For years, tenure has been rightfully debated within the public domain and State Board of Higher Education (SBHE), the governing body responsible for all 11 public institutions of higher education. Legislative assemblies have also taken a keen interest through bills such as HB 1437 this session. Until recently, tenure policies have remained largely unchanged. As a business owner and one of eight members of the SBHE, I felt compelled to evaluate tenure. Similarly, I’m eager to share my personal views.
After listening to perspectives from faculty, students, and administrators, I reached two conclusions. First, while academic freedom has been a core tenant of scholarly research and teaching throughout modern history, today, tenure is primarily valued as a market-driven benefit of employment, critical to attracting and retaining talented faculty. Academic freedom is already and appropriately afforded strong protection by SBHE policy for both tenured and non-tenured faculty.
Second, higher education represents our best opportunity to solve workforce challenges, and we need to reform tenure so that we can more promptly adapt to emerging industry and societal needs. We must modernize our employment practices to unleash an entrepreneurial spirit, drive responsiveness to the market and deliver in-demand programs.
There is good news. Real reform has arrived. After submitting nearly a dozen policy edits to tenure in late 2024, I am grateful to fellow board members for supporting meaningful changes including eliminating tenure as a “right” to continuous employment; establishing accountability standards for post-tenure faculty review; allowing for greater transparency to the public on faculty hearings and appeals; reducing notification periods for termination of faculty whose programs face low enrollment, elimination, or consolidation; and removing requirement that taxpayers and students pay mediation costs in termination disputes.
Although more work is required of the SBHE, these newly instituted reforms have restored a balance between the employee-employer relationship and empowered campus leadership to swiftly reimagine, reshape and retool institutions. While the spotlight has cast a tenuous shadow of tenure, I’d be remiss in failing to recognize the amazing faculty who work tirelessly to educate the next generation of North Dakotans and perform life-changing research. We are blessed with dedicated, thoughtful and caring faculty. Smart tenure reform will enable our university system to deliver greater value to the state.
Kevin Black is a Minot resident and member of the Board of Higher Education.
