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As a tenured professor, I can see both sides of this. First, let me point out I'm at a PRIVATE school, so the "tax-funded" comments probably don't apply much, although as we all know, there are very few truly "private" schools that don't slurp at the government trough, all the time.

Second, I can say that at the few schools I've taught at (two universities, been a grad student or TA at two others), I have never seen a faculty or administration officially try to silence a tenured prof. There are lots of "water cooler" comments, and lots of harassment ("Diversity" meetings etc) but no official attempts to control what is said in the classroom or on a podium outside the classroom. This goes for both faculy of the left and right.

It is true that if you are MARGINAL and CONSERVATIVE, you are fair game. If you don't publish much or have average teaching, you open the door for them to deny you tenure or promotion, probably much faster than liberal profs. However, it usually never gets to that because most of the conservatives are weeded out in the search committee process. Very few conservatives get through these committees.

All that said, if you allow administrations, for whatever reason, to go after profs for what they say in or out of the classroom (as opposed to clear morals violations or lawbreaking behavior) then trust me on this: the VERY FEW conservatives on college campuses will be eradicated in a heartbeat. It is ONLY tenure (and excellent production) that ensures that they keep their jobs. Yeah, there would be some Ward Churchill-type scalps taken, but on a year-to-year basis, conservatives would get culled out.

Nah, CNN is profitable.

MSNBC is the Amtrak of news.

:^)

[ Yeah, there would be some Ward Churchill-type scalps taken, but on a year-to-year basis, conservatives would get culled out. ]

A short term approach or analysis... (your job)...

More important is the press would get all pissy faced over this.. and alert people to the issue.. especially parents, so-called conservative parents. Long term.. this liberal Nazism would get exposed somewhat.. There is ONLY David Horowitz up in arms about this, as far as I know.. Americas colleges are leftist re-education camps pure and simple.. The illusion that the campus is a marketplace of ideas is propaganda.. Whats being done, almost nothing.. Any exposure would be good..

There are very few "conservative"" profs. anyway.. What is a conservative ?.. The terms liberal and conservative are loose cannons anyway.. they can mean about anything.. If the proper light was put on the/this subject your job might be threatened short term, maybe even long term but at least the boil would be "pricked".. Been festering a long time..

Academia is as bad or worse than the MSM not as democrat dupes but as willing members of the third way or the fifth column.. I disagree with you.. Lancing this "boil" probably won't happen YET.. but "pricking it" could happen.. Newt is a prof. himself.. and knows the problems intimately.

Might cost you your job though.. What say ye.?.

However, it usually never gets to that because most of the conservatives are weeded out in the search committee process. Very few conservatives get through these committees

Sounds like the conservatives are already "out".

Can you tell me why we have tenure at all? I have really never understood it. What does it accomplish? Thank you.

I believe that you are correct. Tamper with tenure and any conservatives that have survived the committee process will be immediately purged.

What we really need to do is gut the entire University system... or at least cut off Federal funds for 'em. Make colleges dependent on tuition. My understanding is that these days, teaching takes a backseat to grant-writing, and tuition is a drop in the bucket compared t grant money.

The rest of the responsibility belongs to parents and alumni: they need to to send their children and their money to schools that don't support such losers as Ward Churchill.

I don't hold out any hope that this could happen, though.