That is why tenure is so valuable, not merely for the protection of individual faculty members but also as an assurance to society that the pursuit of truth and knowledge commands our first priority. Without freedom to question, there can be no freedom to learn. Although such statements in strong support of tenure have been reinforced at every stage of the development of the new guidelines, I know that some faculty remain concerned that any changes in the current regulations and procedures related to tenured faculty represent a threat to tenure itself. To those faculty, I wish to reiterate that these guidelines have been crafted so that they defend, enhance, and strengthen the system of tenure. Fifty years ago, I was proud to be a supporter of former U. T. Austin President Homer Rainey when he fought the Board of Regents over issues of academic freedom, and last spring I was intensely proud to take part in a ceremony which named a building at U. T. Austin in honor and memory of Dr. Rainey.
Intellectual freedom is the light that pushes back the darkness on the plain of existence.
Education cannot exist without it. I would vigorously refuse to take part in the passage of any policy that challenged or violated those principles. I have full confidence that the new guidelines will serve to uphold those principles. The guidelines require that institutional policies be developed for comprehensive review of tenured faculty every five years. There is an opportunity, of course, for peer review.