On The Tenure System In The U.S. And It's Values

In the American universities and colleges, the faculty has the life-time employment, that is to say: a professor can't be dismissed except he can not work because of age or physical trouble. The termination happens only in the real condition of unavoidable financial crisis or course transition. Academic freedom originates in Germany, and is institutionalized in America, which is the foundation of the tenure system. Life-time employment offers faculty professional safety to ensure them academic freedom in teaching and research. Before getting the tenure, the faculty has to pass a long, strict review. Such a just, objective and scientific review program guarantees the quality of the people entering the academic world and the level of American higher education. However, in recent years, some critical sound appears, which thinks that without pressure of being dismissed, the faculty may lose enthusiasm for working after getting the tenure position. In this background, post-tenure review appears. This program has been adopted by many universities and colleges, however, different universities have different patterns. Although different groups have different ideas on this program, this is the tendency of tenure in the future. In the condition of market-economic, efficiency is a eternal subject. Recently, government decreases the finance support to the higher education, and the public does not believe in the universities and colleges as much as before. The efficiency of tenure has been in suspicion. In fact, tenure system attracts the talent entering the academic world with less cost. And because of the strict post-review program, the faculty is encouraged being more responsible for his subject. The market of academic labor should adjust it's policy to the requirement of the society, in order to attract more talents and keep the high level of the American higher education.In a word, tenure has become a banner of the American higher education. It has unique vitality. It has been playing an important role in the American higher education. This paper will discuss this system and it's values.