Tenure grants a professor permanent employment with certain job and salary security. A tenured professor generally may not be fired without cause.
As of 2021, the student to tenure-track faculty ratio is as follows:
The state universities are the University of Washington and Washington State University. The regional universities are Central Washington University, Eastern Washington University, and Western Washington University.
The Washington State Opportunity Scholarship Program provides scholarships to low- and middle-income resident students pursuing professional–technical degrees or bachelor's degrees in high-demand majors in science, technology, engineering, mathematics, and health care.
Subject to amounts appropriated specifically for this purpose, beginning with the 2023-24 academic year, the Legislature intends to add 200 new full-time tenure-track positions. The new positions must be divided among the state and regional universities as follows:
The majority of new full-time tenure-track faculty must be assigned to departments with the highest percentage of non-tenure-track faculty, with the majority going to departments that teach high demand programs of study and that the Washington State Opportunity Scholarship Program has listed as eligible majors for the baccalaureate scholarship.
The state and regional universities must issue two joint reports to the Governor and appropriate committees of the Legislature.
The preliminary report is due by December 15, 2025, and must include data on all hires made under the act, including demographics of hires, the department or program in which the hire was made, and the number of positions that were part-time conversions.
The final report is due by December 15, 2030, and must include an assessment of the impact of the 200 additional full-time tenure-track faculty on student experiences and student success. The state and regional universities are directed to convene representatives of faculty, staff, and administration to report on the outcomes of increasing faculty and must include next-step recommendations.
The majority of new full-time tenure-track faculty must be assigned to departments with the highest percentage of non-tenure-track faculty, with the majority going to departments that teach high demand programs of study and that the Washington State Opportunity Scholarship Program has listed as eligible majors for the baccalaureate scholarship.
(In support) Much has been done over the years for student success. One way this is typically done is through various programs and advisors who are not faculty, navigators, and counselors. Higher education used to have more tenure-track professors doing advising for students. Tenure-track faculty spend more time on campus and have a longer-term commitment to the institution and students. The same is not true for adjunct faculty. Instead of the Legislature doing collateral actions to improve student success, the Legislature should take this action to invest directly instead in the people who make a university a university. This is the faculty, not administrators. The bill is simply going to create more of these faculty members.
Legislation from last session allocated additional tenure-track positions at community and technical colleges (CTCs) and gave CTCs the ability to hire a more diverse group of professors. It is key for students at CTCs to have full-time tenure-track faculty, and this bill will benefit the students who transfer from CTCs to four-year institutions.
Whether a professor or a researcher, faculty work better when they are supported. Students suffer when faculty is not supported. If students cannot find a professor years later for a letter of recommendation, questions, or other resources, their chances of advancing are hurt. More full-time professors will also help with turnover as full-time professors have the security to provide services for students. The positive impacts of adding full-time tenure-track faculty has been seen in the addition of such staff at the CTCs. Investing in the higher education workforce becomes an investment in students.
Research is a very important part of what tenure-track faculty work on. Tenure-track faculty can work at the same institution for 30 years or more. This leads to new technology, creating jobs, and saving lives. Research also helps us understand the world we live in, and when faculty conducts this research it benefits everyone. There is also a benefit to having such research conducted in Washington. It brings grant money in, which creates new jobs, causes money to circulate in the economy through the purchase of equipment, and also provides opportunities for students through hiring graduates and undergraduates.
All faculty want to do a good job to facilitate students' professional and personal intellectual growth to help them realize future outcomes. Full-time faculty are more likely to help students obtain jobs because they are more likely to maintain long relationships with them as opposed to adjunct faculty, who are looking for jobs. Untenured faculty do an excellent job, but they cannot be expected to do the work of tenured faculty.
There is lack of job security with untenured positions. Some do the same work and are promoted under the same requirements as tenured faculty, but are not tenured due to funding. Most of the faculty without tenure are women and faculty of color. Many in this position without tenure will be looking for other jobs where they can obtain tenure.
There is much research on the impact of tenure-track faculty on students at many levels. Relationships with faculty who have time and resources to invest in students makes a difference.
(Opposed) None.