EDITORIAL: Tenure process lacks flexibility

Too many good professors do not fit into the current system's rigid guidelines. Political Science Professor Dan Deudney's upcoming departure as a result of a denied tenure bid will be just one in a series of regrettable losses in recent years. Deudney, a well-known authority on international relations, is revered by students and colleagues alike. His classes are full each semester, with his international relations theory and global environmental politics courses attracting more than 400 students. Additionally, he received the University's Lindback Award for excellence in teaching in 1996 and the American Political Science Association's Best Article in History and Politics award in 1995. But despite full support from his department and the School of Arts and Sciences, the Provost's Staff Committee concluded last May that his failure to publish while at Penn outweighed his teaching success at the University. Ironically, his departure coincides with an effort to recruit prominent faculty for the Political Science Department -- admittedly one of the University's weakest. While the department is specifically looking to boost its American Politics concentration, the International Relations sector is considered its strongest area, partly due to Deudney. Beyond doubt, teaching skills, research projects and publication endeavors all must weigh into a decision to grant tenure. But the rigidity built into the current system does not allow for even the most valid exceptions. When students apply to college or graduate programs, they are evaluated on the basis of a variety of factors -- including grades, standardized test scores and non-academic pursuits -- on a relatively fixed scale. That scale, however, can be tipped. For example, a school may admit a student with a low GPA because he or she is backed by outstanding recommendations or demonstrates unique qualities. Obviously, tenure decisions imply an entirely different level of commitment on behalf of an institution than those about potential students. But the finality of these decisions serves to underscore why the University shouldn't so lightly give up its most valued teachers. The University must reform its tenure system so those making the ultimate decision about whether to grant someone tenure can look at the big picture. They must be able to consider how an individual would contribute to the University in the long run, rather than having to rely on fixed guidelines for what makes a good faculty member.

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