Despite the recent controversy regarding professors’ tenure at Harvard University, Boston University tenure policies will remain unchanged, according to Provost and College of Arts and Sciences Dean Dennis Berkey.
Harvard President Lawrence Summers recently denied tenure to two 54-year-old professors.
BU follows what Berkey called the “common standard of providing a probationary period of up to six years for tenure-track faculty,” which is followed by a review for tenure and promotion. New teachers usually start with one-, two- or three-year contracts, which are renewed if the faculty member shows strength in his or her teaching, and research and scholarship.
Berkey said while the percent of professors who get tenure “varies from year to year,” the tenure process itself remains constant.
“Somewhat fewer than half of the new faculty who begin tenure-track appointments ultimately gain tenure at BU; but of the group that is reviewed for tenure each year, typically more than three-fourths achieve tenure,” Berkey said. “The difference is that only the stronger faculty are re-appointed to second or third contracts, and some faculty leave voluntarily before their tenure review.”
Tenure candidates are reviewed by many people, including their departments, a school/college committee, their dean, a University committee, the provost, the president of the University and the chancellor, Berkey said. The Board of Trustees then grants formal approval.
“The primary qualifications are to be an excellent teacher and to have produced, and to give strong indications of continuing to produce, important research and scholarship,” Berkey said.
While Berkey said age is not a factor in determining whether a professor deserves tenure, he said there was an average age of professors awarded tenure.
“Most awards of tenure are to individuals in the age range 30-40, simply because that is the age one reaches by following the path through undergraduate and graduate school, perhaps a postdoctoral appointment or two, and the six-year probationary period on the faculty,” Berkey said.
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