Tenure Tracking

Abstract

Constance Holden's News & Comment article “Tenure turmoil sparks reforms” (4 Apr., p. [24][1]) summarizes the precarious nature of the institution of tenure at colleges and universities in the United States and describes some of the approaches taken to provide a greater level of accountability for tenured faculty. In spring 1996, the University of New Mexico Faculty Senate drafted and approved a policy of post-tenure review that was ultimately accepted with modification by the Board of Regents. In response to growing concerns over the status of tenure at colleges and universities in New Mexico, we drafted the following resolution, which was approved by the Faculty Senate this past February. > Whereas, faculty tenure is the foundation of academic freedom and excellence at American institutions of higher education, > > And, whereas, encroachments upon tenure have proven historically to be detrimental both to civil liberties and the search for the truth, > > And, whereas, experiments aimed at undermining tenure, however disguised or well-intentioned, invariably have a negative effect on the reputation of the institution undergoing such experimentation, > > Therefore, be it resolved that the Faculty Senate of the University of New Mexico reaffirm its commitment to the principle of the inviolability of faculty tenure and request that President Richard Peck without reservations reaffirm his commitment to the same. Subsequently, President Peck issued a strong statement of support of the resolution. # {#article-title-2} Universities considering alternatives to traditional tenure frequently ignore a problem that has come to plague traditional tenure. Modern-day (and correct) emphases on diversity and fairness and the consequent proliferation of formal procedures now require faculty to act as human resource directors when evaluating a colleague for tenure. The procedural details and concern for possible litigation have made tenure review a time-consuming task that has little appeal to academics, most of whom have neither the training nor any interest in managing bureaucratic details. What may be needed is a radical re-thinking of tenure in which record-keeping, portfolio maintenance, and attention to procedure are made the responsibility of human resource professionals, and peer reviews deal only with quality and originality—a sufficiently controversial and exhausting function, but one that academics recognize as important. [1]: /lookup/doi/10.1126/science.276.5309.24