Higher Ed 101: Tenure Explained

Tenure is a defining feature of U.S. higher education, but these days the practice is in decline and under attack by critics. On this episode, Jeff and Michael talk with Jacques Berlinerblau, a Georgetown University professor who has written extensively about the tenure system, for an explainer on its colorful origins as well as a look at the dramatic changes that seem to be coming. This episode is made with support from Ascendium Education Group.

Episode 219 of the Future U Podcast - The Pulse of Higher Ed podcast, hosted by Jeff Selingo and Michael Horn, titled "Higher Ed 101: Tenure Explained" was published on March 3, 2026 and runs 46 minutes.

March 3, 2026 ·46m · Future U Podcast - The Pulse of Higher Ed

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Summary

Tenure is a defining feature of U.S. higher education, but these days the practice is in decline and under attack by critics. On this episode, Jeff and Michael talk with Jacques Berlinerblau, a Georgetown University professor who has written extensively about the tenure system, for an explainer on its colorful origins as well as a look at the dramatic changes that seem to be coming. This episode is made with support from Ascendium Education Group.

Episode Description

Tenure is a defining feature of U.S. higher education, but these days the practice is in decline and under attack by critics. On this episode, Jeff and Michael talk with Jacques Berlinerblau, a Georgetown University professor who has written extensively about the tenure system, for an explainer on its colorful origins as well as a look at the dramatic changes that seem to be coming. This episode is made with support from Ascendium Education Group.

Chapters

0:00 - Intro

2:50 - The Colorful History of Tenure

8:14 - A Distinctly American System

9:14 - How Tenure Works

13:26 - What Is the Legal Nature of Tenure?

14:46 - Which Types of Colleges Use Tenure?

16:19 - Is Tenure Different in Different Disciplines?

18:52 - How Difficult Is It For Colleges to Dismiss a Tenured Faculty Member?

20:40 - Can Tenured Departments Be Eliminated for Lack of Student Demand?

22:57 - Complaints Against the Tenure System

24:43 - A Turning Point in the 1990s

31:43 - A Renewed Campaign to Erode Tenure

34:31 - How Professors Are Partly to Blame for Tenure’s Woes

37:33 - Will Only Elite Universities Keep Tenure?

38:49 - Are Younger Faculty As Excited About Tenure?

41:48 - What Can Professors Do in the Face of Tenure’s Erosion?

Relevant Links:

“1915 Declaration of Principles on Academic Freedom and Academic Tenure,” and a history of the American Association of University Professors.

“1940 Statement of Principles on Academic Freedom and Tenure,” from the American Association of University Professors.

"Professors Lay Dying: Selecting a College Amidst an Educational Crisis," by Jacques Berlinerblau

“They’ve Been Scheming to Cut Tenure for Years. It’s Happening,” by Jacques Berlinerblau in The Chronicle of Higher Education.

“Laboratories of Autocracy: A Wake-Up Call from Behind the Lines,” by David Pepper.

“The War on Tenure,” by Deepa Das Acevedo

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