{"id":2256376,"date":"2024-05-31T04:41:01","date_gmt":"2024-05-31T08:41:01","guid":{"rendered":"https:\/\/www.conservativenewsdaily.net\/breaking-news\/north-dakota-looks-to-clamp-down-on-professor-tenure-after-legislative-failure\/"},"modified":"2024-05-31T04:55:55","modified_gmt":"2024-05-31T08:55:55","slug":"north-dakota-looks-to-clamp-down-on-professor-tenure-after-legislative-failure","status":"publish","type":"post","link":"https:\/\/www.conservativenewsdaily.net\/breaking-news\/north-dakota-looks-to-clamp-down-on-professor-tenure-after-legislative-failure\/","title":{"rendered":"North Dakota seeks to tighten rules on professor tenure following legislative setback"},"content":{"rendered":"<aside class=\"mashsb-container mashsb-main mashsb-stretched\"><div class=\"mashsb-box\"><div class=\"mashsb-count mash-medium\" style=\"&quot;\"><div class=\"counts mashsbcount\">24<\/div><span class=\"mashsb-sharetext\">SHARES<\/span><\/div><div class=\"mashsb-buttons\"><a class=\"mashicon-facebook mash-medium mash-nomargin mashsb-noshadow\" href=\"https:\/\/www.facebook.com\/sharer.php?u=https%3A%2F%2Fwww.conservativenewsdaily.net%2Fbreaking-news%2Fnorth-dakota-looks-to-clamp-down-on-professor-tenure-after-legislative-failure%2F\" target=\"_top\" rel=\"nofollow\"><span class=\"icon\"><\/span><span class=\"text\">Facebook<\/span><\/a><a class=\"mashicon-twitter mash-medium mash-nomargin mashsb-noshadow\" href=\"https:\/\/twitter.com\/intent\/tweet?text=&amp;url=https:\/\/www.conservativenewsdaily.net\/breaking-news\/?p=2256376&amp;via=ConservNewsDly\" target=\"_top\" rel=\"nofollow\"><span class=\"icon\"><\/span><span class=\"text\">Twitter<\/span><\/a><a class=\"mashicon-subscribe mash-medium mash-nomargin mashsb-noshadow\" href=\"#\" target=\"_top\" rel=\"nofollow\"><span class=\"icon\"><\/span><span class=\"text\">Subscribe<\/span><\/a><div class=\"onoffswitch2 mash-medium mashsb-noshadow\" style=\"display:none\"><\/div><\/div>\n            <\/div>\n                <div style=\"clear:both\"><\/div><\/aside>\n            <!-- Share buttons by mashshare.net - Version: 4.0.47--><p>The North Dakota Board of Higher Education is considering tightening professor tenure rules, especially at community colleges. A draft report proposes reducing tenured and <a href=\"https:\/\/www.conservativenewsdaily.net\/breaking-news\/bernie-sanders-introduces-free-college-bill-heres-who-qualifies-and-how-much-it-will-cost\/\" title=\"Bernie Sanders Introduces \u2018Free College\u2019 Bill. Here\u2019s Who Qualifies And How Much It Will Cost\">tenure-track faculty<\/a> at five community colleges and revising tenure processes at all 11 universities within the North Dakota University System. There\u200d are ongoing discussions concerning the \u200cimpact of tenure on academic \u2064freedom and faculty productivity.  <\/p>\n<p class=\"readmore\">\n    <button onclick=\"showReadMore()\" id=\"readmorebtn\">Read more&#8230;<\/button>\n<\/p>\n<hr id=\"line\">\n<span id=\"more\"><\/p>\n<div>\n<p>The <a href=\"https:\/\/www.washingtonexaminer.com\/tag\/north-dakota\/\" target=\"_blank\" rel=\"noopener\" title>North Dakota<\/a> Board of <a href=\"https:\/\/www.washingtonexaminer.com\/tag\/higher-education\/\" target=\"_blank\" rel=\"noopener\" title>Higher Education<\/a> is looking to rein in <a href=\"https:\/\/www.washingtonexaminer.com\/tag\/education\/\" target=\"_blank\" rel=\"noopener\" title>professor tenure<\/a>, particularly at its community colleges, according to a draft report.<\/p>\n<p>The board\u2019s Tenure\/Post-Tenure Ad Hoc Committee has a <a href=\"https:\/\/ndusbpos.sharepoint.com\/sites\/NDUSSBHE\/Meeting%20Materials\/Forms\/AllItems.aspx?id=%2Fsites%2FNDUSSBHE%2FMeeting%20Materials%2F2024%2FMarch%2F202403INFO%2DADH%2DPT%2DCommittee%20Report%2Epdf&#038;parent=%2Fsites%2FNDUSSBHE%2FMeeting%20Materials%2F2024%2FMarch&#038;p=true&#038;ga=1\" target=\"_blank\" rel=\"noopener\" title>draft report<\/a> that could bring a massive decrease in tenured and tenure-track faculty at the state\u2019s five community colleges, as well as pared-back awards of tenure at all 11 universities in the North Dakota University System.