U. seeks student input for tenure

In an effort to involve students more in the tenure process, the USG and the dean of the faculty have set out to inform students that their input is a factor in tenure decisions.

The tenure process — the method by which chosen faculty members are awarded a job for life — has typically been shrouded by mystery.

"Traditionally, tenure selection has been a dark, quiet, hush-hush process," said USG President Matt Margolin '05. "This new initiative should make the tenure process more transparent to students. I hope it gets students more involved."

Students can now have some input in the process by writing letters to Dean of the Faculty David Dobkin in which they express their opinions on any professor, good or bad. The letters are then put into open files for each professor, which are reviewed yearly and have some influence on tenure decisions.

Although students have always been able to write letters to the dean of the faculty about professors, the new initiative actively encourages them to do so.

"We have placed ads in the 'Prince' and Matt [Margolin] has sent an email to the undergraduate student body to publicize our interest in having student input," Dobkin said in an email.

He said the administration would especially like to hear if a professor was particularly good or bad. That input will then be taken into account when decisions about tenure and wage increases are made.

Dobkin was optimistic about student response, saying he has been receiving increasing feedback in the form of student letters since last spring.

Margolin was similarly hopeful. "I have received emails from students saying they support this new initiative," he said. "The students I talk to feel it is a good idea."

The new initiative is due, in part, to student objections over popular professors denied tenure in the past, most recently historian Andrew Isenberg.

Isenberg, the recipient of the Award for Distinguished Teaching in 2001, was denied tenure in April 2003. He filed an appeal later that spring — after more than 500 students signed a petition to President Tilghman — but was once again denied.

This is one of the incidents that has spurred the student body and the USG to take action and become more involved in the tenure process.

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"Very rarely do you get a consensus of opinion from a large group of students like that," Margolin said. "It was a large upset to the University community as a whole. I hope this new system will take away some of that 'emergency feeling' we now have on campus."

The tenure process consists of three rounds. During the first round, a candidate's department must support him. Candidates who have the approval of their department then move onto the Committee of Three, which consists of six faculty members, the senior deans and the provost. That committee makes a recommendation to the president, who makes the final decision.

Though the exact selection criteria for tenure remain unclear to those outside the selection process, published research seems to be the most important factor — more so than teaching skills — said Academics Chair Shoum Chakravarti '05.

Though Dobkin said student letters are important, he cautioned that there are other factors in the decision.

"Student input will make a difference overall," Dobkin said, "but I suspect that there will be cases where the decision might not match the expectations of students."