Dean Ford Says Tenure Decision Not for Students

Dean Ford said Wednesday that students were valuable in judging Faculty members. But he suggested that students should try to judge junior Faculty rather than to participate formally in tenure decisions.

Ford called tenure decisions "something very hard for students to size up." He said tenure decisions involve too many factors for students only slightly acquainted with a professor to understand them.

"Sometimes on the quality of a single piece of writing, you bet that he will be a good scholar 25 years from now," Ford said.

Dangerous Argument

He added that the argument that students have the right to participate in these decisions is a dangerous one "aside from the obvious chronological problems involved."

By this reasoning, he pointed out, alumni should have a role in the appointment process, since they supply much of the University's income.

But the dean called student evaluation "the best single index for the assessment of young teachers. He mentioned two ways of communicating opinions, the Harvard Policy Committee's Departmental Audit plan, and student communication with department chairmen.

He suggested that even informal student discussions with department chairmen might be influential in deciding the fate of teaching follows and instructors.

Georges May, Dean of Yale College, said proposals for letting students have a voice in tenurel decisions at Yale are still under consideration, contrary to press reports that they are already in effect.

He explained that the "Dahl Report," a report on possible reforms in Yale's tenure-awarding system prepared by an 11-member committee headed by Robert A. Dahl. Professor of Political Science, had devised ways to improve the system.