Despite concerns that recent changes in tenure could harm faculty research, UW-Madison Vice Chancellor for Medical Affairs and Dean of the School of Medicine and Public Health Robert Golden said the university will remain a top research institution.
Golden said “nothing could be further from the truth” in a March 21 Slate article by columnist Rebecca Schuman, in which she warns the UW System’s moves to weaken tenure and cut funding would lead to the demise of UW-Madison’s reputation as a nationally recognized research university.
In a university release, Golden refuted Schuman’s claim that UW-Madison will no longer be able to attract superstar faculty with its current tenure situation, saying that the number and quality of applications for positions in his department was still strong.
Golden also acknowledged that although the university has spent nearly $9 million on retaining top faculty who have received outside offers, it is not an uncommon practice for schools to “invest in the retention and continued productivity of its best individuals.”
The UW System has been at the forefront of national conversations surrounding tenure in public higher education, Golden said, and he said he feels the university will continue to thrive.
“I am convinced that when the dust settles, UW-Madison will continue to be what it has always been for more than 150 years,” Golden said in the release. “A place that attracts some of the world’s most innovative and talented researchers and the outstanding students who will follow in their footsteps.”
