I talked to Naomi Schaefer Riley to get her prescription for what ails the American college system…
Riley believes that the tenure system is far and away the key flaw in the higher education system.
Eliminating tenure, she believes, would automatically wipe many of these other problems off the white board.
“Teaching is a dynamic profession,” Riley explained, one “that needs to be evaluated on a regular basis. Tenure prevents this from happening.”
Yes, professors will object to student evaluations, citing the mean-spirited reviews found at sites like RateMyProfessors.
However, Riley insists that such evaluations would only make up part of the reformed procedure. She cleverly suggests asking students to grade their professors and classes a few years after graduation, for example. Doing so would allow student opinion to mellow somewhat, and eliminate their fears that critical reviews would impact their own marks.
Riley also suggests replacing tenure with multi-year contracts, thereby increasing opportunities for young adjuncts to move up the career ladder…
