This article is a discussion of the role of the University Counsel (sometimes called the General Counsel) as "adviser, officer, administrator, and agent" in the university setting. The article discusses the nature of the "fiduciary duty" in university governance and describes several of the substantive areas of the law with…

An increasing number of states are mandating teacher performance be considered in educator employment decisions, including awarding tenure and layoffs, according to a 50-state policy review of teacher tenure laws. Tenure laws have historically granted job protections based on years of employment. The Education Commission of the States (ECS)…

Teachers' unions are under unprecedented bipartisan attack. The drumbeat is relentless, from governors in Wisconsin and Ohio to the film directors of "Waiting for 'Superman'" and "The Lottery"; from new lobbying groups like Michelle Rhee's StudentsFirst and Wall Street's Democrats for Education Reform to political columnists such as Jonathan Alter…

In the Year of the Schoolteacher, the issue of how to enhance the pedagogical worker's status takes on special urgency. Unfortunately, the problem has been addressed only on the regional level, with each region doing things its own way. The teaching profession in Russia is hampered by poor prestige, low incomes, and inadequate resources and living…

Greensboro College has many of the intimate hallmarks of a small, private, liberal-arts college. Professors give their cellphone numbers to students and routinely provide extra help to those who need it. Classes at the North Carolina institution average 14 people. One of the students featured on the college Web site is a biology major who plays on…

This book is designed to acquaint Missouri teachers with the state laws that affect them. Teachers' legal status, their rights, duties, and obligations are defined. Examples are taken from constitutional provisions, judicial decisions, and statutory enactments to show both general aspects of school law for all teachers and specific applications to…

Criticizes the invalid imposition of business principles upon the mission of higher education. Explores the best and worst aspects of tenure through the experiences of one senior and one junior faculty member. Concludes that the culture of tenure needs to be changed from an entitlement program to a public good. (MJP)

The Commission on College Retirement was formed to review the role and functioning of college and university retirement programs and make recommendations for program improvements. This volume brings together five separate reports issued by the commission. "Retirement Ages for College and University Personnel" addresses the issues of…

The American Association of University Professors' Committee A on Academic Freedom and Tenure reports on possible results on faculty salary structure, the tenure system, and retirement options of legislation uncapping the mandatory retirement age of college faculty. Considerations for institutions to make in adjusting personnel policies are…

Articulates the four most significant areas of potential tenure reform. Offers the strengths and weaknesses of each proposal and provides examples of why such suggestions have been made and what has occurred. Concludes with some alternative suggestions for addressing current problems in academia that do not involve eliminating tenure. (MJP)

This paper discusses a variety of incentives that can make a difference in attracting and retaining high quality teachers. These incentives include salaries, retirement benefits, working conditions, quality of life, tenure and seniority rights, and sick leave. The states in the Northeast vary considerably in their ability to attract quality…

This in-progress program and resource study presents an actual case study in developing an alternative to tenure. The College of St. Francis implemented during the 1979-80 academic year an alternative system, the Three Year Rolling Contract. It stated that all faculty members have academic freedom under any form of appointment; upon appointment as…

A growing component of the instructional workforce in higher education, graduate teaching and research assistants are frequently viewed by university administrators and trustees as students rather than employees, according to this American Federation of Teachers (AFT) report. As the number of new full-time faculty hired decreases, an increased…

Investigates the problems that confront academia and suggests that faculty work has changed so profoundly in recent years that tenure is no longer sufficient and/or necessary. Argues that intellectual freedom and accountability are competing demands that must be met simultaneously. Reviews how tenure exacerbates some current problems. (MJP)

On January 1, 1980, the Illinois state legislature mandated tenure for community college faculty and established conditions under which tenure could be acquired and reasons and procedures for dismissal. One provision of the act precluded the dismissal of a tenured faculty member who was "competent to render" services carried out by an…