COLLOQUY

The worst possible argument for abolishing tenure is that since industry treats people like Kleenex, so should academia. Industry's predisposition to string employees along on short-term contracts and then drop them at a whim is inhumane and counterproductive, although it's not surprising that it looks attractive to frustrated administrators. And without question, there are some faculty who are walking advertisements for the abolition of tenure.

Universities are extraordinarily politics-ridden organizations. Some have advocated replacing tenure with short-term contracts or treating faculty as independent contractors. (In fairness, Peter Magrath's specific recommendations are far less extreme.) Imagine how the level of faculty politicking would rise if we had to constantly ingratiate ourselves with administrators to get that next contract. Despite whatever constitutional rights might exist, there would be tremendous pressure to play the role of sycophant and parrot the political views of those in charge. Constitutional protections alone were not sufficient to protect those on the left during the McCarthy era, and even today many faculty feel under intense pressure to conform to the prevailing ideology of their academic units.

There is a myth that abolition of tenure would lead to the termination of incompetent faculty. Most universities already have merit-pay provisions and allow for termination-with-cause of tenured faculty, yet there is a marked tendency among administrators to shy away from these tools. All too often, the determining factor in administrators' discretionary decisions is which faculty member does the administrator least want to have an angry confrontation with. On the other hand, there are some administrators -- only a few, one hopes -- who would be prone to abuse any additional power. Administrators should make greater use of the discretionary tools currently present rather than engage in the power grab that constitutes abolition of tenure.

I recognize that the job of academic administrator is a difficult and thankless one, combining maximum responsibility and minimal power. But when faced with an incompetent or non-performing faculty member, some administrators are too quick to say, "The person is tenured, so I can't do anything," instead of using the legitimate discretionary power that their institutions allow or invoking existing procedures for termination-with-cause.

--Marc Mentzer, Associate Professor of Industrial Relations and Organizational Behaviour, University of Saskatchewan, Saskatoon, Canada (posted 2/24, 2:45 p.m., E.S.T.)