Wednesday, January 04, 2006

Tenure track and the temporary tutor

Having done more than my fair share of temp teaching over the years, it was with interest I read this post from Norm. The original article from The Boston Globe raises some worthy points about how 'adjuncts' (as the US system describes them) are treated, but as Norm points out there is little to address whether or why tenure provides the "optimal circumstances either for academic freedom and independence or for promoting serious and sustained scholarship."

Perhaps the problem is not just with tenure, but the mechanics of the systems that measure (and I choose that word deliberately) academic activity, especially written work. I mean, is anyone able to defend something like the RAE for encouraging "serious and sustained scholarship"?

Thought not?

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