<\/p>\n<p>The move, which has not been finalized, comes after a bill last year to limit tenure protections failed, while a growing movement of conservative lawmakers across the country is trying to find ways to cut into tenure protections for professors, who they see as left-wing activists muddying true academic inquiry. The law would have given the presidents of Dickinson State University and Bismarck State College the power to fire tenured faculty.<\/p>\n<p>\u201cCommunity college <a href=\"https:\/\/www.conservativenewsdaily.net\/breaking-news\/report-here-are-the-10-worst-colleges-for-free-speech\/\" title=\"Report: Here Are The 10 Worst Colleges For Free Speech\">faculty members<\/a>, by and large, do not contribute new knowledge. The contributions of community college faculty members are closely tied to educating for the job market,\u201d Adam Kissel, Heritage Foundation visiting fellow at the Center for Education Policy, told the <em>Washington Examiner<\/em>. \u201cTenure is flatly inconsistent with the innovation and nimbleness that community colleges need to stay relevant in their communities.\u201d<\/p>\n<p>\u201cNorth Dakota should follow the pattern of Iowa, Montana, Nebraska, South Dakota, and Wisconsin in having little to no tenure for community college faculty members. Indeed, it should go farther and reduce tenure across all public institutions,\u201d Kissel continued. \u201cThe tenure process is particularly bad for the academic freedom of tenure track, \u2018probationary\u2019 faculty, who often walk on eggshells for several years and hide their true views as they seek tenure.\u201d<\/p>\n<p>Currently, faculty contracts are divided into probationary tenure track, tenure, and special appointment. But if the board changes the policy, all faculty would have a special appointment contract, which essentially makes their employment at will and subject to renewal by their university\u2019s president.<\/p>\n<p>According to the American Association of University Professors, there has been a trend of colleges not awarding tenure. By fall of 2021, 68% of faculty in the country had what they call \u201ccontingent appointments,\u201d or nontenured, whereas that number was 47% in 1987.<\/p>\n<p>\u201cPresidents should do much more than rubber-stamp faculty recommendations. Involving presidents earlier can limit surprises when a president disagrees with a faculty recommendation,\u201d Kissel said. \u201cIn academia broadly, faculty members have squandered much of their authority, and the deference they used to deserve, by reproducing ideologues in many departments.\u201d<\/p>\n<p>The draft report noted that, across the board, \u201cthere are issues with individual low-productivity faculty that current post-tenure review processes do not adequately address\u201d and noted that \u201ccampus presidents need greater latitude in addressing low-performing tenured faculty members.\u201d<\/p>\n<p>Tenure for two-year faculty members is \u201cless rigorous compared to the four-year regional and research institutions. Post-tenure review processes were the least developed, if they existed at all, among two year colleges. Both the tenure and post-tenure processes must be meaningful and rigorous.\u201d<\/p>\n<p>The committee is expected to meet again in June to deliberate on the tenure recommendations.<\/p>\n<p>The report comes after the failed legislation, but state university system Chancellor Mark Hagerott, who <a href=\"https:\/\/ndlegis.gov\/assembly\/68-2023\/testimony\/SEDU-1446-20230313-24160-A-HAGEROTT_MARK.pdf\" target=\"_blank\" rel=\"noopener\" title>told<\/a> state senators that tenure should remain the \u201cconstitutional authority\u201d of the board, pledged to work with legislators to review the tenure process.