Huskerzoo

@teachercd As a young professor, tenure is like strapping a time-bomb on your chest. You have 5 years to prove to the university you have a stable, productive, and independently-funded research program with the added charges of service and teaching expectations. The dream of becoming an old professor is secondary to the hope you can keep your job following your tenure review.

"Strapping a bomb to your chest!  Haha!  I bet it is!  I thought it was 7 years though, but still...it is amazing that the system is set up in such a "good ole boy" way...

Basically you are getting hazed for 5 years (or less!) and then once you are "in" you are pretty protected (right?).

@Thanks_Tom RR

My buddy is a Prof at PSU now...his last stop before that was in New Zealand. 

The difference between pre-tenured and tenured status is that colleges can choose to not renew the contract and terminate a professor without cause or reason during the probationary, pre-tenured period. The university has to demonstrate incompetence or unprofessional conduct before firing a tenured professor. So, tenure provides some job security, but it does not make you bullet-proof. You still get evaluated for promotions and raises; you just get the right to be fired with cause.