The Pundit vs. the Professor: A Debate About Tenure
It's almost like the start of a bad joke: A professor and a pundit walk into the Texas Tribune office. ... But more or less, that's what happened.
Naomi Schaefer Riley, a former Wall Street Journal editor and author of the book The Faculty Lounges ... And Other Reasons You Won’t Get the College Education You Pay For, was in Austin to, among other things, speak at an event put on by the Texas Public Policy Foundation, a conservative think tank that has played a leading role in the state's ongoing debate on higher education.
Daniel Hamermesh is ...
Comments (18)
Minda Morren Lopez via Texas Tribune on Facebook
great reporting/debate! I think the speakers disagree on what higher education is for, which is also something the general public does not seem to agree upon either. One thing that was not covered at all is that many universities have moved to a two part system with tenure track and non tenure track faculty (adjuncts). The adjuncts are paid at a much lower rate and quite frankly abused much of the time. If that is what taking away tenure does, people may stop pursuing careers in higher ed altogether.
poryorick
Riley has built a career on the straw argument that tenure=blanket protection. I learned much about critical thinking from tenured faculty which leads me to believe that 1) Riley's argument is built on her own erroneous definition of the concept and? 2) that in considering the source of information, Riley's bona fides don't stand the smell test...no personal experience as part of the academy other than her study in Government and English. I wonder if she couldn't get a tenure-track position...
Mark Ellison
I was just wondering who paid for the research used in Dr. Hamermesh's book "Beauty Pays: Why attractive people are more successful"?
If any taxpayer money was used I want my money back!!! At a time when we all must cut back on spending I believe there are far more important things to research than his subject.
Not all research is created equal.
T D
Using Algebra as a non-controversial topic (for which an instructor wouldn't need tenure) isn't arguing fairly.
Off the top of my head, some subjects which one could imagine a political administration pressuring faculty about:
1) Evolution
2) Israel
3) the Laffer Curve
4) Environmental Causes of Cancer and Disease
5) The Causes of the American Civil War
6) Race and Ethnicity
7) Sexual Orientation
8) 9/11
9) Islam
10) the Armenian Genocide
11) the Big Bang
12) Factory Farming (Big Agriculture)
13) Party Politics in America
14) Global Warming
15) the Slave Trade
16) Abortion
17) the HUAC hearings
18) Bilingual Education
19) the Death Penalty
20) the War on Drugs
Tenure protects intellectual freedom, and the value of an institution's degrees.
Richard Melaun via Texas Tribune on Facebook
thinks that Ms. Schaeffer Riley is positing more of the "market based solutions" that appears to be more of a dogma than anything empirically based. Furthermore, not everything in life should be measured by extrinsic value. Somethings have value simply for being what they are.
Brienne Diebolt-Brown via Texas Tribune on Facebook
Wonder if if Ms. Schaeffer has children? No prof wants to uproot her/his kids and spouse every 3-5 years. Shaking up the system in this way also shakes up families. The fact is, tenure is there to protect speech. Professors can and should be fired for very bad behavior or sitting on their bums - whether they have tenure or not.
Milan Moravec
Forget tenure: wage concessions by tenured and non tenured university faculty. University of California faces massive budget shortfalls. It is dismaying Calif. Governor Brown. President Yudof and Board of Regents have, once again, been unable to agree on a package of wage, benefit concessions to close the deficit.
Californians face foreclosure, unemployment, depressed wages, loss of retirement, medical, unemployment benefits, higher taxes: UC Board of Regents Regent Lansing, President Yudof need to demonstrated leadership by curbing wages, benefits. As a Californian, I don't care what others earn at private, public universities. If wages better elsewhere, chancellors, vice chancellors, tenured, non tenured faculty, UCOP should apply for the positions. If wages commit employees to UC, leave for better paying position. The sky above UC will not fall.
Californians suffer from greatest deficit of modern times. UC wages must reflect California's ability to pay, not what others are paid. Campus chancellors, tenured & non-tenured faculty, UCOP are replaceable by more talented academics
Wage concessions for UC President, Faculty, Chancellors, Vice Chancellors, UCOP:
No furloughs
18 percent reduction in UCOP salaries & $50 million cut.
