Scholarship and Community | Sixth Annual Scholarship and Community Conference | Guest Conferees | Acknowledgments | Reservations | UH Tenure Issues Task Force Report

Scholarship and Community

Few issues are hotter around the academic discussion table than the related topics of tenure and faculty productivity. Without legislators and the public asking the same kinds of tough questions that are being raised nationally, faculty have a clear choice: hunker down and try to weather the proverbial storm or face the questions forthrightly. I am pleased to see the University of Houston faculty taking the more courageous option.

Faculty life is unique if compared to other professions. We are shaped by the values of open inquiry, intellectual honesty, and an indefinable intermingling of reason and passion in our cognitive and creative pursuits. Our challenge is to translate this uniqueness to the public and their elected representatives in a way that is understandable and positive. Our further challenge is to shape our profession's direction within the seemingly contradictory bounds of society's expectations and the professoriate's judgments about productivity. These are the harsh realities that must be discussed, debated, and decided.

The fact the University of Houston Faculty Senate is sponsoring this conference is a testament to the faculty's leadership and foresight. Working collaboratively and in an atmosphere of respect for divergent views, the conference can help open the public's eyes to the faculty's marvelous achievements. Significantly, the conference can also assist in guiding public policy. I wish you well in your timely, important deliberations.

The University of Houston Faculty Handbook states that tenure "is awarded on the basis of teaching, research, and service excellence to date, consistent with the mission of the University, and implies a high degree of confidence in the continuation and enhancement of this performance for the benefit of the University." This is a simple, straightforward statement but faculty know there is no simple, straight path to tenure. Finding the appropriate trinity of tenure balance takes hard work, tenacity, and a more than a little luck. Once the magic formula is found and tenure earned, faculty can relax. Or can they?

The battle cry of accountability echoes through the Ivory Towers all across America. The public and legislatures want to know if tenure has outlived its usefulness. Is it still the shield of academic freedom or a stumbling block to removing the unproductive? In its next session the State of Texas legislature will be discussing a bill that could change the meaning of tenure. How could this affect Texas faculty? Could it actually be a change for the better? We invite you to discuss these and other important tenure issues at our sixth annual Scholarship and Community Conference. Each session will offer audience participation, so be prepared to speak your mind.

Guest Conferees

The Honorable Kenneth L. Armbrister, State Senator for District 18, State of Texas, is currently President Pro Tempore of the Texas Senate. He is the Chairman of the Senate Committee on State Affairs and is a member of the Legislative Budget Board. Senator Armbrister also serves on Senate Committees on Education, Natural Resources, International Relations, Trade and Technology. He is also Chairman of the Research and Oversight Council on Workers Compensation, a member of the Sunset Advisory Commission, and a board member of the Department of Information Resources.

Senator Armbrister was first elected to the Texas Legislature in 1983. After two terms in the Texas House of Representatives, he was elected to the Texas Senate in 1986. Senator Armbrister is a former police captain with fourteen years of experience with the Victoria Police Department. As the Director of the Victoria Regional Police Training Academy he trained law enforcement personnel for a ten county area. Senator Armbrister is a graduate of Sam Houston State University and the FBI Academy.

Senator Armbrister has received numerous awards and honors for his service to the State of Texas. He has twice been named as a Top Ten Legislative Crime Fighter by the Greater Dallas Crime Commission. Other honors include being named as Top Ten Best Legislator by Texas Monthly, and Legislator of the Year by the Texas Municipal League. The Texas Chamber of Commerce has recognized Senator Armbrister for his support of business and economic development. He has received numerous other awards for his legislative efforts on behalf of all Texans on issues from public health to water management.

Richard P. Chait, is a Professor of Higher Education at the Harvard Graduate School of Education. Dr. Chait joined the Harvard faculty in September 1996 after ten years as a professor at the University of Maryland where he also directed the National Center for Higher Education Governance and Leadership. Previously, he served as Mandel Professor on Non-Profit Management at Case Western Reserve University and as Associate Provost of Penn State University.

Dr. Chait has had a sustained interest in academic administration and more particularly academic tenure. He was the co-author in 1982 of Beyond Traditional Tenure and recently published a monograph on "The Future of Academic Tenure." He is in the midst of a two-year study, funded by the Pew Charitable Trusts, on "Faculty Employment Arrangements for the 21st Century."

He has recently served as a consultant to the Arizona Board of Regents and the Board of Regents of the University of Minnesota on tenure policies and practices.

C. Peter Magrath, President of the National Association of State Universities and Land-Grant Colleges, earned a doctoral degree at Cornell in 1962 and tenure as a political scientist at Brown in the 1960s. He held academic administrative positions at the University of Nebraska-Lincoln, prior to serving as president at three universities: SUNY Binghamton (1972-74), Minnesota (1974-84), and Missouri (1985-91).

Founded in 1887, NASULGC is a voluntary association of 190 public research universities and land-grant colleges located in all 50 states and the U.S. territories. Its universities enroll over 2.9 million students, award about one-third of all bachelor's and master's degrees, and 60 percent of the doctorates earned in the U.S. Dr. Magrath took over the leadership of NASULGC as the association charted a new course for the 1990s by implementing a plan to reorganize and streamline its structure.

As past president of three public universities, Dr. Magrath brings a broad perspective on higher education to his current job. He has a long history of leadership in international education activities, and in September 1992 he was appointed by the National Science Foundation to a Commission on the Future of the NSF. This 15-member group of scientists, industrialists, and academic leaders is charged with making recommendations to help chart future directions for the Foundation.

An author of numerous books, monographs, and articles on American Constitutional Law and history, higher education, and international affairs, Dr. Magrath has been active on many national higher education commissions, task forces, and committees.

Legislation Proposed by Texas State Senate Higher Education Committee
(to be discussed in Session I)

"Each University System should be required to establish a faculty evaluation policy that includes an annual review of the performance of all faculty, including tenured faculty. The review would include the use of peer and student evaluation. Below standard peer and student evaluations for two consecutive years would provide cause for tenure revocation or dismissal."

Acknowledgments

Special Thanks

William P. Hobby, Chancellor of the University of Houston System
Glenn A. Goerke, President of the University of Houston
John M. Ivancevich, Executive Vice President for Academic Affairs and Provost of the University of Houston

Conference Planning Committee

Maria Gonzalez, Assistant Professor of English
Karl M. Kadish, President of the Faculty Senate and Professor of Chemistry
Angela Patton, President-elect of the Faculty Senate and Associate Professor of Art
Judith Walker de Felix, Associate Vice Provost for Faculty Affairs

Reservations

All sessions of the conference are free of charge; however, there is a charge of $12.00 for an individual luncheon meal or $120 for a table of ten. Seating will be made available for those who wish to hear Dr. C. Peter Magrath speak but do not care to dine. Advance luncheon reservations are required by Wednesday, October 2.

Reservations for the sessions are encouraged. Please call the Faculty Senate office at (713) 743-9181. If you have questions you may also use E-mail to contact Mary B. Brantley at MBrantley@uh.edu