The denial of tenure is an emotional issue on campus. I do not wish to comment on the recent cases. However, from spoken and written comments I have heard and seen, such Stephen Brown's in Newspeak (April 2, 1996), it appears that many people on campus do not know the details of the procedure involved.
The process and criteria are guided by the faculty handbook. This is a public document, provided to all faculty. The criteria are also conveyed to faculty by guidance within the departments, from the department heads and from departmental tenure and promotion committees. Regular reviews with feedback to the faculty member concerned are mandated, and many departments review every year (as I believe they should). In addition, both the WPI tenure committee and the promotion committee hold widely advertized open meetings at which questions are answered and advice given.
Although the Provost makes the final decision, the departments are responsible for putting qualified candidates forward, or terminating them prior to that if they are not qualified. In addition, both the WPI tenure committee (7 people, including 3 from the candidate's department) and the promotion (6 people) committee provide recommendations to the Provost. Last, but not least, the President may comment on cases.
Input on the tenure process is also obtained from WPI faculty, from outside, independent evaluators, and from alumni. While the Provost has the final say, there are many others who play a part, and provide information, including the candidates themselves. There are many people in the decision-making and advice-giving chain.
The process of evaluation is long, complex, subtle, and, I believe, essentially fair.
Both the schoolwide Tenure and Promotion committees balance a variety of evaluations. At WPI we expect faculty to teach well - without that tenure, or promotion, would be denied. Teaching is taken seriously in the evaluation of faculty. We also expect faculty to produce scholarship at a level that can be acknowledged as of high quality by independent and knowledgeable evaluators. Without scholarship there would be little to distinguish a university faculty member from a high school teacher. We expect a good balance of teaching, scholarship and service. It is not possible or desirable to express that balance as a predermined formula. There are just too many variations across faculty and departments.
Please note that I do not speak for the tenure committee, and this is far from a complete description of the process. However, I hope that this information has helped people understand the tenure process at WPI a little better. I hope this adds a little light to the heat.
Professor David Brown - Computer Science Department