Tenure

Tenure provides educators with protection from dismissal due to arbitrary and capricious political and administrative actions. Educators are free to express their views in written and verbal commentary. The Association of University Professors (AAUP) as well as federal courts have emphasized the importance of academic freedom in a democracy. The concept of tenure has a long history, representing efforts to protect educators from job insecurity resulting from their verbal or written work. This entry reviews the origins of tenure, its evolution in the United States through the work of the AAUP, and its elaboration in U.S. Supreme Court rulings over the years. It also describes the function of tenure in various educational settings today, where it plays a central role in protecting academic freedom.

Tenure grants ...