Tenure Undone: Faculty Experiences of Organizational Justice When Tenure Seems or Becomes Unattainable

Abstract

ABSTRACT Higher education institutions and faculty have vested interests in fair tenure processes. We explored perceptions of fairness from the perspective of faculty who did not obtain tenure. Our 22 participants indicated that they experienced organizational justice violations related to distributive justice (fairness of decisions), procedural justice (fairness of processes), and interactional justice (fairness of interpersonal treatment), which they reported hindered their ability to succeed on the tenure track. Recognizing that women and Black, Indigenous, and people of color faculty face unique barriers on the tenure track, we explore how race and gender shaped participants’ experiences in an effort to understand issues of inequity in higher education tenure and promotion processes. We conclude with a discussion of reforms that could improve perceived and actual experiences of organizational justice and equity while on the tenure track.