We, the Undersigned, support the continuation of tenure and the protections it offers in higher education in Tennessee.  Below is a list of reasons why this position has Tennessee’s best interests at heart:

1.      Tenure and the protections of tenure promote stability by promoting the development of long-term relationships between college faculty and our communities.

2.      Tenure and the due process it offers has a direct impact on our ability to hire the best and brightest from across the nation.

3.      The protections offered by tenure encourage first-rate teaching and allows for independent and explorative inquiry in the classroom setting, ensuring that Tennessee students continue to be guided through complex questions with unlimited possibilities for problem-solving.

4.      Tenure and its due process protections contribute to Tennessee’s economic and educational vitality by helping institutions attract and retain highly qualified faculty and maintain rigorous academic standards in our state. Weakening these protections—whether through the elimination of tenure, removing clear definitions of 'adequate cause,' or limitations on faculty members’ ability to respond to allegations—introduces instability that can undermine institutional quality, diminish the value of Tennessee degrees, and make the state less competitive in attracting students, employers, and long-term investment.

5.      Tenure and due process protect the academic freedom of professors.  This is important for many reasons, but perhaps most important is that a student’s freedom to explore the full range of their own creativity and analytical skills will tend not to extend beyond their professor’s freedom to help them explore.  By keeping faculty free to teach, we keep Tennessee students free to learn.

6.      Robust due process is essential to tenure. This includes clear definitions of ‘adequate cause,’ established timelines, formal hearings with recorded proceedings, the opportunity to present evidence, and the right to appeal.

The strength of tenure is the strength of higher education in Tennessee.  Tenure is strong when Faculty have the protection of due process.  Without it, academic freedom is diluted along with the strength of a Tennessee degree.

We, the undersigned, endorse the continuation of tenure, support due process for Faculty, and recognize tenure’s contribution to the high quality of education available to Tennesseans.