Naomi Schaefer Riley spoke about her new book in which she argues that teacher tenure is a primary factor in the rapid rise of university tuition costs. She suggested that tenure translates into a “job for life entitlement mentality” among professors. She also made the case that tenure promotes a class system in higher education which leaves teacher’s assistants and other low paid contingent faculty teaching a large portion of undergraduate students. She suggested that a thorough review of faculty work roles at American universities was necessary to remedy these problems. In this interview, she discussed her book, her own background and education, as well as early influences in her writing career.
Naomi Schaefer Riley was an editor at the Wall Street Journal. She graduated magna cum laude from Harvard University. Her last book, God on the Quad was published in 2005. Her writings on higher education have appeared in the New York Times and the Boston Globe.