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[[page from a newspaper attached to scrapbook]] debate and discussion. Currently, tenure is decided after review by department colleagues, the department chairman, senior faculty members of the school, the dean of the school, a University-wide committee of senior faculty members, Provost Jon N. Westling and Silber. Where the gripes are coming from- and they are not at all limited to "anti-Silber" professors- is the idea that, ultimately, Westling and Silber have the final say in the decision- regardless of the opinions of the other members of the review process. Sometimes, the opinions of the other members of the review board and the opinions of Silber and Westling don't jive. When that happens, guess which side always seems to lose? Who is better to judge, say, and SED professor? The other professors he works with daily? The dean he works with regularly? Or the central administration, which has many other professors to worry about? Can Silber or Provost Westling truly have an absolutely accurate grasp on both the abilities and shortcomings of professors in every corner of the University? And, failing to have that absolute grasp, should they command the absolutely final word on tenure decisions? The argument that the problem is rooted in professors who, after failing to get tenure here, complain to their friends on the faculty about the injustice of it all, is unfounded. There are simply too many professors, in too many different situations, with too many different political priorities who want to see a change in the system. Going one step further, shouldn't students have some sort of partial input as well? Silber and Westling don't go to classes, don't hear lectures, don't read the required readings and don't take the tests. Isn't the student the ultimate witness to a professor's effectiveness? Shouldn't a responsible student or small group of students be included on the review panel? There is much room for improvement in the University's tenure procedure. Yesterday's meeting, coming after semesters of frustration, angry words and stalemate, is a welcome start. We hope both the administrators and faculty members who make up the University Council have the good sense to finish the job. Because it's time tenure itself came under heavy review. [[horizontal line]] The Daily Free Press house editorials are the opinions of the Free Press Editorial Board- the Editor, Managing Editor, News Editor and Editorial Page Editor. The Daily Free Press' op-ed pages are open to all members of the Boston University community. Submitted written material must be typewritten and at least 250 words in length, not to exceed 1,000 words. Letters and articles should be mailed to Letters to the Editor, 842 Commonwealth Avenue, Boston, MA 02215, or hand delivered to our offices, located across the street from Boston University's School for the Arts and next to the Mobil station. The Daily Free Press regrets that, due to space constraints, we are unable to print all Letters to the Editor. Anonymous letters will not be published. Shorter letters and submissions will be given higher priority. We reserve the right to edit all letters and contributions without prior notice. Letters must be received by 5:30 p.m. to be considered for the following day's paper. The Daily Free Press is also at this time accepting applications for cartoonists and columnists. Samples should be submitted to the Editorial Page Editor. [[column on right side cut off] [[end page]]
