The president of Bloomfield College, New Jersey, reviews (1) general problems posed by the tenure system as conventionally interpreted at about 85 percent of our colleges and universities; (2) several alternatives to conventional tenure; and (3) some special problems facing small, private liberal arts colleges in financial exigency. (JT)

The generally accepted view of tenure as that of an unbreakable relationship has actually grown out of institutional practices rather than from precise judicial doctrines. The courts have upheld a variety of "bona fide" causes based on unsatisfactory performance, as well as financial exigency. (MLW)