ABSTRACT
Tenure is often seen as the Holy Grail—the pinnacle of an academic career that gives someone license to say and do almost anything within the academy. However, things are never quite as they seem. The spoiler alert here is what tenure doesn’t do: supersede deeply ingrained biases that people have when looking at or interacting with someone. Therefore, classism is still present, along with other isms, no matter how much or how long you have proven yourself worthy to be in higher education. Yes, even among the tenured and emeritus (i.e., honored folks who retain influence and privileges on retirement) faculty, social class influences how they are allowed to engage with and challenge the academy. In this chapter, we will learn more about negotiating social class identity from three faculty members who represent the three points beyond tenure—associ-ate professor, full professor, and professor emeritus—through the stories of Nancy J. Evans, professor emerita at Iowa State University; Rudy P. Guevarra Jr., associate professor at Arizona State University; and Larry D. Roper, professor at Oregon State University.
