Higher Ed Utah

(Chronicle of Higher Education) — A bill that would have limited the ability of public colleges and universities in Utah to offer tenure to faculty members was defeated on Wednesday by a 10-to-4 vote of the State House of Representatives Education Committee, The Salt Lake Tribune reported. The bill’s sponsor, Rep. Christopher Herrod, a Republican, argued that tenure stifled competition and was unnecessary, because only 42 percent of Utah professors have it. Mr. Herrod has taught as an adjunct at Utah Valley University. David Buhler, associate commissioner of the Utah System of Higher Education, argued against the bill (HB 322). He rejected Mr. Herrod’s contention that tenure guaranteed lifetime employment, saying tenured professors “are reviewed every year on their performance and might be dismissed if they are not measuring up.”