Tenure at a Crossroads, Again?: An Examination of the Devolution of Higher Education in the Age of Corporatization

Tenure at a Crossroads, Again? explores the contemporary challenges facing academia at the K-12 and higher education levels, examining increased expectations and how existing policies have spilled over into institutions of higher learning. It proposes practical strategies to mitigate the corporatization of institutions while incorporating innovative mechanisms for their survival.

Format: Hardback
Length: 308 pages
Publication date: 15 June 2023
Publisher: Lexington Books

Tenure at a Crossroads, Again? delves far beyond the mere explanation of tenure to examine the pressing challenges confronting academia at the K-12 and higher education levels. This edited volume stands out as unique, as it addresses issues from diverse perspectives, encompassing the viewpoints of university/college administrators and professors, as well as K-12 educators.

The book explores the rising expectations and how existing policies have permeated institutions of higher learning as high school graduates enter this realm. The educational aspirations of students resonate with college administrators and policy makers, compelling institutions to adapt to these demands. Consequently, professors are compelled to "dumb down" their curricula and teaching methods to evade negative evaluations and safeguard themselves against unwarranted retaliation.

This convergence of factors reverberates throughout the educational system, yielding unintended consequences that have, collectively, fostered an alliance between the administration and students in higher education, akin to the experiences of our K-12 colleagues. However, it now raises questions about the rationale for tenure to re-examine dilemmas that have long plagued higher education. The most recent solution, the corporatization of institutions, may have detrimental effects on the quality of education.

To address this unilateral approach and ensure the survival of the system, we present practical strategies to mitigate its impact while incorporating innovative mechanisms.

ISBN-13: 9781498545112