In An Agenda for Excellence: Creating Flexibility in Tenure-Track
Faculty Careers, ACE and a panel of presidents and chancellors from
across the United States outline an ambitious agenda to reform and
enhance the academic career path for tenured and tenure-track
faculty.
Spark a national dialogue to encourage change in the career cycles
of tenured and tenure-track faculty.
Generate thoughtful, tested approaches to assist campuses in
adapting promising practices to address faculty work-life issues.
Among other steps, the report recommends that presidents and
chancellors take steps to:
Allow colleges, schools, and departments within a university to
establish their own agreed upon guidelines for interpreting criteria for
promotion and tenure, taking into account heavy teaching loads,
professional service activities, student advising, and the four distinct
functions of scholarship, as outlined by Ernest Boyer in Scholarship
Reconsidered: Priorities of the Professorate.
Create flexibility in the probationary period for tenure review
without altering the standards or criteria. Longer probationary periods
should not be required for all faculty, but flexible time frames of up
to 10 years with reviews at set intervals should be offered. This option
could benefit faculty who may need to be compensated for lost time or
given additional time to prepare because of unanticipated professional
or personal circumstances.
Examine and proactively address the work-life issues and
professional climate of faculty members throughout the entire career
cycle.
