By Laura Onyeneho
Tenure plays an important role in the success of higher education institutions. It provides academic freedom to professors who spend most of their time researching thought-provoking topics regardless of how potentially controversial they may be.
The research provides an opportunity for tenured employees to encourage students to think critically and ask tough questions, while ensuring less turnover and a stable environment for teaching.
But what if the opportunity of being tenured is limited or abolished?
Texas Senate approved Senate Bill 18, which could eliminate tenure status at public Texas universities and colleges for newly hired professors on Sept. 1, 2023.
This bill makes good on a priority of Texas Lt. Gov. Dan Patrick for a little over a year. Patrick announced his intentions to end tenure in public universities and limit the teachings of critical race theory.
“We are the ones who pay (faculty’s) salaries. Parents are the ones who pay tuition. Of course, we’re going to have a say in what the curriculum is,” Patrick said last year when announcing his intentions to end tenure.
Proponents say this decision will improve the student experience and allow more freedom of expression. However, those opposed say it will impact the state colleges’ competitive edge and limit freedom of expression in classrooms.
What Is Academic Tenure?
Tenure is a lifetime job security at a university after an educator has been evaluated on the research they’ve conducted and the impact they’ve made in the classroom. Achieving tenure is not easy and is a very rigorous process. According to the National Center for Education Statistics, 17,726 faculty members were tenured in Texas universities, while 7,668 were on the tenure track.
When a professor gains tenure, the person can only be terminated for a justifiable cause or under extreme circumstances such ad severe financial restraint or program discontinuation. Professors receive comprehensive rights, and colleges attract the most talented and qualified faculty to work at their institutions. The two notable rights include:
Academic freedoms: Providing protection to cover controversial topics without fear. Tenured faculty gain complete freedom in research and publications as long as they meet core academic requirements and the controversial material covered relates to their subject of focus. Academic freedom also provides students with a holistic, multi-dimensional educational experience.
Economic security: Job security is one of the significant benefits of achieving tenure. The educator doesn’t have to worry about being asked to return the following year. They maintain their employment for an extended period, potentially until they retire.
With the rise in political correctness and the decline in alternative viewpoints, the First Amendment isn’t as revered as it once was. Add the challenges of declining college enrollment, school funding, and high turnover rates of professors leaving the workforce, then one can see why the topic is important to academia.
Tenured faculty develop a broader and deeper knowledge within their field of expertise. They’ll use their research to provide open dialogue, expose them to various topics, and challenge their critical thinking skills. Some critics say removing tenure could impact the recruitment and retention of quality faculty, impacting a student’s decision to attend schools with a quality learning experience.
Dr. Eddy Carter, Assistant Professor of Constitutional Law and Philosophy at Prairie View University, said he sees both sides of the argument.
“There are those contexts in which individuals have used their tenure as a means to further their employment and haven’t sincerely engaged in personal academic development, scholarship exposure to diversities of perspectives in the practical levels in the classroom,” he said. “On the other hand, tenure does have its place, and it is essential for maintaining academic freedom, thought, and integrity to enhance the quality of higher education in the state.
Tenure is awarded based on merit. Faculty already undergo yearly performance reviews and periodic evaluations. This position isn’t considered blanket protection to get away with unacceptable behaviors. They must meet the university’s standards and be held accountable.
Dr. Tara T. Green is the CLASS Distinguished Professor and Chair of African American Studies at the University of Houston. She has had a tenure since 2008. She argues that the erasure of tenure will devalue educators.
“If you are someone who’s achieved a high academic standard and education level and you go to a university that doesn’t value you, then you’re not going to stay there, Green said. “We want to be where we are valued and where our level of work is recognized as important.”
Any Other options?
Carder said Texas lawmakers should consider alternatives besides ending tenure and stop using the context of academia to further their own ideologies and political perspectives.
“There should be a mediating position to enhance the purpose of tenure and limit the potential for it to be abused?” he said. “I propose a review process where a person’s tenured status is reviewed at a certain phase. We look at what they published and engaged in to maintain their tenure.
Green suggests that the legislative should have a larger conversation between educators and politicians to get a full understanding of the work they do.
“We want to educate students, and we want the very best and brightest doing that work, and if we don’t have that, students will either leave to go to a private school or just leave the state of Texas together, she said. This, of course, will have economic implications as well.”
Tenured In Texas Universities
Credit: National Center for Education Statistics
|
SCHOOL |
TENURE |
TENURE TRACK |
|
Texas A&M University-College Station |
1,559 |
458 |
|
The University of Texas at Austin |
1,483 |
416 |
|
Tarrant County College |
240 |
362 |
|
Texas Tech University |
770 |
346 |
|
University of North Texas |
562 |
225 |
|
The University of Texas at Arlington |
443 |
185 |
|
The University of Texas at Dallas |
404 |
139 |
|
University of Texas Southwestern Medical Center |
146 |
50 |
