...Academic Tenure A Brief Assessment by Robert M. Armstrong Chaminade University MBA Program singabob@gmail.com Fall 2013 The Ethics of Academic Tenure A Brief Assessment by Robert M. Armstrong Chaminade University MBA Program C THE ETHICS OF ACADEMIC TENURE by Robert M. Armstrong Most everyone at the University of Illinois agrees engineering professor Louis Wozniak can be a pain at work, even though he is generally well-liked by his students. Since August 2010, he has been on paid suspension from the Springfield campus after publicly embarrassing a student he believed contributed to his denial of a $500 teaching award. Yet, this month, in what is believed to be a first-time action by University of Illinois trustees, Wozniak’s 41-year tenure was revoked and his employment immediately terminated after making a(n untrue) joke online about remembering only the names of students with whom he’s had sex. While clearly showing poor judgment and a lack of sensitivity, Wozniak’s situation calls into question the ethical justification for academic tenure, which is the focus of this paper. I will briefly examine tenure’s unique role in higher education from its start to its present-day limitations and whether its institution is ethical, by both those who covet it and those who provide it. In the end, hopefully the reader will understand the forces at play and whether its continuation is merited at American colleges and universities of the future. Academic tenure was...
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...Tenure and Termination Grand Canyon University: EDA 555 June 4, 2013 The greatest resource we have is our children. Parents entrust teachers to do educate and enrich children’s lives and to do so in a caring, safe, and to do so in a professional manner. There have been situations where sometimes the role of a teacher is misrepresented or compromised. These situations are sometimes not real, or they are a result of lies or hear say, but at other times they turn out to be true. Our society has taken measures to protect our children from being abused by adults. At the same time our society has also taken measures to protect teachers from certain injustices or false accusations. Many states have set in place tenure policies to protect competent teachers from malicious accusations but when do we draw the line? The law at times is not a well-defined contrast of black and white, and at times people need to decide on a shade of gray. Tenure is a form of job security that teachers earn after they reach a certain level of professionalism (Scott, 1986). When a teacher has earned tenure, they have the right to a continual teaching contract as long as they abide by the guidelines set forth in their contracts. It is believed that students benefit more from the experience and ability of a continuing contract teacher. Some of the protections that are extended to a tenured teacher are that they cannot be discriminated against based on their personal views, personality conflicts...
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...The Economic Efficiency of Tenure 13 May 2015 By: Andrea Curtis At-will employment has become the norm in society as it leaves the ability to hire and fire at the sole discretion of the employer. This is true in almost every field except one -teaching- and specifically university professors. While some other fields have unions and other job security none is quite as organized and laid out as that of education. The “tenure track” has become the best job security around, yet the question remains, is it economically efficient for the employer? Universities are more monetary driven than ever before with sky rocking tuition and intense work to increase donations, but is that money going to better education or inefficient employees? The “tenure track” encourages hard work, but it does so with the belief that it will payoff and the results will be an easy long-term career. The issue with tenure is not that it sets clear goals. The issue comes once the goals have been reached and the motivation disintegrates over time. It is often argued tenure is necessary to allow professors to do unpopular research without fear of losing their jobs. The problem here is how unlikely this is to occur. Universities are striving to get ahead and those with the unusual opinion are being encouraged to spread their discoveries especially with the increase in technology. It is also argued the tenured professors oversee the hiring and firing of faculty; however, it is acceptable to elect...
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...Name: Instructor: Course: Date: Teachers’ Tenure System Should Not Be Eliminated The course of considering the no kid left back bill in the year 2001 refocused America’s attention on endeavors towards transforming the Americans public education structure. Researchers as well as lawmakers are presently evaluating a range of strategies, starting from initiating new answerability standards towards encouraging school selection and contest, equally in an attempt to establish whatever modifications can be created to public education to upgrade its quality. The significance of teacher excellence is extensively acknowledged like one of the great important constituents of successful education and therefore policies that enhance teacher operation via the utilization of enticements are gaining impetus. In spite of several findings that enhancement in value is connected with momentous reduction in learners accomplishment. A study has previously pinpointed which teacher features are most problem-solving of value (Aaronson, et al.33). For instance, quantifiable teacher attributes such as race, sexual characteristics, education background, or periods for teaching practice) merely relate to three percent of the teacher’s control on student accomplishment (Goldhaber 20) .The teacher’s skill is never considerably connected with student success subsequent to the preliminary few years within a classroom (Rivkin 12). The findings propose that it is demanding to gauge teacher distinctiveness...
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...percent of the teacher’s control on student accomplishment (Goldhaber 20) .The teacher’s skill is never considerably connected with student success subsequent to the preliminary few years within a classroom (Rivkin 12). The findings propose that it is demanding to gauge teacher distinctiveness, for example personal incentive, job contentment, or tolerance and individuality are the principal agents of good performance. Plan most possibly to possess a great outcome on enhancing teacher value can thus be those which aim at positive alterations in these traits. Policymakers have endeavored addressing these matters via the assessment and realization of programs which provide motivations for educators to upgrade. One of such plan is the teacher tenure that generates...
