Educator\'s Perception of Tenure

Educator's Perception Of Tenure

Introduction to the concepts

According to the purpose statement, the purpose of the designed study is to use a mixed-methods approach to investigate the underlying perceptions of university professors with particular emphasis on three areas of analysis as follows: (1) Issues related to tenure and post-tenure review; (2) Cultural resistance or enthusiasm towards various implementations; and (3) Organizational effectiveness in current strategies for handling tenure and post-tenure reviews. Ultimately the researcher's goal is to gather empirical evidence related to perceptions of tenure and organizational effectiveness in order to inform policy makers and others important to making decisions about tenure and post-tenure review for an institution.

Academic tenure is offered typically to only those faculty or associate faculty in the most senior positions with strong track records in teaching, research, and/or administrative/executive roles (Joughlin, 1969). Generally, tenure is offered only when rigorous criteria are met as defined by tenure system of a given academic institution (Amacher, 2004). These tenure systems exist as internal policies and mechanisms for both offering/attaining and evaluating/maintaining tenure performance, the latter of which is generally more controversial and less often subjected to scrutiny (Wood & Johnsrud, 2005; Roepnack & Lewis, 2007; Green, 2008; Allen, 2000; Scheuerman, 1997).

Most institutions require a minimum number of years and minimum caliber of experience and notoriety before tenure is even considered plus whatever subjective components an institution wants to instill to ensure the integrity of tenure (in their administrative perspective) (Amacher; Joughlin). Academic tenure is mostly about rights to both academic freedom and job security, both highly desirable for both educators and academic researchers. Tenure systems also offer institutions a certain level of economic advantage because they can attract highly talented and well-renowned scholars by offering tenure vs. higher salaries and other measures (Amacher).

Since adoption of the tenure concept in the early 20th Century, tenure systems have endured both scrutiny and alteration, with the final results generally moving towards more rigorous standards all around to better protect both employees and institutions. However, this researcher believes that a significant void still exists in the overall knowledge base regarding professors' perceptions of the effectiveness of tenure and post-tenure review. In turn, the expectation for this advancing knowledge is that boardroom administrators will be better informed to make decisions about the design and function of their tenure systems.

Commentary on perceptions

Just as criteria for tenure and strategies for post-tenure review vary among institutions, perceptions among educators of tenure and post-tenure review will also vary along demographic categories as well as between disciplines. It will be important to gather data on perceptions using a common set of questions/statements and a common scale that allows qualitative data to be measured and simultaneously correlated with demographic data. Women and men may have generally different perceptions while women in one discipline have different perceptions than women in another discipline. Moreover, ethnic and cultural as well as other social and geographic factors may also create variation in perceptions, all of which is significant in the final analysis.

A number of studies are available to help define the categories for which variation can be found in helping to define the categories for investigation in the present study. Rudd, et al., (2008) used a national survey of 508 doctorate-level professionals in art-history in order to investigate the correlations of gender, family, and academic tenure in the humanities field that contains the highest number of women professionals. In both their review of the literature and in the results of their own investigation, Rudd, et al., (2008) found that significant gender inequality exists, with respect to tenure, in fields in which women are the majority of students, doctorates, and professionals in practice. In the study, the main demographics to be considered are gender, relationship status, partner's level of involvement, and family background (spouse's education level included). In effect, it is clear that gender inequality issues will drastically effect perceptions of tenure and post-tenure review.

In Williams and Williams (2006), a qualitative online interviewing approach is implemented as a method to investigate the perceptions of 32 African-American male faculty at predominately white institutions in order to comment on the needs for improving support systems and mechanisms for promotion and tenure. The study revealed the absolute significance of what it calls "social capital" in shaping the strongest, most competent (culturally) faculty presence across disciplines in any institution. In particular, their open-ended questions revealed a better understanding of perceived obstacles faced by minority educators to move from junior to senior positions and revealed the need for better support systems like "structured mentoring," and "handbook to success" (Williams & Williams, 2006). It is clear that perceptions, particularly among minority educators, will spark dialogue that may not otherwise be considered.

Further, Modica and Mamiseishivili (2010) find that even though the numbers of Black doctorates being attained and faculty being hired is steadily increasing over time, they are still "disproportionately represented among tenured and associate/full professor faculty positions" in comparison to White faculty (p. 107). In other words, the overall growth of Black faculty into the field as professional academics continues to increase, there is a significant lack in progress in relation to the career advancement and tenure status of Black faculty, which drastically affects perceptions (Modica & Mamiseishivili). In fact, there is no lack in studies showing that colleges and universities "have become increasingly stingy in awarding academic tenure" or that achieving such tenured status is also increasingly difficult for minorities or those with challenges to overcome in demographic categories (Black Faculty, 2008).