Hugh, I need a favor. The next time you interview Governor Bill Owens, please read back to him his state of the state speech:

We also need to make sure that we have outstanding faculty at our taxpayer-funded institutions of higher education. There are currently no statewide standards for the college tenure process-not even recognized minimum standards.

Let's see to it that tenure is given only to those truly qualified professors who deserve such recognition. I plan to work with the Commission on Higher Education to establish a basic threshold for tenure common to all state schools.

Dumb, dumb, dumb. The state has no ability to determine who should get tenure in one department or another. What makes tenure for an economics prof differs from that for a music prof, which differs from that for a historian, which differs... well, you get my point. Governor Owens looks like he's grandstanding on the Ward Churchill controversy. What he needs to do is put the University of Colorado's feet to the fire and have real professionals determine if Churchill committed academic fraud. Have it done with integrity, and let professionals deal with their own profession with the same integrity. Would you be so kind as to question him on this piece? I'll tape it and respond when I get it. Maybe I'll even save Duane's fingers.

Thanks, Hugh. I knew you'd see it my way.

Best,
King

Categories: higher_ed