College and University Tenure Reform Gaining Momentum in Several States

Recent laws require performance reviews that determine whether faculty members are effective teachers, not just researchers and scholarly journal writers.
College and University Tenure Reform Gaining Momentum in Several States
Faculty members and other employees at California State University–Los Angeles stop working for the start of a five-day strike at Cal State–LA in Los Angeles on Jan. 22, 2024. Frederic J. Brown/AFP via Getty Images
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At a growing number of public higher education institutions across the nation, professors are no longer guaranteed a job for life.

State legislatures or higher education boards have passed tenure reform measures in seven states so far, and proposals are moving through the system in six others, according to the National Conference of State Legislatures database. Lawmakers and policymakers believe tenure will remain a major issue as they consider higher education reforms at the national, state, and institutional levels.

Aaron Gifford
Aaron Gifford
Author
Aaron Gifford has written for several daily newspapers, magazines, and specialty publications and also served as a federal background investigator and Medicare fraud analyst. He graduated from the University at Buffalo and is based in Upstate New York.