It seems that many universities, especially in Europe, did not offer tenure in the legal sense. However, the CBS scandal will remind people that it is dangerous to rely on implicit contracts, so that profs may demand that tenure be specified in their employment contract in the future, and universities which cannot do that or offer better terms to compensate (e.g. public universities) will be in trouble.
Copenhagen Business School firing tenure profs
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Basically the same thing happened at KU (University of Copenhagen) a few years ago, and tenured economics faculty were laid off. They are a top university/dept in Denmark.
Any example of a reputable dept of finance and/or economics in US or Europe which fired senior people for financial reasons in the last 10 years? Please tell us.
I can't specifically think of an example in economics or business but it does happen and quite regularly. Here are some general examples from around the world:
http://www.theguardian.com/higher-education-network/2014/jun/05/kings-college-london-cut-jobs-to-fund-university-buildings
http://www.abc.net.au/news/2014-03-21/curtin-university-staff-levels-slashed/5337806
http://www.canberratimes.com.au/act-news/anu-music-head-on-indefinte-leave-as-tension-builds-20120510-1yemu.html
This is what I am talking about.
Of course it can happen.
Firing for financial reasons is OK reason to layoff tenured faculty member anywhere in the world.
But the key question is: does it happen at the good places in finance & econ? Or only in ill-managed places like CBS?
That is the whole question!In Denmark associate professors are easier to fire than assistant professors. An associate professor in Denmark is by no means comparable to an associate professor in many other countries. It is much easier to become an associate professor in Denmark than it is to have the same label in most non northern European countries.
The contract is open ended but if the uni is in financial trouble as it happened a few years ago to Copehnagen then people will be fired and those easy to fire are the associate professors.
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Plenty of false info in this tread. I happen to know that Finance is not going to layoff anyone. They are in the junior market with two slots to fill --- and will also be making senior offers. Why so grumpy OP? Whoever said "Unions will not allow..." knows very little about the Danish labor market.
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Danish labour market does not help when there is no money left and a hiring freeze. CBS will not hire any junior or senior for a foreseeable future.
Plenty of false info in this tread. I happen to know that Finance is not going to layoff anyone. They are in the junior market with two slots to fill --- and will also be making senior offers. Why so grumpy OP? Whoever said "Unions will not allow..." knows very little about the Danish labor market.
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There is no tenure in Denmark period. And the cuts are really hitting some departments, like Political Science, that are not seen as 'core' but have brought in the lion's share of European prestige funding in recent years, and also teach a lot in the elite programs. The old president's agenda (Jensen, not Roos) was to turn CBS into the Nordic LSE. Seems there is a change in plan.
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CBS cuts target ONLY so-called "tenured" associate and full profs. Reason: Assistants are considered "temporary" hence do not deliver "structural savings." But this is not great news for assistants, as there will ostensibly be very few associate positions to be promoted into at the end of their temporary contracts. The school continues to talk of honouring "tenure track contracts." These are special assistant prof deals available in maybe 4 departments that allow promotion to associate via internal vs external review process. "Honouring tenure track contracts" appears to mean that these assistants will get priority for the few associate positions that might become available (which kind of sucks for assistants who didn't get that special deal). The irony, of course, is that you get a special internal review to be promoted into a "tenured" associate position...but wait, there is no tenure, They really ought to be obliged to stop using "tenure" language in hiring, as it seems intentionally misleading...
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...but wait, there is no tenure, They really ought to be obliged to stop using "tenure" language in hiring, as it seems intentionally misleading...
Maybe the people who keep talking about tenure-track at the LSE, LBS and other UK institutions will take note of this - remember that in the UK, just as in Denmark, there is no such thing as tenure.
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"Maybe the people who keep talking about tenure-track at the LSE, LBS and other UK institutions will take note of this - remember that in the UK, just as in Denmark, there is no such thing as tenure."
Though there is a difference between using tenure language while intending to abide by the international practices associated with the world, and using tenure language while knowing full well that you do not intend to abide by those practices. CBS has had problems retaining international faculty, especially non EU faculty, because Denmark's draconian immigration laws leave foreigners on very thin ice, and CBS does very little to provide additional support. Suprateek Sarker was appointed to the school's prestigious Microsoft Chair but stayed only 1 year. Anthony D'Acosta also left after a short time.