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Showing posts from January, 2014

Vanishing Job Security Even For Those Of Us Working In The Ivory Tower

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The other day, I was talking to a friend about a course I’m teaching during the winter term semester called “Sources of Power.” I was explaining to him that it is an interdisciplinary course on power and how it’s one of my favorite classes to teach at the University of Hartford. He interrupted me and asked, “Do you have tenure?” I replied, “Yes.” Looking relieved, he responded, “That’s good.” He then listened closely as I finished my story. I get asked about whether I have tenure quite a lot, especially by people I’ve just met. Some people ask because they are hostile to the idea that most faculty members have what they believe are “jobs for life” no matter how incompetent we are in the classroom. Others ask because they have taken college courses, and they know how poorly paid part-time and full-time non-tenured faculty are in my profession, and worry if I have financial security. Either way, most people who ask me about tenure have only a vague idea about what it means,