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...Academic Finance as a Career: The Good, The Bad, and the Not-So-Pretty Don Chance James C. Flores Endowed Chair of MBA Studies Louisiana State University Current version: January 4, 2011 (Original version: November 19, 2007) Most undergraduate and masters students in finance (MS and MBA) are preparing for a career in the world of finance. Oftentimes, jobs in finance have titles like financial analyst, credit analyst, and assistant treasurer, with the possibilities of someday becoming a vice president of finance, chief financial officer, treasurer or some other high-ranking position of responsibility. Finance is an important field to study because it deals with the management of money, a subject of central concern to every business, government agency, or nonprofit organization, and indeed every individual. Knowing how the financial world operates, the characteristics of securities, and how investment decisions should be made serves one well for many career paths. The study of finance also helps to prepare a person to manage his or her own money and increase the likelihood of accruing significant wealth over time through solid principles of investing. Few students consider another finance-related career option: becoming an academic in finance. Most students know little about this career choice. Their experiences with finance academics are typically limited to their familiarity with classes taken from their professors. But there is a lot more to it than this. And it is probably...
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...Tenure: A Hot Bed of Controversy by Kirstie Cook 10 October, 2012 English 13 Block 4 A/C Mr. Tress Many people believe that tenure is a great thing that can help protect our teachers from being fired for the wrong reasons. Within this opinion lies the real problem. Tenure started as something that would allow teachers to teach things that were controversial at the time, such as Huck Fin, without having to fear being fired because of a parents outrage (Stephy, pg.1). Now it is next to impossible to fire a teacher. The problem with tenure is that it has become a way to protect the incompetent from being fired. One California school board spent $8,000 to fire an instructor who preferred using R-rated movies instead of books (Stephy, pg.1). Tenure needs to be revamped, we do not need to completely abolish it, but we do need to change it on a large scale. Right now it is harder to change tenure then to add an amendment to the constitution. When discussing the causes of tenure you think of a time when teachers could be fired for things such as reading a book a parent doesn’t approve of. It is true that this is how tenure began. It started at the same time labor unions were coming around. The first state to get tenure was New Jersey in 1909, it started as a way to protect teachers for being fired for a cheaper hire (Brody, pg.1). Tenure also started as a way to protect female teachers from being fired for things such as getting married...
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...teaching and of the student to freedom in learning.(1940 Statement of Academic Freedom and Tenure) - The 1987 Philippine Constitution states that, "Academic Freedom shall be enjoyed in all institutions of higher learning Historical Event that suppressed Academic Freedom: • Socrates (470-399 BC) was put to death for corrupting the youth of Athens with his ideas • Galileo (1564-1642) was sentenced to life imprisonment for Advocating Copernican view of the Solar System • (1882-1890) – Teachers were fired for telling their students on Darwins view The principle of Academic Freedom which were originated in Greece, arose again in Europe during the Rennaisance Period in which the Age of Reason came to maturity. Origin of the Academic Freedom in the United States • Academic Freedom in the United States were heavily influence by the German universities and the growth of the non sectarian America universities. The rise of ideological conflicts, especially relating to economic theory. The faculty began to feel the need to protect the faculty against the trustees and administrators whose view may be found unpalatable. • In response to these conflicts, in 1915 the American Association of University Professors was founded and issued its Declaration of Principles on Academic Freedom and Academic Tenure (the “Declaration”). 1915 Declaration of Principles of Academic Freedom: 3...
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...Case Study: ABC University The sessional and part time instructors at ABC University have been on strike for several weeks now. Attempts to come to a resolution of the conflict have come to a complete standstill. Talks, when they do start, become called off rather quickly. Both sides see the other as being intransigent and both sides feel their own perspective has not been heard by the other. In the midst of all of this are the students who have been out of school for a long time. The faculty too is frustrated as they feel caught in the middle between the University and the sessional/part time staff. The union for the instructors has been lobbying both students and tenured faculty to take their side in this conflict. The administration has written a few letters to students and faculty themselves defending their perspective. Some background information: Last year, the faculty negotiated a pay raise with the University of a 5% increase over a period of 3 years. In contrast, when the sessional/part time instructors’ contract came up for renewal this year, the University offered these instructors an increase of only 2.5% over a period of 3 years. The sessional/part time instructors feel that this difference in increase represents inequity. The University justifies paying sessional/part time instructors less than permanent faculty on the basis that the sessionals are usually young, mainly women, and are used to working for less pay for equal work because differences...
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...picture” surrounding the academic accounting environment. We then provide specific research guidance and publishing guidance to help improve the probability of publication success. Actions are suggested that doctoral students and new faculty can take to help jump-start their academic careers. We finish with guidance regarding some important acronyms of special interest to doctoral students in accounting. Keywords: career guidance; doctoral students; research; publishing. INTRODUCTION igher education faces a severe, and growing, shortage of accounting professors. As a result, the job prospects for new accounting doctoral graduates are very good and are getting better. Starting salaries are increasing, but so are the requirements for tenure and promotion. In particular, the requirements to produce more and better research are growing in most schools. An ad hoc committee of the American Accounting Association ͑AAA͒ was formed approximately five years ago to assess the shortage of accounting faculty and make recommendations to help address this important issue ͑Plumlee et al. 2006͒. The committee conducted...
