Why does Claudine Gay still work at Harvard after being forced to resign as its president? She's got tenure

• Harvard University President Claudine Gay resigned on Jan. 2, 2024, less than one month after University of Pennsylvania President Liz Magill stepped down.
• Some members of the public have been surprised to see that both Gay and Magill remain employed by their universities as professors and researchers.

What does having tenure mean?

• Tenure, as the American Association of University Professors defines it, is “an indefinite appointment” that protects academic jobs.
• But revoking a scholar’s tenure and the job security that goes with it requires a formal process and investigation.
• However, universities rarely end tenure, even when they find evidence that a tenured professor is incompetent.

Does it matter that Gay and Magill stepped down instead of being fired?

• Whether administrators quit or are fired has little bearing on whether they can hang on to their tenured faculty position.
• When administrators are fired it can justify an investigation of whether there’s cause for their dismissal as tenured faculty too.

What might happen to their salaries and other compensation?

• During this time period, they are often paid their administrator salaries.
• However, compensation is usually adjusted back to comparable faculty salaries upon their return to faculty ranks.
• Neither former president’s salary has been made public, since they were both recent hires and those details are typically released with a significant delay.

What’s the purpose of tenure?

It’s primarily supposed to foster academic research and academic freedom. Once granted tenure, professors and other faculty members may feel more free to research topics that might not be politically popular or that their superior might not approve. Having tenure also makes it easier for professors to discuss sensitive but appropriate topics with their students without fear of reprisal.

What would it take for them to be fired?

Firing any tenured faculty member is a lengthy process. Even if it doesn’t involve a professor who got caught up in a contentious news cycle, the school would form a committee to evaluate any possible charges. The process can take months or years. Given the allegations of plagarism in Gay’s case, she would appear to be in a more precarious situation, but by no means would her dismissal be guaranteed.

What’s changing with tenure?

• Those professors and lecturers, who outnumber professors with tenure on U.S. campuses, generally teach more courses and earn less money.
• This creates a double incentive for universities, which essentially get more labor at a cheaper price.
• It is possible, but highly unlikely, that proceedings will be initiated to dismiss either for cause.

Ray Gibney does not work for, consult, own shares in or receive funding from any company or organization that would benefit from this article, and has disclosed no relevant affiliations beyond their academic appointment.