Hebbuaby 17, 1911] 



SCIENCE 



24& 



Universities with reference to tenure of 

 appointment is well crystallized. Ap- 

 pointments of professors and associate pro- 

 fessors are practically permanent. While 

 in. Several institutions assistant professors 

 are appointed for an undetermined or 

 permanent term, commonly they are ap- 

 pointed for a definite term, and there is a 

 strong tendency to make it three years. 

 For instance, in some institutions where 

 the appointment in the past has been for 

 a longer period, five years, it has been 

 changed to three years, as recently at Yale. 

 In other cases where the appointment has 

 been for a briefer term than three years, it 

 has been extended to three years. 



I am not aware of any criticism as to 

 the above principles concerning tenure of 

 appointment. They seem satisfactory 

 alike to the trustees and to the faculty. In 

 making the appointment of assistant pro- 

 fessor for a period of years greater than 

 one it is recognized that the man is far 

 enough along so that the question need not 

 be raised each year as to his fitness to con- 

 tinue; but also in the majority of institu- 

 tions it is recognized that after having had 

 a reasonable time in which to "make 

 good" the question should come up without 

 embarrassment to the authorities as to 

 whether or not he shall be reappointed. 

 Also at this time the question of his pro- 

 motion naturally arises. 



PROFESSORS SHOULD BE EFFICIENT 



The question now arises as to what 

 should be done in the case of a man of 

 professorial rank, whether full, associate 

 or assistant, who is not efficient. Not in- 

 frequently papers with reference to this 

 subject appear to assume that universities 

 exist for the instructional force; that the 

 main thing is to give that force a comfort- 

 able and happy time, an opportvinity for a 

 somewhat easy existence as a teacher, 



leisure for browsing through literature, 

 and long vacations. I shall not consider 

 the merits of this hypothesis, but shall say 

 merely that I adhere to the ancient view 

 that universities do not exist for the in- 

 structional force nor even for the adminis- 

 trative ofScers, which include the presi- 

 dent, but that they do exist for the 

 students and for the public. This view I 

 suspect governing boards as representa- 

 tives of the public will continue to insist 

 upon. 



If this view be accepted, it follows that 

 the instructional force of a university, 

 both young and old, must be efficient. 

 Whether or not a man is retained in a 

 faculty should depend upon his capacity 

 to meet his duty to the institution. There 

 is no possible excuse for retaining in the 

 staff of a university an inefficient man. In 

 rapidly growing institutions, among the 

 older men, it often happens that there are 

 those who have worn out their lives in their 

 service, and who have fallen behind the 

 standard. In justice these men can not be 

 requested to resign or be summarily dis- 

 missed. If in any institution there are 

 such men, they should be pensioned. But 

 the right of efficient instruction by the 

 students should be respected. And cer- 

 tainly the young men on the staff of a uni- 

 versity can claim no exemption from the 

 principle that they are to be judged by the 

 efficiency of their service to the students 

 and to the public. This means that they 

 must be good teachers or good scholars, or 

 both. 



Strongly contrasting with the above view 

 is that presented by Lawton," who says in 

 reference to the professor: "His position 

 should be as secure as one on the Supreme 

 Bench, unless senile decay, permanent 

 mental or physical disease, or fatal moral 



° William C. Lawton, " The Decay of Academic 

 Courage," Edu. Rev., Vol. 32, p. 402. 



