Commercial forces, perhaps more than political forces, impinge on that freedom today. Protection of academic freedom is critical to the survival of university education. Tenure does not protect incompetence or non-performance of duties. Under current practices, a tenured professor may have to face such charges, and may be dismissed in a set of proceedings that are carefully protected by due process considerations. Tenure does not mean never having to be reviewed.
Most major universities incorporate some kind of routine review of all faculty.
These routine reviews help guide professional development, give shape and direction to departmental plans, and help to allocate the work of each department. Only individual charges of incompetence or of some equally serious malfeasance should be able to invoke a process that can lead to dismissal. If Texas weakens the tenure system in its colleges and universities, it will weaken the state's ability to compete nationally for the finest scholars and the finest students. Institutions that have commanded national respect would decline in comparison with other universities and other states. To fax a message, call your representative's office and ask for their individual fax number.