When considering whether or not tenure increases the ability of faculty to collectively shape institutional decisions, it is important to consider the role tenure plays within institutions of higher learning. McPherson and Schapiro (1999) argue, and I would agree, that tenure does play a significant role in contributing to institutional decisions. Tenured professors have considerable influence in decisions about who teaches, what subjects are taught, and how those subjects are taught. They are experts in their fields and have a marked advantage over an administrator, who may or may not have any academic experience in the field. Administrators in this situation would be wise to seek opinions and guidance from tenured faculty about hiring decisions. However, given this same scenario without tenure, it is less likely that faculty would be as willing to give opinions as freely or as honestly if they thought that the candidate might be a competitor for their position. There is also a consideration to be made in regard to conducting research. Universities have always been places where researchers could address …show more content…
In this system, a tenured professor would undergo evaluation after a period of time to ensure that they have been conducting ample research and adequately fulfilling the duties outlined in the tenure agreement. On the surface, this appears to be a sound practice. It would certainly eliminate professors who had become complacent and started to slack off in terms of output and performance. However, when other tenured professors are on the evaluating tenure committee, they may not be as honest or harsh in their evaluations because these same individuals may be evaluating them in the future. People tend to think about their own job security and will not always put the needs of the institution ahead of their