[PEN-L:2408] Re: A new Threat on the Horizen -Post Tenure Review

[mmeeropo@xxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxx (Mike Meeropol)]

This idea of post-tenure review was proposed very seriously in an article on
the back page of the Chronicle of Higher Education about two years ago by
Patricia Hollander who was the legal advisor (or something like that) to
some national organization of Boards of Trustees.  Her focus was that NOW
THAT MANDATORY RETIREMENT is not permitted for faculty, how are colleges
going to "get rid of" faculty who are "too old" (and doddering and senile)
to do their jobs properly.  Her answer:  regular post-tenure review. (which
of course is a way of ENDING TENURE).

I think this is a perfect example of the proletarianization of
teachers/professors and fits into the discussion we had about a month ago
stimulated by the suggestion that our profession is kind of a medievil guild
which while under assault by capitalism has not yet completely succumbed to
it.  Perhaps this might be a powerful recruiting tool within our profession
--- nothing concentrates the mind more than the thought that one surely will
be hanged [paraphrasing Oscar Wilde] --- maybe more of our "colleagues" in a
basically apologetic and accommmodating profession will be shocked into
serious intellectual opposition to capitalism by being forced to play by its
rules instead of merely cheering those rules on for "other" "less deserving"
people!

Is it too much to hope??
--
Mike Meeropol
Economics Department
Cultures Past and Present Program
Western New England College
Springfield, Massachusetts
"Don't blame us, we voted for George McGovern!"
Unrepentent Leftist!!
mmeeropo@xxxxxxxx
[if at bitnet node:  in%"mmeeropo@xxxxxxxx" but that's fading fast!]