Politics

Pentagon halts tenure appointments for civilian faculty at service academies

A memo signed by Defense Secretary Pete Hegseth aims to refocus institutions on warfighting while preserving existing tenure.

Updated Sep 30, 2026 · 02:12 UTC3 reports

The short version

Defense Secretary Pete Hegseth signed a directive ending new tenured college faculty appointments for civilians at U.S. military service academies.[ABC News]
The policy change applies to West Point, the U.S. Naval Academy, and the U.S. Air Force Academy as part of an effort to prioritize warfighting.[ABC News · The Washington Sun]
Faculty who already hold tenure will not lose their status under the order.[ABC News]
The Naval Academy has the highest civilian representation, with civilians comprising roughly half of its 600 faculty members.[ABC News]

Defense Secretary Pete Hegseth signed a memo barring the Defense Department from appointing civilian faculty to tenured positions at military academies.[ABC News]
The memo characterizes the end of tenure appointments as an effort to refocus the service academies on warfighting.[ABC News]
The order affects the U.S. Military Academy at West Point, the U.S. Naval Academy, and the U.S. Air Force Academy.[The Washington Sun]
Faculty members who currently hold tenure will not be stripped of the designation under the directive.[ABC News]
Civilian faculty proportions differ across academies, reaching their peak at the Naval Academy, where civilians constitute about half of 600 faculty members.[ABC News]

Reporting notes that Hegseth's directive apparently would not strip tenure from currently tenured faculty, leaving the exact mechanics of implementation to be clarified.[ABC News]

Outlet counts describe coverage, not independent confirmation. Reports may share a wire service or original source.