Writing in the New York Times an academic bureaucrat (yes, that’s what Deans are) argues that teaching and research are not enough for the to do list of universities. Invention should also be added to the list, perhaps by measuring patent counts or some such as part of the process towards gaining tenure.

The other approach will require a joint effort among faculties and
administrations at our major universities. A professor’s success at
invention must be recognized in his pay and promotion. Unfortunately,
for some time now universities have placed more value on patents that
bring in revenue than those that might show more originality. Thus
inventing is viewed mainly as technology transfer, not as something
with academic value of its own. It is no surprise, then, that few
faculty members get involved in inventing, and students are not
challenged to attempt it. And any arguments that inventing should be
nurtured for its potential contribution to American economic
development are quickly dismissed.

What slightly worries me about this is that while it may have value in, say, engineering, or agricultural science, what will be the effect on the Arts? Or teacher training? Yes, take that latter. Do we really want every wannabe professor in the country to concentrate on inventing a new method for teaching teachers? Haven’t we actually suffered enough from that?