--- title: "Meaning & Key Takeaway of: The rationale for tenure is still valid…" description: "\"The rationale for tenure is still valid. But the system has turned the academy into one of the most conservative and costly institutions in the country..." image: "https://sms4smile.com/quotes/i/fa0/francis-fukuyama-11763_academy_the-rationale-for-tenure-is-still-valid_1981290.jpg" --- # The rationale for tenure is still valid. But the system… ![“The rationale for tenure is still valid. But the system has turned the academy into one of the most conservative and costly institutions in the country. Yes, conservative: Economists joke that their discipline advances one funeral at a time, but many fields must wait for wholesale generational…” quote by Francis Fukuyama](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/i/fa0/francis-fukuyama-11763_academy_the-rationale-for-tenure-is-still-valid_1981290.jpg) [Download](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/i/fa0/francis-fukuyama-11763_academy_the-rationale-for-tenure-is-still-valid_1981290.jpg) [Open image](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/i/fa0/francis-fukuyama-11763_academy_the-rationale-for-tenure-is-still-valid_1981290.jpg) > “The rationale for tenure is still valid. But the system has turned the academy into one of the most conservative and costly institutions in the country. Yes, conservative: Economists joke that their discipline advances one funeral at a time, but many fields must wait for wholesale generational turnover before new approaches take hold.” [Francis Fukuyama](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/francis-fukuyama/) ## About This Quote This interpretation was drafted with AI assistance. It is one reading of the quote, not the author's own explanation. Tenure protects academic freedom, yet the system’s conservatism and cost hinder innovation and generational renewal. **In simple terms:** Tenure preserves freedom but can make academia slow and expensive. Key Takeaway Reform tenure to balance stability and fresh ideas. Themes academia tenure conservatism innovation Mood thoughtful critical Type analytical policy When to use this quote - university hiring - budget planning - curriculum reform - research funding Key Concepts political economy institutional design public policy Questions to Reflect On - How can institutions keep expertise while encouraging change? - What incentives promote innovative research? A Different Perspective Changing tenure may risk losing long‑term expertise. ★ ★ ★ ★ ★ No ratings yet [Academy](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/about/academy/) [Conservative](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/about/conservative/) [Country](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/about/country/) [Discipline](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/about/discipline/) [Economists](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/about/economists/) [Education](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/about/education/) [Funeral](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/about/funeral/) [Institutions](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/about/institutions/) [Joke](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/about/joke/) [System](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/about/system/) [Tenure](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/about/tenure/) [Time](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/about/time/) ## Related quotes > [For the most part, if somebody approaches me and says, 'I'd like to interview you,' who am I to say no, when I spend…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/mary-roach/for-the-most-part-if-somebody-approaches-me-and-says-i-d-like-to/) [Mary Roach](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/mary-roach/) > [I am going to be contradictory to myself many times for the simple reason that I am trying to bring all the religions to…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/rajneesh/i-am-going-to-be-contradictory-to-myself-many-times-for-the-simple/) [Rajneesh](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/rajneesh/) > [Carry a big basket. 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Faust](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/james-e-faust/) > [With repetition, the alternate approaches become clear, options open.](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/robert-genn/with-repetition-the-alternate-approaches-become-clear-options-open/) [Robert Genn](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/robert-genn/) > [Writing lyrics is part spontaneous, intuitive and part really thought through and carefully analyzed as you write it. It's a mixture of two approaches,…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/ian-anderson/writing-lyrics-is-part-spontaneous-intuitive-and-part-really-thought/) [Ian Anderson](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/ian-anderson/) > [As an artist, you can never get what you want. What you do never approaches what you want it to be.](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/janet-fitch/as-an-artist-you-can-never-get-what-you-want-what-you-do-never/) [Janet Fitch](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/janet-fitch/) ## More by Francis Fukuyama > [“For Hegel , by contrast, liberal society is a reciprocal and equal agreement among citizens to mutually recognize each other”](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/francis-fukuyama/for-hegel-by-contrast-liberal-society-is-a-reciprocal-and-equal/) [Francis Fukuyama](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/francis-fukuyama/) > [For capitalism flourishes best in a mobile and egalitarian society](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/francis-fukuyama/for-capitalism-flourishes-best-in-a-mobile-and-egalitarian-society/) [Francis Fukuyama](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/francis-fukuyama/) > [“The only part of the world where tribalism was fully superseded by more voluntary and individualistic forms of social relationship was Europe, where Christianity…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/francis-fukuyama/the-only-part-of-the-world-where-tribalism-was-fully-superseded-by/) [Francis Fukuyama](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/francis-fukuyama/) > [I've figured out in the course of my life that the one thing I'm good at doing is writing books, and it would be…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/francis-fukuyama/i-ve-figured-out-in-the-course-of-my-life-that-the-one-thing-i-m-good/) [Francis Fukuyama](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/francis-fukuyama/) > [In the future the optimal form of industrial organization will be neither small companies nor large ones but network structures that share the advantages…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/francis-fukuyama/in-the-future-the-optimal-form-of-industrial-organization-will-be/) [Francis Fukuyama](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/francis-fukuyama/) > [“teori kapitalisme global”](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/francis-fukuyama/teori-kapitalisme-global/) [francis fukuyama](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/francis-fukuyama/) > [Be afraid of the Chinese. 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But I'd get rid of tenure.](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/francis-fukuyama/i-m-a-tenured-professor-but-i-d-get-rid-of-tenure/) [Francis Fukuyama](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/francis-fukuyama/) > [I'm basically an optimist because I do think there's this historical modernisation process, and by and large it's been very beneficial to people. 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