Abolish Tenure, Better College Education

About one third of all college teachers think that the quality of higher education would improve if tenure were abolished, according to a new survey of college faculty from across the country.

Of the 5000 professors surveyed throughout the nation, 40 percent said that faculty morale is worse than it was five years ago, and they attribute part of the reason to the acquisition of tenure.

The survey, conducted by the Carnegie Foundation for the Advancement of Teaching, is part of a more extensive data poll that will be out this spring, according to Robert Hochstein, press secretary for the Carnegie Foundation.

Trying to get tenure has generally been a main goal for college teachers because it protects them from being fired without justification.

But the study shows that it is harder to get tenure now than it was five years ago, two thirds of the respondents said.

The survey, released in September, indicates that many faculty believe the good untenured teachers are leaving the profession because institutions do not have positions, and because they cannot find their own place in the college, Hochstein said.

Some Harvard faculty, though, do not agree with the findings of the poll.

Thomas G. Goodwillie, Associate Professor of Mathematics, said, "My idealistic view is that tenure would improve education. It's a good deal, but it can make some people lazy." He added, "In general though, I think people are in academics because they like it."

Goodwillie said he feels that getting tenure now is equally as difficult as it was five years ago.

Professor of Organic Chemistry Elias J. Corey, agrees. "I'm in favor of trying tenure as an experiment. I think it can be useful."

Susan M. Collins, Assistant Professor of Economics, questions the proposal for complete abolition of tenure. "It all depends on what system you're going to put in its place."

"Laziness in the faculty can happen, but I think that some mechanism is needed for people to have jobs that they know are relatively secure," she said.

Not Again

The survey also indicated that about 21 percent of the teachers polled say that they would not go into teaching if they could start their careers over again.

But Harvard professors Goodwillie, Collins, and Corey all strongly agree that they would once again go into education if given another opportunity.

The survey, said Hochstein, clearly shows that college faculty are deeply concerned about job security and salary, and the integrity of their institutions.