Here is an interesting op-ed piece from the New York Times. End the University as We Know It.
Professor Taylor makes some interesting observations and proposals, some of which I have some difficulty with. Mainly his view of eliminating tenure I find problematic. His is right in that the tenure process may protect bad professors, but it also protects professors from academic witch hunts. People like David Horowitz and Daniel Pipes have made a careers (not to mention quite a bit of money) trying to get professors that do no subscribe to their conservative worldview fired. Classrooms need to be places where an open exchange of ideas can take place, but if people are worried that their words might get them fired then self-censoring takes place and the academic process looses a little something.