> Skip to content
FEATURED:
  • The Evolution of Race in Admissions
Sign In
  • News
  • Advice
  • The Review
  • Data
  • Current Issue
  • Virtual Events
  • Store
    • Featured Products
    • Reports
    • Data
    • Collections
    • Back Issues
    • Featured Products
    • Reports
    • Data
    • Collections
    • Back Issues
  • Jobs
    • Find a Job
    • Post a Job
    • Career Resources
    • Find a Job
    • Post a Job
    • Career Resources
Sign In
  • News
  • Advice
  • The Review
  • Data
  • Current Issue
  • Virtual Events
  • Store
    • Featured Products
    • Reports
    • Data
    • Collections
    • Back Issues
    • Featured Products
    • Reports
    • Data
    • Collections
    • Back Issues
  • Jobs
    • Find a Job
    • Post a Job
    • Career Resources
    • Find a Job
    • Post a Job
    • Career Resources
  • News
  • Advice
  • The Review
  • Data
  • Current Issue
  • Virtual Events
  • Store
    • Featured Products
    • Reports
    • Data
    • Collections
    • Back Issues
    • Featured Products
    • Reports
    • Data
    • Collections
    • Back Issues
  • Jobs
    • Find a Job
    • Post a Job
    • Career Resources
    • Find a Job
    • Post a Job
    • Career Resources
Sign In
ADVERTISEMENT
Blog Logo

Letters: Tenure Helps Prevent Exploitation

Correspondence from Chronicle readers.

  • Twitter
  • LinkedIn
  • Show more sharing options
Share
  • Twitter
  • LinkedIn
  • Facebook
  • Email
  • Copy Link URLCopied!
  • Print

Tenure Helps Prevent Exploitation

June 7, 2022

To the Editor:
Professor Jenkins considers several ways to reform the tenure system (“On Tenure: What 4-Year Campuses Can Learn from 2-Year Campuses,” 31 May 2022). However, he overlooks a crucial argument for tenure as currently constituted, which weakens his arguments for alternatives.Tenure is an example of an “up-or-out” employment contract. Labor economists have long recognized the value of these contracts in preventing exploitation of employees by employers—in this case, faculty by their university. By baking in the promotion or dismissal decision at the time of hiring, tenure aligns the incentives of the university with the interests of faculty.Universities want their faculty to make institution-specific investments. These range from conducting research under the university’s aegis, preparing lectures and supporting materials for the university’s specific courses of study, and providing service to university organizations and committees. Without the guaranteed end to the probationary (assistant professor) period, nothing prevents the university from reneging on its promises ex post. By moving the goalposts, universities could reap faculty members’ hard work for the bargain price of perpetual assistant-professorial compensation. Forward-looking faculty would respond by underinvesting in university-specific capital. This is bad for all parties. By solving this credible commitment problem, tenure enables young faculty to enjoy some of the benefits they create for their institutions.Some of Professor Jenkins’s reforms are benign. But others, such as hiring faculty on the “expectation that they will, in fact, earn [tenure],” would make the problem even worse. The “sword of Damocles” Professor Jenkins decries is the key to making the “up-or-out” labor contract work.Faculty compensation, including tenure, looks the way it does for a reason. We must be cautious in our reforms. If we overlook the often-subtle incentives at work, we may inadvertently make things worse, harming the persons and institutions we hoped to help.Alexander William SalterGeorgie G. Snyder Associate Professor of EconomicsRawls College of Business, Texas Tech University703 Flint Ave.Lubbock, TX 79409(806) 834-8186

We’re sorry. Something went wrong.

We are unable to fully display the content of this page.

The most likely cause of this is a content blocker on your computer or network. Please make sure your computer, VPN, or network allows javascript and allows content to be delivered from c950.chronicle.com and chronicle.blueconic.net.

Once javascript and access to those URLs are allowed, please refresh this page. You may then be asked to log in, create an account if you don't already have one, or subscribe.

If you continue to experience issues, contact us at 202-466-1032 or help@chronicle.com

To the Editor:

Professor Jenkins considers several ways to reform the tenure system (“On Tenure: What 4-Year Campuses Can Learn from 2-Year Campuses,” The Chronicle, May 31). However, he overlooks a crucial argument for tenure as currently constituted, which weakens his arguments for alternatives.

Tenure is an example of an “up-or-out” employment contract. Labor economists have long recognized the value of these contracts in preventing exploitation of employees by employers — in this case, faculty by their university. By baking in the promotion or dismissal decision at the time of hiring, tenure aligns the incentives of the university with the interests of faculty.

Universities want their faculty to make institution-specific investments. These range from conducting research under the university’s aegis, preparing lectures and supporting materials for the university’s specific courses of study, and providing service to university organizations and committees. Without the guaranteed end to the probationary (assistant professor) period, nothing prevents the university from reneging on its promises ex post. By moving the goalposts, universities could reap faculty members’ hard work for the bargain price of perpetual assistant-professorial compensation. Forward-looking faculty would respond by underinvesting in university-specific capital. This is bad for all parties. By solving this credible commitment problem, tenure enables young faculty to enjoy some of the benefits they create for their institutions.

Some of Professor Jenkins’s reforms are benign. But others, such as hiring faculty on the “expectation that they will, in fact, earn [tenure],” would make the problem even worse. The “sword of Damocles” Professor Jenkins decries is the key to making the “up-or-out” labor contract work.

ADVERTISEMENT

Faculty compensation, including tenure, looks the way it does for a reason. We must be cautious in our reforms. If we overlook the often-subtle incentives at work, we may inadvertently make things worse, harming the persons and institutions we hoped to help.

Alexander William Salter
Georgie G. Snyder Associate Professor of Economics
Rawls College of Business
Texas Tech University
Lubbock

ADVERTISEMENT
ADVERTISEMENT
  • Explore
    • Get Newsletters
    • Letters
    • Free Reports and Guides
    • Blogs
    • Virtual Events
    • Chronicle Store
    • Find a Job
    Explore
    • Get Newsletters
    • Letters
    • Free Reports and Guides
    • Blogs
    • Virtual Events
    • Chronicle Store
    • Find a Job
  • The Chronicle
    • About Us
    • DEI Commitment Statement
    • Write for Us
    • Talk to Us
    • Work at The Chronicle
    • User Agreement
    • Privacy Policy
    • California Privacy Policy
    • Site Map
    • Accessibility Statement
    The Chronicle
    • About Us
    • DEI Commitment Statement
    • Write for Us
    • Talk to Us
    • Work at The Chronicle
    • User Agreement
    • Privacy Policy
    • California Privacy Policy
    • Site Map
    • Accessibility Statement
  • Customer Assistance
    • Contact Us
    • Advertise With Us
    • Post a Job
    • Advertising Terms and Conditions
    • Reprints & Permissions
    • Do Not Sell My Personal Information
    Customer Assistance
    • Contact Us
    • Advertise With Us
    • Post a Job
    • Advertising Terms and Conditions
    • Reprints & Permissions
    • Do Not Sell My Personal Information
  • Subscribe
    • Individual Subscriptions
    • Institutional Subscriptions
    • Subscription & Account FAQ
    • Manage Newsletters
    • Manage Your Account
    Subscribe
    • Individual Subscriptions
    • Institutional Subscriptions
    • Subscription & Account FAQ
    • Manage Newsletters
    • Manage Your Account
1255 23rd Street, N.W. Washington, D.C. 20037
© 2023 The Chronicle of Higher Education
  • twitter
  • instagram
  • youtube
  • facebook
  • linkedin