<\/p>\n<p>Hagerott anticipated a reduction in tenured professors at community colleges, telling a legislative committee in May, \u201cWe are going to be, unless the board surprises me, reducing the number of tenured professors at the community colleges.\u201d<\/p>\n<p>The draft report suggested a \u201cgoal of no more than approximately 50\u00a0percent of the faculty holding tenure positions by 2030\u201d for community colleges, noting that little or no tenure was given to faculty at two-year colleges in Montana, Nebraska, South Dakota, and Wisconsin. North Dakota State College of Science has a tenured rate of 96%, but other two-year colleges in the state have much lower rates.<\/p>\n<p>However, in April, a 5-3 vote of the board allowed the inclusion of two-year tenure candidates and ultimately voted 6-2 to grant tenure for all candidates from two- and four-year universities who were being considered.<\/p>\n<p>Kevin Black, a board member and oil and gas executive, questioned the reason a community college faculty member would need tenure, asking, \u201cHow does tenure provide academic freedom in a technical education role?\u201d<\/p>\n<p>\u201cThis board needs to really think hard about the application and the validity of tenure in a purely instructional setting,\u201d Black added.<\/p>\n<p>But with the debate over tenure at community colleges still hanging in the balance, a joint statement from four of five community colleges in the state was submitted in defense of tenure, saying, \u201cAcademic freedom is the fundamental reason for tenure.\u201d<\/p>\n<p>\u201cWithout tenure, the administration could sanitize the academic curriculum (by hiring and non-renewing faculty) to meet the administration\u2019s perspective or beliefs on inherently debatable\/contentious subjects such as religion environmental sciences (think climate change\/global warming), history, human development, sociology, or social justice issues, to name only a few,\u201d the statement said. \u201cThis lack of job security or even assurance of a continuation of employment, reduces the appeal of college faculty positions. Moreover, such contracts do not promote a higher level of academic endeavors, which is detrimental to the quality of education that learners, communities, and employers in North Dakota rely on to continue developing an effective workforce and society.\u201d<\/p>\n<p>Tenure protections, however, are seen by conservatives as a way to protect left-wing professors while boxing out conservative ones, Kissel said.<\/p>\n<p>\u201cEven under the tenure system, ideological and activist faculty members have made most departments into oppressive monocultures. Just look at the current political makeup and donation history of most departments,\u201d Kissel explained. \u201cWhat keeps a conservative scholar in the field is excellence. Without tenure, conservative junior faculty will not have to hide their views as much.\u201d<\/p>\n<p>\u201cToo many academics in too many places are hopelessly oppressive and politically intolerant. This is a sorry situation, and activist faculty are reaping the sad rewards of their intolerance now that legislators, governors, and regulators are stepping in to preserve the core mission of universities,\u201d he added.<\/p>\n<p>One of the issues noted by Black is that the board tends to \u201crubber stamp\u201d awards of tenure without much deliberation, and the draft report said that accountability measures are needed to make sure continued tenure is deserved.<\/p>\n<p>Kissel noted that many of the concerns with tenure can be answered with the First Amendment, and that tenure can be tied to more concrete criteria such as enrollment.<\/p>\n<p>\u201cThe First Amendment already protects community college faculty members, and indeed all <a href=\"https:\/\/www.conservativenewsdaily.net\/breaking-news\/texas-professors-sue-abbott-over-tiktok-ban-at-state-universities\/\" title=\"Texas professors file lawsuit against Governor Abbott over TikTok ban at state universities.