Article
The Importance of the Secret Ballot in Law Faculty Personnel Decisions: Promoting Candor and Collegiality in the Academy
Journal of Legal Education
(2007)
Abstract
This article began as an exercise in self-education. At a recent faculty meeting, my colleagues were preparing to vote on a slate of candidates. Because discussion had become heated, a tenured faculty member moved for a
secret ballot on the appointments committee's recommendation. The main argument in favor of the secret ballot was that, for the protection of untenured professors (who have equal votes with tenured professors on questions
of hiring new faculty), neither their senior colleagues nor the Dean should be permitted to know how they voted. The ensuing discussion on whether to hold a secret ballot was no less heated than the original discussion on the
committee's recommendation. The secret ballot motion was never put to a vote, and an open vote on the recommended slate followed.
Keywords
- Faculty,
- Tenure,
- Voting,
- Ballots
Disciplines
- Law and
- Legal Education
Publication Date
2007
Citation Information
Ira P Robbins. "The Importance of the Secret Ballot in Law Faculty Personnel Decisions: Promoting Candor and Collegiality in the Academy" Journal of Legal Education Vol. 57 Iss. 2 (2007) p. 266 - 292 Available at: http://works.bepress.com/ira_robbins/31/