Clearly the "should it be" will be decided by politicians.  Given the air of accountability today (and Texas often leads the pack on such movements) it is pretty likely we will be measured based on monetary measurement to account to tax payers in the not-so-far-off future.  So, based on the article, the real question becomes "How will we be measured?"  There are so many variables.  And ones that certainly vary across the disciplines.

I averaged out how many times I am reviewed/evaluated per academic year.  Sources of evaluation include students, promotion and tenure committees, departmental (and upper) administration, peer review, grant review, etc.  The average is 173 reviews/evaluations in one academic year.  (And let's not even address the economic cost of these evaluations in tracking systems, personnel time, report generation, etc).  Despite these many points of evaluation there is still no determination of monetary value of my productivity (other than an IMLS grant).  And that yet throws in another rift.  If the grant allows buy-out of teaching then any measurement in value in teaching is reduced.

Well, I think we can see the complexity just by skimming the surface.  Now, who wants to be a Provost?????  And speaking of that, how are they measured?

----------------------------------------------------------------------------------------
Laurie J. Bonnici, Ph.D.
Assistant Professor
University of Alabama
College of Communication and Information Sciences
School of Library and Information Studies
Tuscaloosa, AL
Phone:  205-348-8824
Fax: 205-348-3746
________________________________________
From: Open Lib/Info Sci Education Forum [[log in to unmask]] On Behalf Of Dr. John V. Richardson Jr. [[log in to unmask]]
Sent: Monday, October 25, 2010 6:41 PM
To: [log in to unmask]
Subject: Re: Putting a Price on Professors

Bernie, the question isn't whether it can be, but should it be!  Of course,
it can...and, the entrepreneurial professoriate, of course, has been the
reality for quite some time.

JRjr



-----Original Message-----
From: Open Lib/Info Sci Education Forum [mailto:[log in to unmask]] On
Behalf Of B.G. Sloan
Sent: Monday, October 25, 2010 4:29 PM
To: [log in to unmask]
Subject: Putting a Price on Professors

Interesting Wall Street Journal article about "a battle in Texas over
whether academic value can be measured in dollars and cents."

See: http://bit.ly/9ZWZ8n

Bernie Sloan