Relay-Version: version B 2.10 5/3/83; site utzoo.UUCP Posting-Version: version B 2.10.1 6/24/83; site mit-eddie.UUCP Path: utzoo!watmath!clyde!burl!hou3c!hocda!houxm!ihnp4!mit-eddie!smh From: smh@mit-eddie.UUCP (Steven M. Haflich) Newsgroups: net.misc,net.college Subject: Re: Proposal to replace academic tenure Message-ID: <2742@mit-eddie.UUCP> Date: Wed, 19-Sep-84 17:04:05 EDT Article-I.D.: mit-eddi.2742 Posted: Wed Sep 19 17:04:05 1984 Date-Received: Tue, 25-Sep-84 05:49:50 EDT References: <166@inteloc.UUCP> Organization: MIT, Cambridge, MA Lines: 17 How quickly we forget! Doesn't anyone remember why tenure exists? It is not to protect incompetence or malfeasance. Rather, it protects unpopular opinions -- be they about academic subjects or not -- as manifestations of free thinking. If you could find a way to allow majority judgement about the performance of an individual without judging that individual's opinions, then you are probably qualified to be a deity. 1966: Hey, let's vote against renewing Jones. That commie pinko turkey is always flaming about the war in Vietnam. 1968: Darn that fool Jones, all that publicity he brings upon the University caused NSF to turn down our proposal. Let's finally get rid of him... Steve Haflich, MIT (untenured faculty)