To Tenure or Not To Tenure

Two new reports on tenure came out in the same week--the long-awaited report from the Modern Language Association, and the AAUP's report on what kind of positions, tenured or non-tenured, are actually being filled in our institutions.

The MLA report is good. It thoroughly reviews what is happening with tenure in English studies and language programs, and its recommendations for where we need to go are good. If institutions and the academy accept and work toward the recommendations, the tenure process will be much improved.

But, as their report acknowledges, and the AAUP report confirms, it will speak to less than half the faculty. According to the AAUP report, up to 65% of faculty jobs are off the tenure line. That, to me, begs the question, "What is the value of tenure?" In a report in Inside Higher Education, reversing the full-time, part-time hiring pattern at Georgia State has had a positive impact on the faculty. This situation, while not the norm, is not unique. It also raises the question, is tenure necessary? Is it a good? I am not arguing that we should eliminate tenure. Instead, I am arguing that we must find a compelling case for tenure. Otherwise, the recommendations of the MLA report will be meaningless.