\">public university faculty<\/a>. Academic freedom policies can fill any gaps sufficiently. Tenure is unnecessary,\u201d Kissel said. \u201cFor the teaching faculty, it makes sense to tie contracts to student enrollment, and including enrollment criteria within post-tenure review serves that purpose well. Such criteria would be inapt for research faculty, for whom research output should be a core criterion for a successful post-tenure review.\u201d<\/p>\n<p>Some states, such as Indiana, have taken steps to tie tenure to \u201cintellectual diversity,\u201d setting up a tenure review system that ensures faculty members are upholding academic responsibilities to expose students to alternative viewpoints sufficiently. That review process could include sanctions on professors who are not doing so but also protects faculty members\u2019 abilities to criticize university leadership, for example.<\/p>\n<p><strong><a href=\"https:\/\/www.washingtonexaminer.com\/\" target=\"_blank\" rel=\"noreferrer noopener\">CLICK HERE TO READ MORE FROM THE WASHINGTON EXAMINER<\/a><\/strong><\/p>\n<p>A Nebraska proposal would end tenure for all faculty at public universities.<\/p>\n<p>States such as Georgia, Texas, and Florida have instituted post-tenure review and similar policies. Last year, North Carolina failed to pass a wide-ranging ban on tenure.<\/p>\n<\/p><\/div>\n<p><\/span><\/p>\n","protected":false},"excerpt":{"rendered":"<p>The North Dakota Board of Higher Education aims to restrict professor tenure, focusing on community colleges. A draft report by the Tenure\/Post-Tenure Ad Hoc Committee suggests a significant reduction in tenured and tenure-track faculty at the state&#8217;s five community colleges, along with streamlined processes<\/p>\n","protected":false},"author":179,"featured_media":2256377,"comment_status":"open","ping_status":"closed","sticky":false,"template":"","format":"standard","meta":{"_mo_disable_npp":"","fifu_image_url":"https:\/\/www.washingtonexaminer.com\/wp-content\/uploads\/2024\/05\/AP24135587993344-1024x683.jpg","fifu_image_alt":"","footnotes":""},"categories":[],"tags":[],"class_list":["post-2256376","post","type-post","status-publish","format-standard","has-post-thumbnail","hentry"],"fifu_image_url":"https:\/\/www.washingtonexaminer.com\/wp-content\/uploads\/2024\/05\/AP24135587993344-1024x683.jpg","_links":{"self":[{"href":"https:\/\/www.conservativenewsdaily.net\/breaking-news\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/posts\/2256376","targetHints":{"allow":["GET"]}}],"collection":[{"href":"https:\/\/www.conservativenewsdaily.net\/breaking-news\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/posts"}],"about":[{"href":"https:\/\/www.conservativenewsdaily.net\/breaking-news\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/types\/post"}],"author":[{"embeddable":true,"href":"https:\/\/www.conservativenewsdaily.net\/breaking-news\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/users\/179"}],"replies":[{"embeddable":true,"href":"https:\/\/www.conservativenewsdaily.net\/breaking-news\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/comments?post=2256376"}],"version-history":[{"count":0,"href":"https:\/\/www.conservativenewsdaily.net\/breaking-news\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/posts\/2256376\/revisions"}],"wp:featuredmedia":[{"embeddable":true,"href":"https:\/\/www.conservativenewsdaily.net\/breaking-news\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/media\/2256377"}],"wp:attachment":[{"href":"https:\/\/www.conservativenewsdaily.net\/breaking-news\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/media?parent=2256376"}],"wp:term":[{"taxonomy":"category","embeddable":true,"href":"https:\/\/www.conservativenewsdaily.net\/breaking-news\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/categories?post=2256376"},{"taxonomy":"post_tag","embeddable":true,"href":"https:\/\/www.conservativenewsdaily.net\/breaking-news\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/tags?post=2256376"}],"curies":[{"name":"wp","href":"https:\/\/api.w.org\/{rel}","templated":true}]}}