenured faculty members "give up financial glory for professional security."
Madeyln L. Isaacs, a professor of counseling and president of the faculty union at Gulf Coast told the Chronicle she is in favor of the contract system. She said a contract system creates flexibility and protections for faculty.
According to University officials, there is no discussion of eliminating the tenure system at the University, and the Provost Promotion and Tenure Committee undertakes a thorough review process of tenured faculty.
"We have an annual review of faculty and a post-tenure review system," Vice Provost for Academic Programs J. Milton Adams said.
According to Adams, the review process for tenured professors includes a probationary period for assistant professors, in which they must be promoted to tenure by the end of their sixth year. Additionally, tenured faculty can be terminated if officials find sufficient cause.
Although Adams said he did not agree with the long-term contract system, he said it would allow universities to act more like corporations in that they will have more freedom in employment and their ability to hire and fire.
Adams said ultimately there are no plans to change the tenure system at the University because it is successful.
"I think the tenure system is a good idea and works well," Adams said. "A major part of why it works well here is that the faculty is very serious about what they do."
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