As the chairman-elect of the Faculty Senate said, denying a professor tenure is the capital punishment of the academic world.That’s why it’s so important for the Faculty Senate to continually improve the procedures surrounding tenure and promotion grievances.

The senate has tried for about the past six years to do so, but its efforts have fallen by the wayside as the committee’s goals change from year to year.

This session, however, the Tenure, Promotion and Grievance Committee of the Faculty Senate is ensuring the issue will endure, regardless of membership changes, by proposing a task force to carry the issue into upcoming sessions.

It’s crucial that the Faculty Senate continues to revise the policy because tenure is such an important facet of the academic community.

Tenure allows professors to speak freely and continually contribute new ideas to the university without fear of being censored or punished for their thoughts. It encourages diversity among the faculty and provides a stable base of capable academics.

Obviously, tenure denial is necessary to maintain the university’s high standards for tenured faculty. At the same time, however, the process should be as fair as possible given the gravity of a tenure denial.

And no organization on campus is better fit to deal with the issue than the Faculty Senate. They’re certainly proceeding with due diligence – as they should.

Hopefully, this time, the issue will outlast the academic year enough for tangible improvements to be made.

News editor Andrew Chavez for the editorial board.