18 percent prune of campus chancellors', vice chancellors' salaries.
15 percent trim of tenured faculty salaries, increased teaching load
10 percent decrease in non-tenured faculty salaries, as well as increase research, teaching load
100% elimination of all Academic Senate, Academic Council costs, wages.
(17,000 UC paid employees earn more than $100,000)
Overly optimistic predictions of future revenues do not solve the deficit. However, rose bushes bloom after pruning.
UC Board of Regents Sherry Lansing, President Yudof can bridge the public trust gap by offering reassurances that UC salaries reflect depressed wages in California. The sky will not fall on UC
Californians are reasonable people. Levy no new taxes until an approved balanced budget: let the Governor/Legislature lead - make the tough-minded (not cold hearted) decisions of elected leadership. Afterwards come to public for continuing, specified taxes.
Once again, we call upon UC President, Chancellors, Vice Chancellors, Faculty, UCOP to stand up for California and ‘pitch in’ for Californians with wage concessions.
Jennifer E.
Naomi doesn't understand the purpose of higher education and the purpose of a research university.
She takes the worst case examples of bad professors and bad research and academia all over the country and uses this to declare that the sky is falling. In reality, there are bad apples everywhere, and not all research is ground breaking.
The fact remains, however, that UT isn't a bad place. One can get an excellent education. In fact, its among the best in the nation. UT always goes after the best and the brightest teachers and researchers. The key is to attract the best faculty, not do away with tenure. If Perry's donors mess with the tenure system, faculty--and eventually students--will go elsewhere. UT is a great university. It does not need to become a community college.
Milan Moravec
No university is a bad place when the student is determined to learn.: it is the administrators at Universities that abuse resources that harm students. (The author has 35 years’ consulting experience, has taught at UC Berkeley (Cal) where he observed the culture & way senior management work)
Cal. Chancellor Birgeneau ($500,000 salary) has forgotten that he is a public servant, steward of the public money, not overseer of his own fiefdom (these are not isolated examples): recruits (uses California tax $) out of state $50,000 tuition students that displace qualified Californians from public university education; spends $7,000,000 + for consultants to do his & many vice chancellors jobs (prominent East Coast university accomplishing same 0 cost); pays ex Michigan governor $300,000 for lectures; in procuring a $3,000,000 consulting firm he failed to receive proposals from other firms; Latino enrollment drops while out of state jumps 2010; tuition to Return on Investment drops below top 10; Birgeneau all employees meeting – only 50 attend; visits to Cal down 20%; NCAA places basketball program on probation, absence institutional control.
It’s all shameful. There is no justification for such practices by a steward of the public trust. Absolutely none.
Birgeneau’s practices will continue indefinitely. Governor Brown, UC Board of Regents Chair Lansing, President Yudof must do a better job of vigorously enforcing stringent oversight than has been done in the past over Chancellors like Birgeneau who use the campus as their fiefdom.
Lauren Pierce
Strange to see an Economics professor in favor of state funding - he of all people should know that increasing state funding only happens if taxes are increased; taxes take revenue out of future purchases and investments that will aid in a healthy economy. How can he really be saying these things??
Thomas Prentice via Texas Tribune on Facebook
There are "Faculty Lounges" in Pre-K, K, elementary, middle and high schools. Not in colleges or universities. He's off by several kilometers.
GS Crispus
Perhaps you should invest more time into the study of economics, Lauren. Even Adam Smith, despite having been associated with laissez-faire beliefs, was very much for public works, government investment in education, healthcare, and regulation of the economy.
Government spending may take money away from consumption and investment, but I doubt many would argue that the costs of courts, law enforcement, public education, or public infrastructure have inhibited the growth of the economy. If anything, they have added to growth and enabled the modern society we all enjoy today.
You can quibble over how much should be invested in such things, but to blindly assume that the private sector handles things more efficiently "just because" is blind ideological dogma.
Jennifer E.
Lauren, you wrote:
"Strange to see an Economics professor in favor of state funding - he of all people should know that increasing state funding only happens if taxes are increased; taxes take revenue out of future purchases and investments that will aid in a healthy economy. How can he really be saying these things??"
