LETTERS TO THE EDITOR: Misunderstanding the Tenure Process

To the Editor: The fact that a school personnel committee overrides the recommendation of a department that has unanimously voted to grant a person tenure is hardly justification for condemning the tenure system. Sometimes a department is not very good and prefers to associate themselves with equally mediocre colleagues rather than be shown up by inviting someone really good to join them. A school committee is necessary to prevent that from happening. I do not mean to imply by this that our English Department is mediocre. I am merely noting that there is justification for having a school personnel committee. My own teaching career will have spanned half a century by the end of this academic year. In that time I have never observed my colleagues refuse tenure to a faculty member who was critical of the ideas of his or her seniors. In fact, I have always marveled at the modesty of members of a distinguished department's dependence on outside judgments on the quality of a faculty member's work. A work in progress may have the makings of having a significant impact on the profession, but my colleagues have instead always looked at whether or not the candidate for tenure has published in the leading journals. I think that Mr. Morrison's contention that a tenure candidate "cannot do research that will upset the tenured faculty in his department" is an insult to the faculty and that Mr. Morrison owes it an apology. If you wish to guarantee academic freedom, periodic reviews of faculty is the last thing in the world you want to introduce. I would have been fired long ago for the views I have expressed about the securities industry. I was once asked by a trustee from the securities industry to lay off. I am sure that if I had not been tenured, the trustee would not have been so polite. I once was the only member of the faculty that voted against a proposal by a former Dean. When the proposal came before the Senate Committee on the Faculty, it was voted down. Without tenure, I would not have dared vote the way I did at the faculty meeting or argue the way I did at the Committee on the Faculty meeting. When I co-chaired a task force on the rehabilitation of the Quad, I could stand up to the provost and make it clear that we were not going to have the administration shove an architect down our throats. I could do that because I had tenure. My co-chair could not because she was a member of the administration. Tenure is not a ticket to take it easy. A faculty member's promotion to full professor and merit raises depend on continuing productivity. To many faculty the reward of producing good research articles is reward enough. I retired three years ago and I am still actively engaged in research. On one point, Mr. Morrison is correct. I do not believe that Penn rewards good teaching adequately. It offers prizes to truly excellent teachers, but only a small fraction of the faculty have any hope of winning those prizes and so they do not provide incentive for the average teacher to be a good teacher. Morris Mendelson Professor Emeritus of Finance President,University of Pennsylvania Chapter of the American Association of University Professors Excellent Arts Coverage To the Editor: I would like to express my appreciation for your excellent coverage of the recent Student Performing Arts' stage-fighting workshop ("Actors Wage All-Out Brawl," DP, 11/17/95). Not only was I impressed with how extensively the DP reporter researched the story, but I also commend her for actually participating in the early stages of the "brawl". The article itself truly captured the spirit of the workshop: hands-on, humorous, informative, and fun! Thanks to the DP photographer for adding just the right visual "impact" to the story. We look forward to seeing more of this kind of DP coverage at Student Performing Arts' events next semester. Keep up the nice work! Laura Hammons Admininstrative Assistant Student Performing Arts Thanks for Football Memoirs To the Editor: I want to say thank you to the Penn football team for the great joy they have brought to me and to countless others during my four years here. Through the four years, not only did they win 85 percent of their games, but they showed us all the merits of hard work, team work, and determination. There are simply too many memories to name, but I want to focus on two which define this team. The first occurred in last year's final game at Cornell, when facing a 14-3 fourth quarter deficit, the Quakers found a way to snatch victory from certain defeat to wrap up a 9-0 season. The game embodied the spirit of never giving up and always fighting until the final gun. The amount of pride my friends and I felt listening to that game last year will never be forgotten. The second "moment" occurred when our team played virtually flawless games against Harvard and Cornell after their tough loss to Princeton. The biggest measure of heart is the ability to fight through adversity, and the Quakers showed us in those final two games why they truly are "winners." Lesser teams and lesser men would have simply quit two weeks ago, but not the Quakers. I personally will never forget the amazing determination of the football team, and most notably, the seniors. To all those who take their achievements for granted, or who simply turn the other way, I dare you to name one group you've been a part of that has either enjoyed such success or displayed such heart. Once again, to everyone associated with the Penn football team, thanks for the memories. Adam Blitz Wharton '96 Stereotypes Abound To the Editor: Everyone knows that all sorority girls eat mountains of fat-free muffins and climb endless steps at Nautilus ("The Beauty of it All?," DP, 11/21/95). Everyone also knows that all DP columnists exaggerate wildly on all occasions. Not to stereotype or anything. Sharone Levy College '96