Gordon Gee, America’s “best” (and most bountifully compensated) college president, wants to change tenure. Gee, the president of Ohio State, recently spoke with the Associated Press:
Ohio State University President Gordon Gee says the traditional formula that rewards publishing in scholarly journals over excellence in teaching and other contributions is outdated and too often favors the quantity of a professor’s output over quality.
“Someone should gain recognition at the university for writing the great American novel or for discovering the cure for cancer,” he told The Associated Press. “In a very complex world, you can no longer expect everyone to be great at everything.”
It’s unclear how, exactly, Gee would prefer to determine excellence in teaching or award tenure. Tenure, which makes a faculty appointment virtually permanent, is typically granted by a university in a way that emphasizes scholarship and research (or, logistically, publication).
Gee, who has also served as the president of Brown University and the chancellor of Vanderbilt University, began his career as an associate professor at Brigham Young University Law School.
