Academic freedom and permanent tenure

Abstract

practicable where the academic person in question has been appointed on permanent tenure. In this respect and to this extent, appointment on permanent tenure is a protection of academic freedom. The abrogation of the contractual obligation undertaken by a university in making an appointment on permanent (or indefinite) tenure places the university in a difficult situation; it renders it subject to legal action and public obloquy. In the United States, it might even call down the censure of the American Association of University Professors, which university administrators try very hard to avoid. University administrators in the United States nowadays are usually reluctant to face such embarrassment. If dismissal or refusal to promote were the only sanctions against persons whose views on intellectual, religious or political matters were offensive to their superiors, academic or governmental, then the academic freedom of the persons in question would be effectively protected by appointments on permanent tenure. (I do not deal here with discrimination against women or African-Americans, except in so far as their beliefs and actions are concerned. Discrimination on grounds of sex or race or ethnicity per se are not considered in these pages.) Academic freedom however is subject to restraint or restriction by numerous sanctions short of dismissal or the refusal to reappoint The refusal of promotion in rank and the refusal of rises in salary are examples of such sanctions; so are the denial of a teacher's proposal or application to teach certain courses which he (or she) is qualified to teach and which fall within the syllabus of the department. There are other ways of injuring a teacher who is disapproved of because of his (or her) intellectual, political or religious attitudes or activities. Boycotting a teacher socially, not inviting him (or her) to "faculty parties", assigning office space more inconvenient