<p>I go to a school that does not give its professors tenure. My friend goes to a school where tenure is given. </p>
<p>We have had different learning experiences. My experience has largely been that professors NEVER rest on their laurels...every class is structured really well with well prepared professors, and a big priority placed on every student in the class understanding the necessary concepts of the course. For if the professor does not perform, he/she may be out of a job sooner than later even with 20+ years of teaching. </p>
<p>My friend has complained over and over again about a lot of his professors seem to not give a hoot whether he understands the stuff or not and won't allow many questions... they seem more concerned with the next research/book/article project on their plate. He even has had passive professors who "don't care if you learn much in their class, so they complacently go about their business, and hardly teach. Or leave it up to GAs to do 95% of the teaching." In his words.</p>
<p>At your school, are the professors tenured, or not? What is your experience with classes, have you had any complacent professors who teach nothing? Is undergrad education put to the side for "bigger and better"? if so, how do you like that?</p>
<p>The difference you describe seems to be one more of a research vs. non-research school. Yours, for example, seems to be one that isn't focused on making a return on investing in Nobel laureates.</p>
<p>It feels that way because tenure does not equal permanent job. Professors can still be kicked out of tenure if they perform poorly; the only thing tenure really means is that they need a specific performance-based reason for their dismissal. At a research institution, the performance-in-class might not be so easily used to dismiss someone who performs well in research.</p>
<p>'Tany rate, in my experience, people will be people. I've had tenured professors that have given me the greatest classes ever, and temporary instructors that could care a less how the class was structured. Perhaps I've been "blessed," but I've mostly dealt with honest people who aren't motivated by job status to do what they're hired to do. The difference is not in motivation, but ability. Some people are just meant to be teachers, some are just not.</p>
<p>I assume the professors at Duke have tenure, and most of them do outside research, but mine have never been to busy to help students. They will always answer questions on e-mail or meet with students who need more help learning the material. The TAs are used mainly for grading (and sometimes review sessions), but it's definitely easy to be in contact with the professors.</p>
<p>Funny, my roommate and I had that discussion last week about different professor performances. I brought it up only because one of my professors was begging me to get an A on his final and he did look pretty desperate. I knew that many people didn't really like him as a professor (but do as a person) and he probably figured that we all didn't give him good reviews. He's the chair of the department and I'm pretty sure that he's tenured.</p>
<p>We've found that tenured professors tend not to care as much as untenured professors. The best people I've worked with were untenured because they didn't have inflated egos and snobbery that goes with tenure. Because of the trend, I usually try to get untenured professors unless there's a rave about a tenured one that I should take with.</p>
<p>Also, like undecided said, it also depends on the university's aims and expectations. Colgate sets very high standards for the professors to maintain relationships with their classes and I think they're required at some point during the semester to do an outside of class activity like a pizza/movie night or take the class out to dinner at the local inn. Also it's a small, very rural campus and over 90% of the professors live within 10 minutes drive so pretty much their lives revolve around the students. It all really depends on different factors.</p>
<p>I've never had any problems getting help or in contact with any of the professors... it's the the attitude and teaching methods that I do....</p>
<p>Ok...here's some insight from the graduate student's point of view...</p>
<p>My graduate advisor is the reason tenure is a bad thing...he is never at school (unless forced to teach or faculty meeting), refuses to teach, doesn't complete research, doesn't write research proposals, takes months upon months for any feedback, doesn't give me a lick of advice on the best way to go about my research and what to do when things go wrong, etc. This is pretty much close to the worst case scenario when it comes to tenure and is not the norm. They kick butt teaching and completing research for 5 years, apply for tenure, and more times than not get accepted for tenure. He has had tenure for 15-20 years and still hasn't been granted full professorship due to lack of publications and grants.</p>
<p>When I asked my mentor here (a professor emeritus) what can be done to professors with tenure as a punishment and found the only thing they can really do is freeze their salary. Not much in my opinion for someone who is still getting paid decent money to do next to nothing!</p>
<p>I would understand his approach with my research if I were a PhD student, but am alas only a MS student with no completed research projects under my belt.</p>
<p>A word of advice for those looking for research graduate programs, look long and hard into your prospective advisor! Make sure they are active in publication and grant writing. Also, talk confidentially with previous/current graduate students of their's and see what their opinions/experiences are...I sure am glad I had to learn this lesson though, it makes applying to PhD programs much more enlightening!</p>