"Compatibility" as a Criterion for Faculty Review: University of Georgia Department of History in 1970

• In Event: Marriott Roundtable Session 16
  In Roundtable Session: Critical Shifts in Higher Education

Abstract

Issues of fit and collegiality in academic appointments have been implicated in cases back to the late-19th century beginnings of modern understandings of academic freedom but the pernicious use is more closely linked to the early 1970s, when codifying tenure and promotion standards gained widespread acceptance. One such case that helps highlight the larger national concern occurred in 1970, when Robert McPherson, chair of the history department at UGA, issued a memo citing “compatibility” as a criterion for faculty reviews. This paper explores the issuance of this memo and subsequent fallout, and demonstrates how understanding the shifting landscapes of faculty reviews in the 1960s and 70s gives us insight into conversations about how faculty work should be assessed and valued.

Author

• Amy Yandell, University of Georgia