Tenure Bibliography \"Tenure.\" National Education

Tenure Bibliography

"Tenure." National education association. Accessed 8 September 2009.

http://www.nea.org/home/33050.htm

This website provides an overview of the current tenure situation, noting that tenure-track positions are going unfilled as they are vacated due to retirement with short-term and temporary contracts being implemented in tenure's stead. A basic summary of the sides of the tenure issue (protecting the freedom to teach vs. guaranteeing immunity) is also provided. This site also makes the NEA's position in favor of tenure quite clear. The NEA provides many links to articles in their own publications as well as elsewhere that document the decline of the tenure system in the recent decade and the dangers that this poses (according to the association) to higher education in this country. These links also include refutations of many anti-tenure arguments and "myths."

Small newspaper group. (2005). "The hidden costs of tenure." Accessed 8 September 2009. http://thehiddencostsoftenure.com/

The anti-tenure argument finds a strong proponent here, as is made quite evident by the website's name. Central to the argument presented on the site is the cost of dismissing tenured teachers despite legitimate or even necessary reasons to seek their dismissal. As the site is operated by a collection of small newspaper (i.e. The Small Newspaper Group), the entirety of the information available on the site consists of links to previously published news articles detailing instances where tenure (and similar features of education employment in public schools) have prevented the dismissal of teachers and administrators or made such dismissals incredibly costly despite valid cause for dismissal. Noticeably lacking are any stories of an educator fired simply for teaching unpopular views; the site does not try to provide a balanced view of the issue in the slightest degree.

Jerz, D. (2000). "Tenure -- what is it?" Seton Hill university. Accessed 8 September

2009. http://jerz.setonhill.edu/resources/FAQ/tenure.htm

On this site, Professor Jerz provides a brief but comprehensive explanation of tenure, and an excellent overview of the practicalities -- from the perspective of an educator -- attendant both on working in a tenure-track situation and of not having such a situation available. Though he quickly and clearly admits that he very much looks forward to achieving tenure, Jerz also spends ample time explaining the arguments against tenure, and acknowledges their validity. The site mostly consists of an article written by the professor himself, but also contains links to articles posted elsewhere on the Internet that explore the issue of tenure from both perspectives using real world situations and actual events. Provides an excellent practical overview.

ERIC (2009). "Tenure." Education resources information center. Accessed 8 September

2009. http://www.eric.ed.gov:80/

This site contains links to over five thousand full text articles and abstracts regarding tenure, from scholarly publications as well as new organizations and websites. It does not provide an overview, making this resource most helpful for examining specific cases and issues within the larger issue of tenure, rather than in developing a comprehensive perspective of the issue or either side of the debate. Given the reputation and purpose of the site, one of the most beneficial aspects of the ERIC resources is that they have all been independently vetted by the site, making the site in general and the resources it provides more reliable than those found on many other websites. There are no blithe or politically motivated assertions on the site, but only verifiable and peer-reviewed information presented only with the biases of the individual authors.

Smith, S. (2009). "What is academic tenure?" Wisegeek. Accessed 8 September 2009.

http://www.wisegeek.com/what-is-academic-tenure.htm

This site provides an excellent overview of the tenure issue both from within and without the academic community, and details some of the more salient points of the arguments both for and against tenure. The site focuses on the benefits to professors of achieving tenure, but also spends ample time discussing the problems inherent to tenured positions and the general atmosphere created in institutions with long-standing tenure programs. It also looks at the fiscal responsibilities of the tenured professor, noting that the financial rewards of publication, grants, and other outside funding sources is one of the primary pragmatic reasons that institutions grant tenure. The site is very lucid, but does not include any external links or references.

The chronicle of higher education. (2009). "Tenure." Accessed 8 September 2009.

http://chronicle.com

Similar to ERIC, the Chronicle of Higher Education website provides links to many articles and studies concerning tenure and post-tenure review on both sides of the issue. The vast majority of these articles were produced by the Chronicle itself, for its print and online subscribers. Given that most of the subscribers to the Chronicle are almost certainly employed in the realm of higher education, the balanced views presented by the collection of articles as a whole is perhaps unsurprising given a definite desire not to alienate readership. Though there are some very strong opinions on both sides represented in the articles and information found on the Chronicle website, there is nothing especially inflammatory or groundbreaking in any of the articles. Best used a source for recent developments in the tenure issue.

ACE (2009). "Post-Tenure Review." American council on education. Accessed 8

September 2009. http://www.acenet.edu/AM/Template.cfm?Section=Home

Though the American Council on Education does not have an official stance on the issue of tenure or post tenure review, a survey of its members reveals support -- though not overwhelmingly -- for the tenure system as it now stands in most institutions. The Council does acknowledge problems maintaining the vitality of instructors who have achieved tenure, echoing one of the primary arguments against the practice of tenure, but most of the articles available on the site suggest remedies for the problems inherent to tenure situations rather than advocating the dissolution of such programs. The site is not very well organized, and it can be difficult to find articles of high relevancy through quick searches, but the information once found is invaluable.

Inside higher ed. (2009). "Post-Tenure Review." inside higher ed. Accessed 8

September 2009. http://www.insidehighered.com/

Like many of the other websites dedicated to higher education, the majority of the information available at the Inside Higher Ed website largely consists of links to external sites and articles concerning the issue of post-tenure review and tenure in general. There does appear to be an emphasis on personal opinions, including several links to blogs by professors, administrators, and others connected to the world of higher education. This makes for a somewhat more interesting read than many other resources, and allows one to see the human and personal side of the debate that is often lost amid the larger social and financial issues that arise in the debate surrounding tenure and post-tenure reviews. It also, however, makes some of the points found on this website less directly relevant to a large examination and discussion of the tenure predicament.