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<p>I think there’s a lot to this comment–I know several mid-thirtyish PhD profs bouncing around at some top colleges. They typically are offered a 1, 2, or 3 year contract to either fill a spot for someone on sabbatical (or otherwise on leave), or to teach a new or experimental course. There’s a big difference in being taught by a young PhD with teaching experience and a TA. And, from what I hear, it’s tougher and tougher for these young PhDs to get on a tenure track. That Ward Churchill character was tenured, so perhaps tenure shouldn’t be the controlling factor in the evaluation posed in the OP</p>