Helen Michaels: The Decision

Abstract

Tenure decisions in academia are critical, due to the all-or-nothing nature of the tenure system. A faculty member who is granted tenure by a university has maximum job security at that institution; one who is denied tenure is basically dismissed from that position, given one additional year of employment (the so-called terminal year) to search for employment elsewhere.

This important situation becomes more complex when the decision is not clear-cut. This was the case with the tenure decision involving Helen Michaels, assistant professor of accounting at Atlantic Southern University. Michaels was generally liked and respected by colleagues and students, and was known as a hard worker, someone who would step up and take on unpleasant tasks for the overall betterment of the business school. However, Michaels also had some uneven teaching evaluations, and had not produced research in the quality or quantity of most of her colleagues. Michaels’ departmental review committee (DRC) had already voted to deny tenure, and a similar recommendation by the dean of the business school would end Michaels’ quest for tenure. The dean’s decision comes down to this: should the school grant tenure to a faculty member who is “pretty good,” or dismiss the individual and search for someone better, no guarantee in a discipline such as accounting, where applicants are in shorter supply due to attractive options outside of academia.