{"id":25771,"date":"2021-06-20T05:08:00","date_gmt":"2021-06-20T05:08:00","guid":{"rendered":"https:\/\/www.lifeandnews.com\/articles\/?p=25771"},"modified":"2021-06-21T14:05:31","modified_gmt":"2021-06-21T14:05:31","slug":"academic-tenure-what-it-is-and-why-it-matters","status":"publish","type":"post","link":"https:\/\/www.lifeandnews.com\/articles\/academic-tenure-what-it-is-and-why-it-matters\/","title":{"rendered":"Academic tenure: What it is and why it matters"},"content":{"rendered":"\n

George Justice<\/a>, Arizona State University<\/a><\/em><\/p>\n\n\n\n

How would you like a job that was guaranteed and allowed you to do your work as you see fit and speak your mind with no repercussions? Most people would, and that\u2019s the idea behind academic tenure. In the following Q&A, George Justice, an English professor and author of \u201cHow to Be a Dean<\/a>,\u201d explains the origin of tenure and the waning protections that it affords professors who have it.<\/em><\/p>\n\n\n\n

What is academic tenure?<\/h2>\n\n\n\n

Of all the things a university professor can achieve in their career, few are as desirable as academic tenure. Academic tenure is a system of strong job protections that virtually guarantees a university professor will never be fired or let go except in the most extreme of circumstances. A key idea is to allow faculty to speak freely \u2013 whether on campus or in public \u2013 without fear of reprisal.<\/p>\n\n\n\n

Achieving tenure is not easy or quick. First, aspiring professors must secure a \u201ctenure track\u201d position after excelling in a Ph.D. program, followed in many cases by one or more postdoctoral fellowships. Then, in a probationary period that can last from 5 to 10 years, but which typically takes 7 years<\/a>, faculty must demonstrate academic excellence in teaching, research and service to the community.<\/p>\n\n\n\n

The probationary period is then followed by a year-long process during which a professor\u2019s work is evaluated by peer faculty \u2013 both inside and outside of the university where they teach \u2013 as well as administrators at their institution.<\/p>\n\n\n\n

If they succeed in getting tenure, they can be promoted to the rank of \u201cassociate professor with tenure.\u201d But if they are denied tenure, usually it means they have one more year to build up their credentials and find employment at another college or university \u2013 or leave academia altogether to find work in a different industry.<\/p>\n\n\n\n

A little less than half of all full-time faculty at colleges and universities in the U.S. \u2013 45.1%<\/a>, or 375,286<\/a> according to 2019 data \u2013 have tenure.<\/p>\n\n\n\n

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