A revision of tenure by a new administration

Two weeks ago, hundreds attended a University service memorializing victims of the Sept. 11 attacks. The professors, deans, administrators and students who participated in the service represented a broad spectrum of the University community. Presenters came from the natural sciences, the social sciences and the arts; readings came from Christian, Jewish, Buddhist and secular sources. But I noticed that in one category, the stage was weighted toward a particular group. Women.

It immediately became apparent to me that the Cannon Green stage held seven women and only three men. On the front page of Monday's 'Prince,' a photo from one of the many panel discussions held since Sept. 11 shows five men debating in Robertson Hall. Other panels — over the last two weeks and since I entered Princeton — have been similarly packed with Y-chromosomes. It was refreshing to see a predominantly female panel at an event not sponsored by the Women's Center.

I do not know definitively that President Tilghman herself influenced the exact composition of the service's program. I do know that Tilghman has structured her administration to be female-heavy, at least at the top. And this conscious attempt to support women leaders shows through in what may be unconscious attempts.

Tilghman's success in scientific research, her popularity as an effective teacher, her leadership in her field and now in the University administration make her a role model to all Princeton students. That she has done all this and raised a family at the same time make her an inspiration to Princeton women who are often reminded that 'having it all' is not always easy or even possible.

But Tilghman, a self-described feminist, fought this battle before assuming Princeton's highest office. She has long worked for greater representation of women in the scientific research world. In a Sept. 9 New York Times Magazine interview with the female Ivy League presidents, Tilghman describes efforts in her own life to remove obstacles to women in her field. And Tilghman has long supported the abolition of tenure in a decidedly feminist stand.

In an editorial published just after Tilghman's appointment, 'Prince' editors expressed "concern" about her position on tenure. "Though she has modified her stance, now calling simply for a revision of tenure," they wrote, "we wonder about her plans."

Certainly, a university's tenure system has value. As Tilghman herself acknowledges, tenure ensures that professors are producing high-quality research and protects those professors' academic freedom by eliminating the possibility of dismissal for controversial ideas. But the protection tenure provides for some is countered by the penalty it presents to others. The research demands of the tenure track are heavy, and — although Princeton's system allows the tenure committee to add an extra year to the six-year tenure window for faculty with children — the system does not make it easy to have a family at the same time. Some professors have opted against the tenure track in order to accommodate family desires and needs. Women — for whom tenure often falls during the peak reproductive years — are overwhelmingly those who make this choice.

There are other ways to protect academic freedom, and Princeton has already proved itself an institution that does not silence unpopular ideas. In professor Peter Singer's first months here, the administration faced numerous protests, including the decision by some alumni contributors to withhold financial gifts to the University. But Singer's is arguably a special case. Rather than abolish tenure, Tilghman must change it.

Any student who has taken a course with Professor Beth Bogan has heard her end-of-the-semester plea to take time filling out course evaluation forms. Not tenured, Bogan's position is always up for review. Bogan is still an exceptionally well-respected educator.

The University's system should embrace such talented individuals. Rather than maintaining a tenure "window," make the security it provides obtainable at anytime in a professor's career. And while faculty research is important to the University, allow other contributions — such as respected, effective teaching — to be sufficient qualifications for the new tenure. This removes two of the major obstacles to women's tenure by not restricting it to peak reproductive years or to time-intensive research projects. And it maintains protection of academic freedom and the encouragement of faculty striving to make the best contributions they can to the University.

Female Princeton students need more woman role models. Revising the tenure system can help. As Tilghman is formally installed as President tomorrow, I urge her to continue this fight — it's "the good fight" we've been hearing about. Julie Straus is a Wilson School major from Potomac, MD. She can be reached at straus@princeton.edu.