On choosing: tenure decision making in academic nursing.

The purpose of this research was to describe tenure decision making within the context of a school of nursing. The sample consisted of 17 tenured and tenure-track faculty who were interviewed. Twenty tenure review files were also analyzed for differences between faculty granted tenure and faculty denied tenure. Analysis of the tenure review files revealed no significant differences between faculty granted tenure and faculty denied tenure. Comparisons were made on the basis of their research, teaching and service, as presented in curriculum vitae, letters of reference and other supporting evidence in their files. Content analysis of the interviews revealed several major findings. There was no evidence to support the idea that rational analytic decision processes were used in tenure decisions, though evidence did emerge to support the idea that some type of nonanalytical decision processes were used. Differences exist between tenured and nontenured faculty in their perceptions of tenure decision-making processes, availability and sources of information about tenure, and fairness of tenure decisions. In addition, most faculty who were interviewed thought of tenure as a form of security, rather than as an essential protector of academic freedom.