Mistaken title of Professor

Also read: Productive Professors and Barren Professors

Law Number 14 of 2005 concerning Teachers and Lecturers affirms that a professor is the highest functional position for teachers who still teach in higher education institutions. Therefore, obtaining this highest functional or academic position is worthy of celebration and pride, both for the individual, their family, and the institution. Addressing someone also changes, no longer Mr. or Mrs., but instead Prof, which is an abbreviation of professor.

Professor is a position, not a title

Not only is the position of a professor a source of pride and honor, but it is also awarded a professorial allowance of three times the basic salary. The retirement age is also extended from 65 to 70 years old, and there is even potential for it to be extended as a special lecturer until the age of 79.

With all this honor obtained, it is not uncommon for various efforts to violate ethics and norms to be permitted to achieve it, including the emergence of the "cobra effect" due to prioritizing existence over essence (Kompas, 17/4/2024).

One thing that is often forgotten is that professor or professor is an academic position, not an academic title. Academic degrees, whether bachelor's, master's or doctoral degrees, are generally permanent, attached to the person who obtains them. This is different from positions, they are not permanent, instead they have a time limit.

Law No. 14/2005 stipulates that the functional position of a lecturer, including the professorship, is attached to a lecturer as long as they are still performing their duties as a lecturer or still teaching in a higher education unit or have not retired. After that, of course, the position will end, and they will no longer hold the position as a professor or full professor.

At the world's leading universities, a professor who retires is still given the right to hold the title of professor if the person concerned is deemed to have had special achievements and contributions, called professor emeritus. Emeritus professors generally no longer receive salaries, but are still provided with various facilities, such as offices, business cards, e-mail and car parking. Not all professors receive this honor.

Leader in the academic world

As a holder of a position, a professor has the highest responsibility and authority in the academic world. Therefore, in addition to the responsibilities that are generally held by lecturers, a professor is also given special additional responsibilities, such as writing books, publishing scientific works in reputable international journals, and disseminating them to the scientific and general public.

Also read: Professor because Jockey

Professors are also given the authority to guide doctoral candidates and lecturers with lower positions. This means that a professor actually has higher responsibilities and performance demands compared to lecturers with lower academic positions in implementing Tri Dharma PT. In short, professors carry out their duties as leaders in the academic world (academic leaders).

As an academic leader, a professor or professor is actually required to show even better performance than before, not limited to the Tri Dharma PT fields alone.

From a professor, exemplary conduct and leadership, willingness to guide, lift up colleagues and younger students, as well as contribute positively to society, nation, and country are expected. In essence, when a lecturer becomes a professor, they should be more productive in terms of publications and the quality of their work, teach better and more innovatively, and also exhibit better leadership. It should not be the other way around.

Maybe it's time to evaluate the procedures and criteria for promotion to academic positions.

Professors are required to perform at the highest level

As the highest position, it is reasonable for a professor to be given the highest performance demands, in line with their highest authority and rights, not the other way around.

Sometimes it is interpreted that after achieving the professorial position, the hard effort to improve performance in terms of student learning, scientific development, or community service also stops.

This is true with academic degrees, but not with positions. This misconception must be corrected.

On one occasion when delivering a speech at the inauguration of new professors, half-jokingly, I mentioned that I would be checking the Scopus accounts of these new professors in the following years. They must remain productive and produce new and increasing international publications, not only in terms of quantity, but also quality. Not only in proceedings, but also in reputable international journals.

In short, professors should continue to build their reputation and collaboration in the international realm.

Currently, higher education in Indonesia is facing numerous extraordinary challenges. Apart from the disruptions caused by the Industrial Revolution 4.0, the education sector is also confronted with the rapid development of artificial intelligence (AI) and the presence of foreign universities in the country.

The increasing aggressiveness of foreign universities in recruiting students in Indonesia adds a complex challenge. Not to mention the various challenges due to global climate change. In many ways, our higher education is still losing in competitiveness. It is already a common secret that our universities are far behind in competition and contribution in the global realm.

In this situation, an increase in the number of professors in the homeland should be a bright spot that brings hope. An increase in the number of professors means an increase in the number of reliable leaders in the academic field who will become locomotives for change and improvement in the quality of our higher education.

Professors should not be left to fight alone. The government, as policy and regulation makers, should always equip themselves with a growth mindset, quickly adopting relevant new things, evaluating existing regulations, cutting down hindrances, providing various support and facilities, and creating a conducive and fair atmosphere in the midst of this increasingly extraordinary competition and change challenges.

As a holder of a position, a professor has the highest responsibility and authority in the academic world.

Perhaps it is also time to evaluate the procedures and criteria for academic promotion. Wouldn't it be better to entrust it to the autonomy of universities, not centralized nationally, which also applies to lecturers at private universities? Similarly, shouldn't it be done qualitatively, rather than quantitatively, through the calculation of credit points (KUM) as it has been done so far?

It seems that procedures like this only apply in Indonesia, the only one in the world, not in other countries. And, it seems to be less encouraging for performance and growth.

Djwantoro Hardjito, Professor and Chancellor at Petra Christian University, Surabaya