Perceptions of Tenure and Tenure Reform in Academic Pharmacy

Abstract

To determine the academic pharmacy community's perceptions of and recommendations for tenure and tenure reform. A survey instrument was administered via either a live interview or an online survey instrument to selected members of the US academic pharmacy community. The majority of respondents felt that tenure in academic pharmacy was doing what it was intended to do, which is to provide academic freedom and allow for innovation (59.6%). Respondents raised concern over the need for faculty mentoring before and after achieving tenure, whether tenure adequately recognized service, and that tenure was not the best standard for recognition and achievement. The majority (63%) agreed that tenure reform was needed in academic pharmacy, with the most prevalent recommendation being to implement post-tenure reviews. Some disparities in opinions of tenure reform were seen in the subgroup analyses of clinical science vs basic science faculty members, public vs private institutions, and administrators vs nonadministrators. The majority of respondents want to see tenure reformed in academic pharmacy.