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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)