You've obviously never taken economics before. You do know that taxes don't necessarily have to be raised. Even if they were raised, they would be taken from wealthy business who are cheating Texas' tax code.
I guess you prefer big executives taking huge bonuses rather than investing in STUDENTS who will contribute to the economy with better jobs and their own tax contribution.
Philip Harris
Jennifer E, you wrote:
"I guess you prefer big executives taking huge bonuses rather than investing in STUDENTS who will contribute to the economy with better jobs and their own tax contribution."
But if we put huge tax hikes on corporations, how will they afford to hire these college graduates? It's well known that the unemployment rate for those in their mid-twenties is well above the national unemployment rate, and raising taxes on businesses won't make that better. So the only sensible thing to do is do more with what we have now, which means increasing effeciency and lowering costs.
Jennifer E.
Texas' tax code is notoriously messed up. I suggest you read up on it.
The very wealthy can afford to fork over a few more dollars.
Higher education is a great investment in the economy. Research leads to more jobs.
Besides, firing qualified staff and professors all over the state isn't exactly the key to economic recovery.
jim mike
Tenure is not the problem. It is an excuse for administration to be inactive. For the fairness of discussion I admit I am tenured, and I am a department chair so I see both sides better than many.
My experience is that tenure does protect faculty from the whimsical layoffs and replacement with political cronies. Many administrators have either never taught or have been out of the classroom for many decades. Many have been active in politics and fat salaries are there rewards and they have friend and friends of friends wanting positions. Look at Fort Worth, the chancellor could not have been tenured because of the lack of formal education (masters only), she taught typing in the 60's and has been very politically active with hospital districts, airport boards etc. That has earned her a salary of over $365,000. Most administrators are VERY liberal, some faculty are too. When a professor becomes a problem, it is easier to say they are protected by tenure, than to say I am lazy, and don't want the risk of the political back lash. Most colleges have a policy in place but choose to hide behind it. I can assure you there are ways to help correct besides termination. After a few polite chats I know of tenured people given split schedules, included weekends, not allowed any overloads, not funded projects they wanted. As one faculty member that was habitually late or absent told his department chair after a long semester, "Message has be received and understood!"
The trend toward adjuncts is also a problem. Adjuncts can be great faculty. It is also nice that I can simply not bring them back if they are not doing a good job. But most have full time jobs, not having a part time job is not a major concern. I have let many go because they would skip class, leave early, give grades to prevent student complaints etc. With the bad economy I have also found some that are just trying to slow their financial demise.
Tenure is great like many things until it is abused. Every semester students are given an opportunity to evaluate a professor. You might see a faster turn around on Higher Education if the faculty could give a confidential vote of confidence on those that are supposed to lead the institution. Imagine administrators being held accountable as well.
Milan Moravec
mj1412...an example where the tenured senior management of a university campus has overstayed. (The author has 35 years’ consulting experience, has taught at UC Berkeley (Cal) where he observed the culture & way senior management work)
Cal. Chancellor Birgeneau ($500,000 salary) has forgotten that he is a public servant, steward of the public money, not overseer of his own fiefdom (these are not isolated examples): recruits (uses California tax $) out of state $50,000 tuition students that displace qualified Californians from public university education; spends $7,000,000 + for consultants to do his & many vice chancellors jobs (prominent East Coast university accomplishing same 0 cost); pays ex Michigan governor $300,000 for lectures; in procuring a $3,000,000 consulting firm he failed to receive proposals from other firms; Latino enrollment drops while out of state jumps 2010; tuition to Return on Investment drops below top 10; Birgeneau all employees meeting – only 50 attend; visits to Cal down 20%; NCAA places basketball program on probation, absence institutional control.
It’s all shameful. There is no justification for such violations by a steward of the public trust. Absolutely none.
Birgeneau’s violations will continue indefinitely. Governor Brown, UC Board of Regents Chair Lansing, President Yudof must do a better job of vigorously enforcing stringent oversight than has been done in the past over Chancellors like Birgeneau who use the campus as their fiefdom.
Jennifer E.
Tenured senior management---- this is a case in which management can and should be replaced.
Tenure protects professors and their academic freedom. It does not protect administrators.