In a letter to Chancellor Rebecca Blank, 22 scholarly associations have spoken against the changes to tenure and shared governance proposed by the Joint Finance Committee.
“The policies recommended by the Joint Finance Committee and included in the 2016 budget pose a direct threat to academic freedom by expanding the circumstances under which tenure can be revoked (beyond dire financial emergencies and just cause) while simultaneously removing its protection under state statute,” reads the letter. Read the full text here.
(Another scholarly association, the Society for Military History, also sent a letter registering its opposition to the proposals. Read it here.)
In her response, Blank wrote that strong tenure protections are being prepared for Board of Regents adoption.
“I have pledged that there will be no changes to policy and practice here at UW–Madison until we have new approved policies in place that are consistent with widely accepted tenure practices.”
Read Blank’s response here.