By Rudra Narayan Sahoo, 05 October 2019, New Delhi: Tenure track system of hiring teachers is a new Buzz in the academic landscape and higher education system. After recent 53rd IIT council meet, IITs have become first in India to introduce tenure track system of hiring fresh faculty posts. This move reflects Indian education system including Universities and Higher Education Institutes will slowly and steadily adopt this practice for new recruitment.
Under Tenure track system introduced by IIT Council, all the fresh recruitment will be done via tenure track system. The performance of such faculty members will be reviewed by an Internal Review Committee after three years. Further, after fifth year, an External Review Committee will review the decision for their retention or promotion to the next higher grade. Hence under performers would be axed at any time.
The confirmation of job for permanent post will be done after five years only under Tenure track system. As per current practice, fresh faculty members in all 23 IITs remain one year under probation. After one year, their jobs automatically get Permanent status.
Universities in the USA and European countries are practicing Tenure track system. IIT council in press release said that in order to promote excellence in the IITs, all new appointments would be through tenure tracksystem, under which IITs will have more flexibility in recruitment without insisting for necessary three yearspost-PhD experience.
As per Draft of Education Policy, which sought public opinion in June 2019, advocated for an appropriately designed permanent employment (tenure) track system for faculty will be introduced for all college and university staff, including the faculty – this will be fully functional in all institutions by 2030, including private HEIs. The probation period will typically be five years, which may be reduced or increased upon evaluation. Confirmation will be based on a rigorous and comprehensive assessment process with multiple sources of data.
As per draft paper of education policy, which is in proposal stage, (tenure) track system could include 360 degree feedback (supervisor, peer and student review) over a period of time and assessment of a portfolio of work. Every institution will decide on its own process to confirm permanent employment/tenure. Such appointments will be made to individual institutions; faculty will not be transferable across institutions.
In addition to IITs, there are some institutes have already notified recruitment process for hiring assistant professors via Track Tenure System. Indraprastha Institute of Information Technology Delhi (IIITD) Delhi has released recruitment notification for hiring Tenure Track Faculty Positions.
Now question remains are the aspirants for teaching positions ready for the new system that is going to bring sweeping changes in the recruitment process?
