Beginning in 1934, representatives of the American Association of University Professors (AAUP) and the Association of American Colleges (AAC) met and drafted the definitive statement on academic freedom and tenure. Like the U.S. Constitution, the 1940 "Statement on Principles of Academic Freedom and Tenure" was a commendable, if deficient, product…

Four steps to retirement planning, intended to demystify retirement investment, are offered for college faculty: (1) establish diversification goals; (2) urge their institutions to offer more investment options; (3) coordinate retirement investments with other investments; and (4) take steps to guarantee against inflation. Typical age-related…

Surveyed changes in retirement policies for tenured faculty at a large national sample of colleges and universities. Found variations in the characteristics of regular retirement programs, in the existence and nature of retirement-incentive and phased-retirement programs, in institutional policies relating to retired faculty, and in institutions'…

The clause in the American Association of University Professors' 1940 statement on academic freedom and tenure requiring that limitations on faculty academic freedom for religious or other aims of the institution be specified in writing upon appointment is discussed in a Committee A subcommittee statement and in two other commentaries. (MSE)

The statement, prepared by representatives of ten academic associations attending a September 1997 conference on part-time and adjunct college faculty, argues that often the terms and conditions of such appointments are inadequate to support responsible teaching or, by extension, a career, and urges institutions not to rely inappropriately on…

A tenured teacher at the University of Minnesota at Duluth examines institutional policy of hiring non-tenure-track faculty for its writing program. He argues that underfunding and understaffing created a backlog that was then passed on to full-time "temporary" teachers, at the same time administrative costs were increasing. (MSE)

The applicability of the principle of comparable pay for comparable worth is discussed for college faculty jobs, not only for alleviation of sex discrimination but also for eliminating bias-related discrepancies between departments or specialties. (MSE)

The report, prepared by the American Association of University Professors' Committee A on Academic Freedom and Tenure, outlines new proposed policy on posttenure review of faculty. It presents arguments for and against the practice, discusses its use for dismissal purposes, offers guidelines for establishment of a system for periodic evaluation of…

Issues of academic governance at Texas Tech University in the development of a revised faculty tenure policy that culminated in a faculty vote of no confidence in the administration are outlined and discussed. (MSE)

Attempts to generalize about sexual harassment on campus by examining narrative examples of selected cases through media coverage, interviews, or official documents, only to learn that those whose jobs it is to work with sexual harassment cases find there are no fixed rules. Sees need for due process, clearer institutional policies, better…

Three myths about tenure are discussed: (1) that tenure is responsible for the increasing cost of education; (2) that the solution to increasing costs is to run a college like a business; and (3) that university presidents and administrators need flexibility to hire and fire professionals to achieve both cost containment and their new vision of…

The involuntary release of about 100 tenured faculty at Michigan State University in 1981 was avoided through implementation of a plan of financial incentives for early faculty retirement. The plan is explained from the viewpoint of its author, with colleague comments included. (MSE)

In response to a previous essay about problems with the tenure system, argues that while for many colleges and universities the tenure system is dysfunctional, arguments made against it based on educational history are mistaken, and the economic arguments are unsubstantiated. Also proposes that the arguments made against tenure exploit divisions…

A survey of 63 college provosts and academic vice presidents concerning evaluation of tenured faculty found that, although frequency and form of evaluation vary widely, the large majority of institutions do perform regular reviews of tenured faculty. Most respondents also felt that the tenure system works relatively well. (MSE)

The actions of Clark College in terminating, for reasons of financial exigency, two faculty members previously granted indefinite tenure are reviewed according to the AAUP statement of principles and recommended institutional regulations on academic freedom and tenure, and procedural standards, and found to be in violation. (MSE)