At many colleges and universities in the United States, the mystique of tenure has provided tenured faculty, even incompetent and inactive faculty, a protected status. Dismissing a tenured faculty member requires a specified cause for termination, and is often one of the most difficult personnel actions that a college can take. Dealing with…

This document summarizes a national study of how U.S. community colleges evaluate tenured professors. The report begins with an introduction to the current status of post-tenure evaluation and outlines the common arguments that frame the debate on the purpose and necessity of evaluating tenured faculty. The authors describe current assessment…

In 1984-85, a nationwide survey was conducted of merit pay practices in community colleges to discover the impact of public pressure for merit pay on the community college system. Questionnaires were sent to more than 1,300 community, technical, and junior colleges, requesting information on the nature of faculty evaluation at each college. Study…

On January 1, 1980, the Illinois state legislature mandated tenure for community college faculty and established conditions under which tenure could be acquired and reasons and procedures for dismissal. One provision of the act precluded the dismissal of a tenured faculty member who was "competent to render" services carried out by an…