Tenure is a type of academic appointment that provides job security to educators in higher education institutions. It is an indefinite academic appointment that can only be terminated for cause or under extraordinary circumstances, such as financial exigency or program discontinuation. Tenure is a means of defending the principle of academic freedom, which holds that it is beneficial for society in the long run if scholars are free to hold and examine a variety of views.

The tenure system was introduced into American universities in the early 1900s in part to prevent the arbitrary dismissal of faculty members who expressed unpopular views. Under the tenure systems adopted by many universities and colleges in the United States and Canada, some faculty positions have tenure and some do not. Tenure lets the academic community avoid excessive turnover while still ensuring the quality of the institutions faculty.

Tenure is also the mechanism through which institutions create a protected space within which college and university teachers can exercise their craft without worrying that an unpopular or unorthodox undertaking might put their careers at risk. In elementary and secondary schools, tenure also protects teachers from being fired for personal, political, or other non-work related reasons.

To achieve tenure, a professor must pass rigorous standards and work for a probationary period of five or six years. Once a professor has gained tenure, he or she can only be terminated for a justifiable cause or under extraordinary circumstances. The purpose of tenure is to insulate faculty members from dismissal because of their political activities, research, teaching, or participation in the governance of the institution. Tenure prevents a governing board, politicians, or university donors from interfering with academic freedom.

The benefits of tenure include job security, academic freedom, and freedom of speech. By ensuring its educators are receiving comprehensive rights, colleges and universities are attracting the most qualified, talented faculty to work at their institutions, therefore offering the most high-quality education.