With the end of the semester upon us, I suddenly realized that I was quite a bit behind on my blogging for Dr. Drake's class. Partly due to my affection for procrastinating, and partly due to my disaffection for everything blogging represents, I have found myself in a dire situation regarding my "A" in IS215. So tonight, my vain attempt to catch up on my blogs begins. I desperately hope that Dr. Drake will take note of my flood of high quality posts and grade me compassionately.
For my first blog (fifth or so of the semester, first in my futile attempt for salvation) I want to discuss a topic that was only briefly mentioned in class the other day and isn't really pertinent to information systems. I was astounded to learn that EMU professors achieve tenure after only five years. According to Dr. Rick Camp, PhD, organizations are making an aggressive move away from non-performance based rewards (i.e. tenure, seniority) and emphasizing rewards based solely upon performance. Now I understand that this tenure policy has likely been in place since the Normal School and probably isn't easily influenced by fads. However, the facts show that these kind of benefits do not foster high performance. Often, highly qualified and passionate professors are laid off due to budget cuts and because they lack the tenure of less qualified, un-motivated older professors. Likewise, professors that, quite frankly, suck, are protected because they have managed to hold a job for five years.
Although EMU is a highly touted financial institution, many people forget to recognize that EMU and other state U's have a HUGE business side. This being said, I would like to augment my poor subjective argument above with this statement. TENURE IS BAD BUSINESS. It ensure that the school will have to pay out the most expensive contracts (that continue to grow yearly as tenure protects them) while leaving the inexpensive ones to the whim of budget cuts. Not very thrifty in these hard times. It also protects the jobs of professors that are no longer professing at the peak of their abilities. Meanwhile, young talent with promising careers ahead don't get a chance.
I know this has nothing to do with IS but it's a topic that means something to me. I have had a slew of horrendous professors in my three years here. Most of them are on tenure and just don't give a shit anymore. My other reason for this diatribe is the wonderful class discussion we had the other day. I've had teachers that have been teaching here for over 20 years fail miserably to engage a class half as mus as Dr. Drake did yesterday. I complement John Drake for guiding a terrific discussion and encouraging students to think critically and speak their minds (we've all had those quiet, awkward classes where getting students to speak is like getting a horse to sit). He is a perfect example why EMU should get with the times and consider revising their tenure policy in order to attract new and young teaching talent to our school. Lord knows it might engage our students and help improve our 33% graduation rate.
