Inevitably proponents of tenure will defend its purpose of protecting the free speech rights and academic freedom of its members. However, to say that selected professors are guaranteed these liberties with no exceptions while others are not produces perhaps the worst product of tenured reign, an academic caste system between the haves and the have-nots.
The “haves” are secure in their tenured positions, enjoying academic freedom, the pursuit of their own agenda, and in most cases the power to decide who will join their illustrious club. The “have-nots” are those whose positions are not set in stone, whose academic freedom and pursuits are frequently scrutinized by their administrations and tenured counterparts, and whose path forward often hinges on their ability to obtain job security in the form of tenure.
What has not changed either on university campuses or in Washington since President Obama took office is plague of corruption, trading favors, jockeying for funding, and as DeMint aptly put it "amassing their own power," by a network of permanent professionals.
Seldom do we see an elected official actively seek restraint rather than pursue excess to their own power. In this capacity, DeMint's proposed change to the Constitution is worthy of the document he seeks to amend, in spite of the overwhelming difficulty it may face. In the same regard, our public institutions and colleges should pursue true academic integrity by seriously reconsidering the disingenuous business-as-usual practice of tenure, and replace it with one that encourages real change.