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...What are the current job specifications for the store manager job? Based on the information you have (or could have), how would you assess the validity of these specifications? What approaches would you use? The current job specifications for the store manager position that is required, by most district managers, at CompTech is that the candidate being considered should have a MBA or at minimum three years’ experience as store manager. CompTech’s strategic objective is to meet customer requirements and expand their customer base, so I would also include strong customer service skills as a job specification. To validate the specifications that have been given I would look towards the job description initially and I would perform some job analysis on the store manager’s position (Bernardin, J.H., 2013. A job description would be able to tell me the most important job duties and specifications (Bernardin, J.H., 2013. In performing the job analysis I would use several different approaches. I could observe someone performing the store manager’s position or I could actually perform the store manager’s positions for a set period of time. I would also go through a position analysis questionnaire and a management position description questionnaire to see what specific job duties would fit this position best (Bernardin, J.H., 2013. What hypotheses or proposal do you have so far regarding CompTech's strategic position? What do you regard as the critical strengths and weaknesses...
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...1. Is Ms. Rhee aligning performance with the strategic goals of the DC Public School System with her corrective action techniques? Michelle Rhee wanted to “change the face of public education”. She felt it was important to identify the teachers who we’re struggling and if they weren’t able to become successful through professional development that they be removed out of the school system, so that they are no longer negatively impacting the students. Her aligning performance to meet the strategic goal of improving the education and raising the test scores of the children in the public school system. She wants to help the teachers succeed by increasing the budget for professional development. Also, provide schools with new staff dedicated to helping teachers improve. 2. Is her approach too radical or needed for such a dysfunctional school system? Remember, this school system ranked as one of the lowest in test scores in the nation in 2007-2008. I feel that her approach for Washington’s Public School system isn’t too radical. The school system ranked as one of the lowest in test scores in 2007-2008. There are so many children suffering, that only 12% of Washington’s 8th eighth graders are proficient in reading. Who will be held accountable for the low test scores? I do feel that some teachers are just working to collect a paycheck. Therefore, I agree with the radical changes that she has made, by forcing all the teachers to reapply for their jobs. Out of fifty-three...
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...“Waiting For Superman” Geoffrey Canada stated, “One of the saddest days of my life was when my mother told me Superman didn’t exist... I was crying because there was no one coming with enough power to save us.” Just as many children look up to fictional characters such as Superman, parents look up to our school system to educate, if not raise, their children. However, too many of these parents are beginning to realize that an effective education, like Superman, is nonexistent. In Waiting for Superman, Davis Guggenheim addresses a failing public school system in America that is a result of teachers unions, ineffective teachers, and false promises, among many other factors. The director’s selective perception in the video Waiting for Superman purports that public education is incapable of meeting the challenge of providing an adequate education to each one of its students and hence, charter schools are the answer to fixing the problem with education in the United States. He focuses on the plethora of public schools robustly failing its students and the factors causing them to fail. He gives statistics and facts to support his arguments and emphasizes that which makes a great school or a great student, is a great teacher. He criticizes the public school system by calling the federal, state, local, and district boards a “tangled mess of conflicting regulations and mixed agendas.” He states “the things we’ve done to help our schools work better have become the things that prevent...
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...Book Review The Fall of the Faculty: The Rise of the All-Administrative University and Why It Matters Benjamin Ginsburg, David Bernstein Professor in Political Science at Johns Hopkins University, gives us his unified assessment of the single most problem facing higher education in “The Fall of the Faculty: The Rise of the All-Administrative University and Why It Matters” (Oxford University Press, 2011). Ginsburg begins his book by explaining The Growth of Administration. He reminisces of his nearly 50 years of academic experience. Years ago faculty members would take on part time rolls as administrators of the university. He credits the faculty as being a success due largely to the fact that “Faculty administrators never forgot the purpose of the university was the promotion of education and research.”(pg.2) He then explains how despite financial cutbacks resulting the loss of full-time faculty, armies of staff and administrators referred to as “deanlets” and “deanlings” are still being hired. He supports this statement with statistics showing an 240 percent and 85 percent increase in the supply and demand in comparison to the 50 percent increase in faculty members hired. He dismisses arguments of increases in curriculum, service offerings and government mandates on record keeping as the cause. Ginsburg’s second section is titled What administrators do. This section of the book Ginsburg explains his interpretation of what the roll of an administrator is in the academic...
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...Before formulating an opinion whether or not tenure is still necessary, it is important to evaluate the pros and cons of having tenure. Some benefits of tenure protect academic freedom, provide job security, and provide institutions with experienced professors. With those concepts in mind, the American Association of University Professors (AAUP) and the Association of American College and Universities (AAC&U) have agreed on a policy that defines professor’s academic freedom rights and privileges. Undergraduate enrollment is increasing with every passing year and there will be a need for professors for instruction. Some tenure critics say that tenured professors do not keep themselves abreast of trends with higher education affecting the quality...
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