In the far-off California of the 1960s, I once addressed a university audience on the critical issue of population growth and environmental degradation. Although the student would have preferred otherwise, our complex society cannot function without a vast array of recognizable expertise. One of the most telling markers of expertise is a professorship at a distinguished research university. Individuals in this category have demonstrated that they are familiar with a body of information and interpretation, and their own original truth claims have withstood the scrutiny of knowledgeable peers. One can achieve this rank in the School of Arts and Sciences only by a process that requires a minimum of nine letters from reputable experts outside the University and intensive investigations by one's department, by the SAS Personnel Committee, and by the provost and his advisors.
Many responsibilities come with the status of university professor.
One is the responsibility of speaking cautiously. Inaccurate or unreliable statements not only call into question one's status as an expert but also compromise the credibility of the entire professoriate, which has attested to that status. Another responsibility is to use one's expertise in the public interest. A large fraction of SAS faculty communicate research findings to the public through popular media. Others advise governmental bodies and provide expert testimony.