Akademisk frihed og ansættelsessikkerhed

Fra en bidragsyder til bloggens netværk: nyt fra AAUP (Association of American University Professors), som har lavet et udkast til en rapport der forklarer hvorfor det truer kvaliteten når universiteter baserer sig på løst ansatte undervisere snarere end fastansatte (folk der ikke kan fyres).

The past four decades have seen a failure of the social contract in faculty employment. In 1940 the joint Statement of Principles on Academic Freedom and Tenure characterized the tenure system as a “means to certain ends,” specifically, “(1) freedom of teaching and research and of extramural activities and (2) a sufficient degree of economic security to make the profession attractive to men and women of ability. Freedom and economic security, hence tenure, are indispensable to the success of an institution in fulfilling its obligations to its students and to society.”

The tenure system was designed to secure reasonable compensation and to protect academic freedom through continuous employment. Financial and intellectual security enabled the faculty to carry out the public trust in teaching and research, and it provided a system of professional peer scrutiny in hiring, evaluation, and promotion.

http://www.aaup.org/AAUP/comm/rep/conversion.htm

Lad os håbe, at timelærernes situation (som fx omtalt her) ved de danske universiteter ikke endnu en gang bliver glemt, når universitetsloven skal revideres, og der forhåbentligt også vil ses på stillingsstrukturen. På samme måde er der grund til at se kritisk på den øgede andel "almindelige" forskerstillinger på universiteterne, som efter indfusioneringen af sektorforskningsinstitutionerne er rent eksternt finansieret.