Is the Tenure Process Fair? What Faculty Think

Abstract

A conceptual framework grounded on procedural justice theory was created to explain how judgments about the fairness of tenure decision-making evolved among faculty who had not yet undergone the review. The framework posits that faculty beliefs about fairness are influenced directly by their workplace experiences and both directly and indirectly by their socio-demographic characteristics. Structural equation modeling (SEM) was used to assess the proposed direct and indirect effects with data from 2,247 pre-tenure assistant professors at 21 research universities. The results substantiate the importance of perceived campus and department conditions in shaping faculty members' views of tenure reviews and as mediators of faculty members' socio-demographic characteristics. Equitable treatment of junior faculty at the department level and effectiveness of feedback have the strongest relationships with beliefs about the equity of tenure decision-making. Generally speaking, an individual's sense of control during the process of constructing the tenure dossier predicts his or her judgments about the fairness of tenure reviews. Practical suggestions for campus leaders regarding the conditions that inform faculty beliefs about tenure reviews and implications for future research are discussed.

Additional information

Notes on contributors

Janet H. Lawrence

Janet H. Lawrence is a Professor in the Center for the Study of Higher and Postsecondary Education at the University of Michigan; [email protected].

Sergio Celis

Sergio Celis is a doctoral candidate in the Center for the Study of Higher and Postsecondary Education at the University of Michigan.

Molly Ott

Molly Ott is an Assistant Professor at Arizona State University; [email protected].