The academy under siege: informing the public about the merits of academic tenure
Article Abstract:
The academy must resolve to start discussing in public the institution of academic tenure in order to save it from disintegration. Although the public is well-informed about how tenure protects professors from dismissals, they are not sufficiently informed that academicians have to go through many hurdles before they are given tenure. The public must also be made aware of the benefits of academic tenure, including the subsequent exposure of students to a wide range of views from tenured professors who are 'free' to say what they want to, no matter how unpopular their opinions may be. Meanwhile, the public must also know that, for legitimate causes, no tenure can protect academicians from being dismissed.
Publication Name: Sociological Perspectives
Subject: Sociology and social work
ISSN: 0731-1214
Year: 1998
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From plantation to corporation: the attack on tenure and academic freedom in Florida
Article Abstract:
Historical and contemporary threats which the state of Florida has been and is still under are discussed. Starting in the mid-1950s and until a decade later, a committee called the 'Johns Committee' aimed to discover homosexuals, communists and 'godless' individuals among the state's academic populace. Subsequent investigations forced the departure of a substantial number of faculty and students. Although similar attacks on today's universities are more subtle, boards of trustees, politicians and, in some cases, university administrators have been attempting to reorganize the academy in pursuit of their own political and business interests.
Publication Name: Sociological Perspectives
Subject: Sociology and social work
ISSN: 0731-1214
Year: 1998
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Democracy, science, and institutionalized dissent: toward a social justification for academic tenure
Article Abstract:
Tenure is deemed as a fundamental requisite for sustaining intellectual dissent which, in itself, is responsible for laying the groundwork for science and democracy. However, the sociological bases of freedom must be fully comprehended to be able to appreciate and better understand the importance of both tenure and academic freedom. Such freedom must make room for the criticism of authority relations and the option to take alternative courses of action. Meanwhile, both freedom and dissent are essential in the resolution of social issues through scientific investigation and in standing up against today's powerful social organizations.
Publication Name: Sociological Perspectives
Subject: Sociology and social work
ISSN: 0731-1214
Year: 1998
User Contributions:
Comment about this article or add new information about this topic:
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