The Pietist Schoolman

The Pietist Schoolman

Share this post

The Pietist Schoolman
The Pietist Schoolman
Why Colleges Have Tenure

Why Colleges Have Tenure

And does it still mean anything?

Chris Gehrz's avatar
Chris Gehrz
Dec 13, 2022
∙ Paid
1

Share this post

The Pietist Schoolman
The Pietist Schoolman
Why Colleges Have Tenure
1
Share

Why do we have tenure?

I’m in my third year on our faculty committee that reviews applications for initial tenure. But only once have I heard an applicant ask why we have tenure in the first place.

Why, that is, does Bethel guarantee a long-term1 period of employment to professors who have demonstrated excellence in teaching, research, and other activities during a probationary period?

As with so much about higher education, we tend to take tenure for granted, as if it’s far more venerable than it actually is. It turns out that the history of tenure in American colleges and universities is not all that long — and its future has never seemed more tenuous.

Yet I know of no better way to provide professors with the unique mix of freedom and stability that tenure was initially meant to secure — and not just for the benefit of professors.

Keep reading with a 7-day free trial

Subscribe to The Pietist Schoolman to keep reading this post and get 7 days of free access to the full post archives.

Already a paid subscriber? Sign in
© 2025 Christopher Gehrz
Privacy ∙ Terms ∙ Collection notice
Start writingGet the app
Substack is the home for great culture

Share